[DAVETHOMAS90]

That problem looks amazing. It reminds me of the line in DFBWGCIII .. "Route must not look fitter than climber" 

The other news is significant too - just to illustrate the strength in depth out there. It's a good illustration of just how well some climbers are performing!

[bigironhorse]

Es Pontas repeated today  by Jernej Kruder (Jan Hojer on Facebook)

Please forgive my utter ignorance here, but if this is 9a+ does that make Sharma's FA one of the hardest routes climbed ground up? Or did he somehow work it before soloing?

[duncan]

Robbie Phillips has climbed the Pre Muir (5.13d/8b) with Ryan Richardson. It's his third El Cap. route this year from a standing start. Jacob Cook and Pete Whittaker did Free Rider in a day (16hr 45 mins) yesterday.

Three days ago Brad Gobright reported there were teams attempting free ascents of Lurking Fear, Never Never Land (Mason Earle, Niels Tietze; this will be FFA of an obvious target and it sounds like they are close), Dihedral Wall, Free Rider, Golden Gate, El Corzon, Muir Wall, Pre Muir, The Nose (2 parties), El Niño, Dawn Wall and The Zodiac.

El Cap. is where it's at!

[Fultonius]

I'd heard from old-school uk tradder turned french guide Alan Carne (while in a hot spring near Bishop) that he and Robbie was going to try the Pre-Muir, so I wonder what happened to Alan?

Good efforts all round!

[shark]

It's his third El Cap. route this year from a standing start.

Are there sitters?

Well done Robbie

[duncan]

I'd heard from old-school uk tradder turned french guide Alan Carne (while in a hot spring near Bishop) that he and Robbie was going to try the Pre-Muir, so I wonder what happened to Alan?

Alan was part of the team on an earlier try in October but bad weather stymied that attempt. Unfortunately he doesn't seem to have been able to stick around for the successful ascent.

It's his third El Cap. route this year from a standing start.

Are there sitters?

I set 'em up...

[Johnny Brown]

Jacob Cook and Pete Whittaker did Free Rider in a day (16hr 45 mins) yesterday

Good effort, only three hours slower than Bransby did it in 2002. I guess it's getting polished now.

[duncan]

Jacob Cook and Pete Whittaker did Free Rider in a day (16hr 45 mins) yesterday

Good effort, only three hours slower than Bransby did it in 2002. I guess it's getting polished now.

 

That was extremely impressive, early (6th?) ascent, no Brits doing that sort of thing at the time other than Leo Holding who somehow got rather more publicity.


Five years ago:

Still, thinking about it, it is interesting how little action there is from Brits on El Cap. I guess it's pretty expensive in this day and age for folks to go over there...

That's all changed and it feels as if 'the pack'  - Brits, and more generally - have caught up.  Many of these routes are from the 90s so you'd hope they would have by now.

[SA Chris]

Robbie Phillips has climbed the Pre Muir (5.13d/8b) with Ryan Richardson. It's his third El Cap. route this year from a standing start.

Do these routes have sitting starts then?

[Wood FT]

Maddy Cope has just climbed Freerider on El Cap with Ryan Pasquill. When I google 'British female on el cap free' it just comes up with Hazel so that's another blonde Warrington lass in the exclusive El cap club.

Great stuff

[Doylo]

Warrington is a well known hotbed for blonde El Cap freeeing females.

[Wood FT]

Warrington is a well known hotbed for blonde El Cap freeeing females.

Ask Ryan what Glossop's a hotbed for

[user deactivated]

Pissed off people crawling along at 2 miles an hour?

[Wood FT]

Pissed off people crawling along at 2 miles an hour?

Got it in one

[Moo]

WOW awesome effort 

[monkey boy]

She also did Midnight Lightning, obviously not a huge grade but a bloody good tick!

[turnipturned]

On that note: Cal coldwell storey was one move off onsighting freerider- flipping brilliant effort. (The move was the ninja kick, last move of the Boulder problem).

[shark]

On that note: Cal coldwell storey was one move off onsighting freerider- flipping brilliant effort. (The move was the ninja kick, last move of the Boulder problem).

 

He wrote it up on the UKC logbook

08/Nov   AltLd RP
Fell on the last move of the 5.13a Boulder problem pitch.. and with that went the flash/onsite of the route. RP 2nd go. Every other pitch lead or seconded 1st go. The Monster Offwidth is unreal! What a beast!!! Tom Newberry pulled out all the stops dispite time pressure and fatigue to get it done as well! BRING ME MY COFFEE!

[Wood FT]

On that note: Cal coldwell storey was one move off onsighting freerider- flipping brilliant effort. (The move was the ninja kick, last move of the Boulder problem).

wow, brilliant

[Johnny Brown]

On that note: Cal coldwell storey was one move off onsighting freerider- flipping brilliant effort. (The move was the ninja kick, last move of the Boulder problem).

wow, brilliant

BOOM. The best British climber you've never heard of?

[SA Chris]

I'd certainly never heard the name til now. Impressive stuff.

[chillax]

Fair dues. He's done a bunch of gnarly big wall stuff with Neil Chelton, including Reticent Wall, 2nd ascent of Continental Drift (w/Pitons Pete), and the South African route on the central tower of the Torres Del Paine (including rockfall and epic descent). Good all round wall climber.

[slackline]

I'd certainly never heard the name til now. Impressive stuff.

I might have posted these to one of the video threads a few years ago...



Epic time in Patagona 

[Nibile]

Motherfuckers.
Hats off.
 

[duncan]

Pete Whittacker has rope-soloed Freerider in 20 hours 44mins (from Andy Kirkpatrick on FB)

First free rope-solo of El Cap in a day?