UKC

Unclimbed Grit? Stunning new 7C+ at Great Wolfrey

© Dave Sutcliffe

The gritstone keeps on giving! In what seems to have become a rare occurrence these days, Dave Sutcliffe has found a stunning unclimbed wall of perfect gritstone and made the first ascent of a new problem on Wolfrey Wall at Great Wolfrey​. Dave reckons Path Of Intrigue was one of Yorkshire's finest unclimbed lines - graded as either a highball 7C+ above pads or E6 7a with gear.

Dave told UKC:

"I first spotted the line last summer whilst developing the rest of the crag but it was too warm to try it so I waited until now. The line stood out to me as one of the best unclimbed lines on Yorkshire grit!"

Dave Sutcliffe on Path of Intrigue  © Dave Sutcliffe
Dave Sutcliffe on Path of Intrigue
© Dave Sutcliffe

Dave was unsure whether to grade it as highball boulder or as a short trad climb, so compromised by grading both options:

"It's that awkward height that's not really a route but a bit high for a highball! The climbing is technical and committing but the landing is reasonable! The crux is somewhere in the region of Font 7C but I'm not sure - it was reachy for me so it felt tricky. The quality speaks for itself though."

Watch a video of Dave climbing Path of Intrigue below.


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17 Apr, 2015
Amazing looking route. Nice one Dave!
17 Apr, 2015
Only been to Great Wolfrey once, those walls between the aretes and corners look stunning and far too hard for a fat old git like me.
17 Apr, 2015
Great stuff, very tenacious Dave, well done. It looks very technical and "sequencey". Never been to Great Wolfrey it looks really good. I like the comment in the guidebook "Many of the routes are bold to start, which leads to a feeling of commitment, so think about how you will get back to the car before throwing caution to the wind." !!!
18 Apr, 2015
Wow! Looks fantastic, well done! What about a finish straight up the middle of the wall or the rh arete? Or even a direct start? Done already or impossible?
18 Apr, 2015
Brushed clean afterwards ? ...
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