Destination Guide My Favourite Route: Pete Whittaker - The Vice (E1 5b), Stanage North
There are some climbs that etch themselves into your memory for the raw, humbling lessons they dish out. For me, that climb is The Vice (E1 5b) at Stanage North.
This week's Friday Night Video takes us back to Pete Whittaker's multi-year battle on Recovery Drink on the Profile Wall in Jøssingfjord, Norway. Thought of as one of the hardest crack climbs in the world, Recovery Drink has attracted some of the biggest hitters in the trad game over the years, with few successes.
In 2013, it was Nico Favresse who made the first ascent of the line, followed by Daniel Jung of Germany, who bagged the second ascent in 2018. So with a brutal training regime and partner in crime in Tom Randall, Pete Whittaker dedicated his climbing trips to making the 3rd (or possibly 4th) ascent of Recovery Drink 5.14c / 8c+.
Comments
Different shoes for left and right feet.
Has to be E11 along with Rhapsody/Echo Wall
I have always found it better to use different shoes. Trying to fit both feet into the same shoe always limits my grade.