[El Mocho]

Kevin the American managed it today (his second day on it) I think between us all about 20 falls were taken from the move to the pocket - the flake is bomber!

[matthew]

Good effort one and all. Especially good effort to Kevin the American!

[SA Chris]

Shipwreck? Shipshape.

Good Effort all round.

[AndiT]

Wow. That's brilliant!

[Paul B]

Wow. That's brilliant!

very impressive

[Sloper]

I think I saw the raiding party in the Outside cafe, if so all I can say is that stereotypes save a lot of time (I'm talkign about looking like climbers, not being loud and brash etc) and bloody good effort, i'm just waiting for the YDS grade....

[Andy F]

Most excellent dude. As they might possibly say. In a Bill/Ted voice. Possibly.

[Sloper]

You're showing your age.

(pot kettle etc)

off to construct a balsamic reduction, remember the 1980 new cooking init

[Adam Lincoln]

Effort! Was saying in the car this morning on the way over to Stanage that it would get done today. Mint conditions.
Noticed this pic on the web of actual ascent.

[AndiT]

Noticed this pic on UKC forums of actual ascent.

[nik at work]

Brilliant effort. Very impressed. Whats next???

[GCW]

So how long before it gets an onsight lead?
It's good to see people improving on previous styles though.

[butters]

A top effort and I must say that all this ground up climbing is very exciting and personally speaking is providing suitable amounts of "syke" for the grit stone season ahead.

Kevins "blog" is here for those of you who haven't found it yet. It makes for interesting reading though the way it is presented without the ability to go straight to a specific days posting is a minor irritant.

bluebrad

[Doylo]

Kevin the American managed it today (his second day on it) I think between us all about 20 falls were taken from the move to the pocket - the flake is bomber!

Brilliant! is this still regarded as e9 then? Just thinking about other trad routes with 8a climbing on that you can fall off and they get E8.

[Drew]

Effort to Kevin. I'm guessing Ben et al, aren't gonna be there today? Was a bit damp last night.

Just curious, how much gear was placed behind the flake? Did they do a Seb Grieve and fill it with 18 million pieces? Also, I'm trying to work out, the gear was placed on lead, and then left in (and clipped) for subsequent attempts, right?

Full respect to all who were trying tho. Still reckon that flake's gonna come off one day. That'll be major, major news when it does!

[butters]

Just curious, how much gear was placed behind the flake?

From the "blog" that I linked to:

"With Parthian Shot, you place four small stoppers behind an behind an expanding flake. All but one have either ripped or fallen out on various occasions."

Also, I'm trying to work out, the gear was placed on lead, and then left in (and clipped) for subsequent attempts, right?

The rest of the details are in there as well but I am feeling lazy and can't be bothered to C+P... 

bluebrad

[Paul B]

While this ascent was far from perfect, I am happy to have improved upon previous styles. The next step is a ground up ascent with all gear being placed on lead! Then, perhaps an onsight? Who knows!

[Drew]

 

I admit I didn't have much time to read it all before going to work in the morning, so thanks to my scan readers for the abridged version. Fucking fine effort whatever style chosen, and full respect to go at it ground up.

[Will Hunt]

This worries me a little. If Seb and the boys were so convinced that this flake was utter shit it must be pretty poor but is somehow taking all these falls. Think its important that people dont start to regard it as a super safe route and a great E9 to try and onsight/ground up unless you think you're really going to make it. That flake probs isnt going to last forever (going by the Hard Grit opinion of it, of course I have not seen it in the flesh) and when it does theres a good chance that somebody's going to be really fucked up or die. Be careful you wads.

[Paul B]

This worries me a little. If Seb and the boys were so convinced that this flake was utter shit it must be pretty poor but somehow taking all these falls. Think its important that people dont start to regard it as a super safe route and a great E9 to try and onsight/ground up unless you think you're really going to make it. That flake probs isnt going to last forever (going by the Hard Grit opinion of it, of course I have not seen it in the flesh) and when it does theres a good chance that somebody's going to be really fucked up or die. Be careful you wads.

I'm pretty sure seb makes reference to people not even having looked at the flake whilst still commenting?

[Will Hunt]

Then I bow to your superior knowledge of the flake. I was merely talking about the impression given by the main commentator of that section. Described as a "shipwreck of a flake" that nobody could believe held. Seems like a quantum leap in opinion to "bomber".

Just be careful is all 

[Fiend]

Risking cries of "well if you're not on it how can you speculate", I think Will has a point. The information available to the public about this flake is: It's dodgy. So it seems somewhat incongruous that people are taking so many big falls onto it. Either it's not dodgy and all is fine, or it is dodgy to some degree and these falls are testing that. Give the somewhat unpredictable and absolute nature of rock failure, one can see, based on what has been said about the flake, the potential for disaster there. It's not like lobbing off Equilibrium where the gear situation is mostly clear-cut.

I presume if the flake went it would totally fuck the route as well as someone's life?? Would there be - speculating here - any sense in stabilising it?? Like, say - injecting a thin glue into the back of the flake, or something like that??

[grimer]

Then I bow to your superior knowledge of the flake. I was merely talking about the impression given by the main commentator of that section. Described as a "shipwreck of a flake" that nobody could believe held.

may i point out that i had nor have no real knowledge of the flake whatsoever.

[T_B]

Risking cries of "well if you're not on it how can you speculate", I think Will has a point. The information available to the public about this flake is: It's dodgy. So it seems somewhat incongruous that people are taking so many big falls onto it. Either it's not dodgy and all is fine, or it is dodgy to some degree and these falls are testing that. Give the somewhat unpredictable and absolute nature of rock failure, one can see, based on what has been said about the flake, the potential for disaster there. It's not like lobbing off Equilibrium where the gear situation is mostly clear-cut.

I presume if the flake went it would totally fuck the route as well as someone's life?? Would there be - speculating here - any sense in stabilising it?? Like, say - injecting a thin glue into the back of the flake, or something like that??

 

the flake is bomber!

 

[Fiend]

 

Fair enough. All the public knows is what was said before, it's not our fault if that wasn't right.

Were it to be as dodgy as people said it was, I still think my idea is worth discussing.