UKC

Quick Release by Emma Powell

© Andrew Rutherford Photography

19-year-old GB Ice Climbing Team member Emma Powell has ticked Andy Turner's Quick Release (D10+) at The Works, Hodge Close. The line climbs through a steep roof and features a long crux move, which is hinted at by the route name.

Emma Powell on Quick Release.  © Jonathan Doyle Media
Emma Powell on Quick Release.
© Jonathan Doyle Media

In 2019, Emma climbed the Newtyle Quarry classic Fast and Furious (M10). She wrote on Instagram that she wanted to try something harder.

Emma set her sights on Quick Release just before lockdown started and worked it for around three or four months once she could return to the crag. It took her roughly six sessions to complete and she complimented her time on the route with training sessions on her home drytooling wall. Emma told UKC:

'I had been training hard over lockdown ready to tick this route once it ended. I am over the moon to have done this route, as it is the most strenuous and challenging route I've ever faced. In addition, I climbed it in the style of DTS, which means that I didn't use Figure 4s or 9s.'

Emma trained hard throughout lockdown to prepare for her hardest route to date.  © Andrew Rutherford Photography
Emma trained hard throughout lockdown to prepare for her hardest route to date.
© Andrew Rutherford Photography

In 2014 and 2016, Emma placed 3rd in the UIAA Ice Climbing World Youth Championships in Champagny-en-Vanoise, France and Rabenstein, Italy, respectively. She is currently ranked 1st in Britain following her results in the British Tooling Series.


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Emma Powell is a GB Ice Climber. She's ranked 1st in Britain and placed 3rd twice in UIAA World Youth Ice Climbing Championships. In 2020 she ticked her first M11, Quick Release at Hodge Close.

Emma's Athlete Page


22 Oct, 2020

From the photo it looks like sombeody's drilled holes in it for the picks to go in?

22 Oct, 2020

Isn't this aid climbing? Pulling on skyhooks gives a similar result (pulling on wires only slightly less-so). Not sure rock can survive the demands we sometimes place on it.

22 Oct, 2020

As someone who has climbed Quick Release and has also done a fair bit of aid climbing I can confirm that they are not even remotely similar!

Nice work Emma.

22 Oct, 2020

Google "skyhook".

22 Oct, 2020

Nice one Emma! Some brutal moves on that.

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