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what's hardest crack climb in UK? (Read 16695 times)

cofe

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what's hardest crack climb in UK?
January 19, 2009, 08:01:13 pm
someone asked me the other day and I didn't know.

Question?


slackline

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#1 Re: what's hardest crack climb in UK?
January 19, 2009, 08:24:41 pm
What be the rules?

Pure crack top to bottom?  Main crux is a crack?

What about Strawberries, described by Big Ron as old school finger locks in On-Sight, but from the vids its the moves from the top of the crack that seem to be where people were coming off.

mini

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#2 Re: what's hardest crack climb in UK?
January 19, 2009, 08:25:08 pm
Ray's Roof at Baldstones has got to be up there. At least two ascentionists have had whities on it  ???

Quote
From UKC News - Tom Randall reports:

"We'd both been out a couple of times recently and were really psyched for some burly roof action, so it was perfect that we both got ascents one after the other. Pete managed to look pretty sketchy on the bottom section, but really got stuck in past the lip, with some of the most inspiring climbing I've seen in quite some time. I think his words were "let me rest here a bit, I think I'm going to throw up!"

The other being Bransby???

Tommy

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#3 Re: what's hardest crack climb in UK?
January 19, 2009, 08:34:29 pm
Ray's Roof at Baldstones has got to be up there. At least two ascentionists have had whities on it  ???

Quote
From UKC News - Tom Randall reports:

"We'd both been out a couple of times recently and were really psyched for some burly roof action, so it was perfect that we both got ascents one after the other. Pete managed to look pretty sketchy on the bottom section, but really got stuck in past the lip, with some of the most inspiring climbing I've seen in quite some time. I think his words were "let me rest here a bit, I think I'm going to throw up!"

The other being Bransby???


I'd say that being objective about it, Ray's Roof isn't actually that bad  ;)  Burly, but quite short and nothing too powerful.

My vote would go for:

Crack boulder: All Elements V11
Crack route: Street Fighting Years E7 or Ugly E7?
Crack multipitch: Laughing Arthur E7/8

cofe

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#4 Re: what's hardest crack climb in UK?
January 19, 2009, 08:35:48 pm
i wonder about direquiem or whatever sonnie trotter did at dumby, whether that counts?

glad you've turned up tommy, if anyone would know...


Oli

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#5 Re: what's hardest crack climb in UK?
January 19, 2009, 08:42:53 pm
Laughing Arthur was going to be my guess. Has the whole thing been freed yet?

andy popp

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#6 Re: what's hardest crack climb in UK?
January 19, 2009, 08:49:06 pm
Screaming Dream's got to be a contender hasn't it, considering the number of repeats?

Tommy

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#7 Re: what's hardest crack climb in UK?
January 19, 2009, 08:54:36 pm
To be honest I've got no idea where the Direquiem line goes - I thought it was maybe a cop out to the arete from Dave's E11? I which case, maybe the most ground upable E10 around? I've been up on that headwall recently and couldn't work out what was going on! (Probably as I was too gripped!  :) )

Laughing Arthur has been all freed (Pete Oxley), but is in a bad state now - I've had a couple of close calls on the first pitch. It certainly needs to be done by someone who's got the time and mental fortitude!

Thought of another one - an E8 thing on granite near the sea, which has footage of Dave Mac in some film. I think it's a finger crack?

SA Chris

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#8 Re: what's hardest crack climb in UK?
January 19, 2009, 09:15:55 pm
Even Requem gets E8. I don't think Direquiem follows a crack as we know it Jim.
As for Dave mac's thing by the sea, do you mean The Great Escape E8 on Arran? If so it's a Dunne route, and i don't think the crux follows a crack. Unless my guess is way off. Do you mean Flocktalk E8 on Lewis (http://www.climbing.com/exclusive/features/dumbydave/index5.html) see cover pic.

If not I haven't a clue, but here are some other possibilities http://www.scottishclimbs.com/wiki/Hardest_Scottish_Trad_Routes

Fiend

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#9 Re: what's hardest crack climb in UK?
January 19, 2009, 09:21:13 pm
Welcome To The Cruel World (i think) E9 7a on Scafell. It IS a crack, just a very thin one. Dave Birkett of course, you know, with the pinkie mono jam on it.

The problem is crack routes are even less tangible than slackers alludes to....where does crack climbing stop and very small vertical slotty hold cranking begin??

