This photo has been puzzling me a long time. It is clearly of antique vintage cf leader's attachment and the gear is two pitons (no nuts then) extended by slings. Jon eventually came up with the suggestion it might be Castle Rock and that in fact fitted with an ascent I did as a third in September 1966 behind David Harding and David Mitchell (who worked in the ODG). David H had a brother, also from the Lakes whom I'd met up with when doing KG and along with Richard Stewardson we had some good climbing. Jon says to post the picture to see if anyone can confirm it Is Thirlmere Eliminate. And if anyone has any news of those now old Lakes climbers it would be great to hear.

ps Ive been trying to put this in historical but UKC won't let me.After getting responses I will therefore take it down: it is NOT mean for voting

My initial thought was Totalitarian top pitch, but looking on here at other photos, I am not convinced.
A perplexing one.

Yes, that's what Jon suggested too, but it ain't? I did that with Roger Everett in 1975, and that's neither him nor did he tie on like that. but there is certainly a similarity.

Interesting that Rick's first thought was Totalitarian! Of course we must get fixed on the Lakes. Reminiscent of Welsh rock too...

Think this is possibly bottom pitch of Olympic slab at tremadog...have similar picture from mid 70s

Think it was also used as normal approach to Stromboli at that time......think now mostly avoided with ab in from top to both top pitches

Hello John - looks very much like how I remember Olympic Slab, but I don't see the connection to Stromboli.

Looking at the only photo of Olympic Slab on here, it certainly looks like it. But according to you logbook John, you haven’t done it. Could be your diary missed it?

is Olympic Slab the same thing as what was called Saucepan Bach?

Oh wait, you have but it’s given you a default date of 2015 as you didn’t enter it.

Ahhah. I did do both Stromboli and Olympic Slab with Ron James and along with Babs Meshach afternoon of 26.10.1965. The former I describe as the hardest route Ive done to date. We abbed into the latter as it had a common start. The only thing I'm not sure about this solution is that it doesn't look like Ron, particularly with that funny red crash hat which I'm sure he never wore in those days: always a cloth cap.

No, no way. That's not Olympic Slab, which looking at the picture I remember now. Three reasons. 1. Thats not Ron. 2. In days of old (1965)when knights were bold and crash hats hadn't been invented... 3. The previous day I had my first visit to Cloggy with Ron where we did Great Slab and Pedestal and I wasn't taking photos either then or at that time. So I revert to Thirlmere a year later when all three conditions did apply. Incidentally, what was Saucepan Bach renamed?

If it would help, I can try and upload a separate photo, which I am pretty sure is exactly the same place as the block on the Arete is quite distinctive for comparison...the photo is my father leading Olympic slab....if it is the same place as this photo, it is unlikely to be the lakes as we virtually never went there....

Nevans, thank you. That photo in your gallery of your father leading Olympic Slab convinces me, assuming your own identification is correct. Jon has also been doing some detective work. So mine was not taken in 1965, but some other occasion later. Ive quickly checked my diary and can't see having done it again, but I must have. Again I have this thing at the back of my mind, was this corner called Saucepan Bach at some stage?

Sorry but I am not aware of any other route going through there...I have checked one of the old Snowdonia South guides that belonged to my Father from 1966 and there is no mention in there of thar route. Think we did the photographed version a couple of times and crossed to Stromboli at the midway break as we could not find the originally described pitch which appeared overgrown. Neil

To address a question in your original post regarding news of the Hardings and Dave Mitchell, I climbed from time to time with The Harding brothers, Dave and Jim, as at the time we were all in the same Lakeland climbing club. I'm afraid I have to report Dave died soloing in Langdale many years ago - perhaps around late 70s. I've lost touch with Jim - last I knew he was living in Blackburn Lancashire. Might it be that your David Mitchell could have been Chris Mitchell, another friend and very very capable climber from the mid 60s? I don't recall a David Mitchell from the Langdale mob of the sixties.

That is without question on Olympic Slab. I've a photo of my pal leading it in 1972. His right foot is where your subject's left foot is - every feature can be seen and compared in both pics, even to the little nobble on the less steep part of the arete 6 feet below your climber. I hope that's helpful though it does seem to contradict an earlier comment.

Thank you Martin and others
1. It definitely is Olympic Slab; there is some nice easy stuff above, which is why it was familiar to me; Ive recorded a day of soloing, including 4 of these accessed by this initial underclinging Olympic Slab pitch.
2. Saucepan Bach/Sospan Fach is nothing to do with it. Nursery Rhyme Chant used by Llanelli (and other?) Welsh rugby teams (Jon's research) this name was changed to Y Broga, the infamous polished pitch, put up in 1962 and which is also ultra familiar. Why the name was changed no one knows or remembers.
3 Thanks for that news about those old Lakes climbers, and sorry to hear about David H's demise. Definitely Dave Mitchell. A nice lad and keen but not a particularly good climber unlike the other Mitchell you mention. Probably just dropped out.
4 I still have no clue who that person in the picture is, or why I photographed him: clearly from his tie on 1960s vintage.

Al Harris?

No John, never climbed with Al