Johnny Brown

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#10 Re: what's hardest crack climb in UK?
January 19, 2009, 09:24:56 pm
To quote Big Ron 'the hard cracks are the old cracks', ie the newer, harder routes aren't really crack climbing. Screaming dream certainly ain't, I think the lack of repeats is more to do with being too short to bother leading and too bad a landing to try highballing.

Similarly I suspect our offwidth testpieces on grit and gogarth wouldn't be that hard to a Veaudavoo (sp?) local.

Welcome to the cruel world would get my vote.

niall mcnair

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#11 Re: what's hardest crack climb in UK?
January 19, 2009, 09:29:04 pm
Thought of another one - an E8 thing on granite near the sea, which has footage of Dave Mac in some film. I think it's a finger crack?


I think you mean Comfortably Numb on the Aberdeen sea cliffs (first climbed by Tim Rankin) which was in Committed.  E8 6c or fr8a ish so probs not the hardest crack in the UK.


SA Chris

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#12 Re: what's hardest crack climb in UK?
January 19, 2009, 09:36:38 pm
Of course. must be the one he was referring to. Good detective work Niall.


Tommy

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#13 Re: what's hardest crack climb in UK?
January 19, 2009, 09:49:49 pm

Welcome to the cruel world would get my vote.

Yeah nice one JB. I think you've hit the nail on the head there. About French 8b isn't it? I was talking to Al Philzakea about it and he's even mentioned it might be safeish! Well, well....

Shame most climbers haven't got the leg strength and fitness to do the walk in  :whistle:

benpritch

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#14 Re: what's hardest crack climb in UK?
January 19, 2009, 11:38:34 pm
If i remember rightly Screaming Dream is f8b.

It is by no means not worth bothering with JB, you are so strange.

Although it is not, strictly speaking, crack climbing.



r-man

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#15 Re: what's hardest crack climb in UK?
January 20, 2009, 12:06:18 am
Always wondered what French grade for Gigantic in Wilton 1. Anyone know?

Adam Lincoln

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#16 Re: what's hardest crack climb in UK?
January 20, 2009, 12:07:39 am
Always wondered what French grade for Gigantic in Wilton 1. Anyone know?

8a+ ish

Will Hunt

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#17 Re: what's hardest crack climb in UK?
January 20, 2009, 12:24:37 am
Let's not take the piss here. I think we all know the hardest cracks are:

Minion's Way
Tippling Crack
The fucking thing after the roof section of Western Front
Bird's Nest Crack (to solo  :whistle:)

Johnny Brown

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#18 Re: what's hardest crack climb in UK?
January 20, 2009, 08:24:51 am
Quote
If i remember rightly Screaming Dream is f8b.

It is by no means not worth bothering with JB, you are so strange.

I never said that! I just tried to give a reason why it is ignored whilst the Jerry cover tick next door is mobbed.

benpritch

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#19 Re: what's hardest crack climb in UK?
January 20, 2009, 08:52:09 am
Quote
If i remember rightly Screaming Dream is f8b.

It is by no means not worth bothering with JB, you are so strange.

I never said that! I just tried to give a reason why it is ignored whilst the Jerry cover tick next door is mobbed.

and it is two grades harder

SA Chris

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#20 Re: what's hardest crack climb in UK?
January 20, 2009, 09:06:17 am
Minion's Way
Word. After visiting Brimham intermittently for my 3 years in Leeds, my best effort was 3 moves up. I reckon it's morpho, and hard for people who have bodies that can't jam for toffee (although after Squamish I would like to have another crack (see what I did there) at it). Is it polished to hell now?

shurt

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#21 Re: what's hardest crack climb in UK?
January 20, 2009, 10:46:30 am
surely giggling crack has to be up there too...?

grimer

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#22 Re: what's hardest crack climb in UK?
January 20, 2009, 11:00:13 am
A potential must be the little one right of Ramshaw Crack.

What's the world's hardest cracks? Greenspit? Cobra Crack? The old Ron Kauk bolted one. The Meltdown?

TobyD

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#23 Re: what's hardest crack climb in UK?
January 20, 2009, 11:08:04 am
surely giggling crack has to be up there too...?

I seriously doubt that the hardest crack in the UK is an offwidth. I should add that I haven't tried giggling crack yet, at this point.
But we (ie brits) are essentially shite at them, and i don't think (again, this is currently specualtion since i haven't tried it yet) that Jardine's original grade for Ray's Roof was taking the piss that much. 

SA Chris

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#24 Re: what's hardest crack climb in UK?
January 20, 2009, 11:10:05 am
Cobra Crack? The Meltdown?

grade wise, I think it's one of the two, depending on your body type.

 

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