[remus]

Some good pics on this thread: http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/1630348/UK-Wide-Boyz-Climb-Century-Crack-in-Canyonlands

Gives a good sense of the size of the beast.

[ferret]

No thumbs-up from Stevie H though ...

"I leave it to you to try and understand the absurd comment that it is ok to leave this gear in, and not carry it. Trad climbing is absurd nowadays,  the climbers are good but their approach is silly. Ciao"

What a complete load of bollocks,
Anybody remember Greenspit?

I can't imagine the logisitics of removing the gear from this route everytime, especially when you only have 2 days to climb it. It seems to me that leaving the gear in is much more practical and makes for a more pleasant experience overall (ie not spending half your time epicing around under a roof trying to get your gear back to satisfy somebody elses ethics)

I also imagine that the weight of the gear could easily be negated by trailing a second rope, carrying half the gear to begin with and then hauling the other half from one of the numerous bat-hang positions

FUCK the haters
MAXIMUM waddage to the WIDE BOYZ

[Bonjoy]

Sour grapes, from Stevie Haston, what a surprise! That guy's got a whole vineyard full

[andyd]

So to conclude; the only way to do this route is to do it with a cumbersome rack weighing half your body weight. I don't know about anyone else, but I climb for fun. If a climb has to be done in a miserable, laborious, way, then there's no point in doing it. This is a fine effort. Stevie used to be a hero for me in the 90's and I looked to his articles for advice. If I may be so bold to offer some back, then I'd say, sometimes it's best to just smile and say well done.

[shark]

Ace photo on supertopo here

[iwasmexican]

stellar line

[Danny]

I can't help but admire their attitude, they're clearly totally psyched for horrendous grovel fests. Refreshingly mad.

I hope the grumblings of some bitter old man are small fish.

Brilliant.

[Tommy]

Hey, thanks for the psyche guys! 

We're slowly bashing away here flying the Sheffield/UK flag... loving the grovels and thrutches.

Just read that Stevie blog.... whoops, I've already sent him an email thanking him for his help on route/gear/approach beta for last 2 years. Oh well!

Anyway, it just to make you all feel better it's pissing it down here, just like in Sheffield and we'll probably look for some hovel of a cafe to hide in. 

See some of you in a month or so.

Tom

[tomtom]

Great job Tom, and we well done from Steve H seems markedly absent from his blog pages...
"Nowt so queer as folk" as they say here in Yorkscestershire..

Keep up the good work and posts - its great to read and much apreciated.

TT

[Footwork]

Wicked stuff guys

[Duncan Disorderly]

Massive respect... 

[lagerstarfish]

It was jolly nice of them to leave the place-gear-on-the-lead first ascent for Stevie H to do.

There's no shame in being called (by implication) lazy by Mr H.

Good Great effort lads

[grumpycrumpy]

I am disappointed that they didn't go back to calling it Chocolate Starfish

Any relation Lagers ?

[Muenchener]

I'm just trying to understand what the "problem" is here. Is their "sin" failing to flash the hardest & most spectacular crack climb in the world - heinous! - or the fact that they didn't clean their gear [how?] between attempts?

Amazing achievement in any case. The thought of it makes my blood run cold.

[Grubes]

well if they really wanted a proper a ascent they should of driven a cherry picker to the canyon so they could remove the gear ...

Well done boyz, not back for another month can't wait to see what else they gets done.

[dave]

Funny how a million pullups every day didn't get Stevie him up this route eh.

[Muenchener]

Just googling around the general subject of offwidth specialists (oddly something that has never attracted my attention before), this Pamela Pack seems reasonably DF. Although also barking mad, obviously.

[lagerstarfish]

I am disappointed that they didn't go back to calling it Chocolate Starfish

Any relation Lagers ?

you calling me an arsehole?

fair point

[lukeyboy]

Just googling around the general subject of offwidth specialists (oddly something that has never attracted my attention before), this Pamela Pack seems reasonably DF. Although also barking mad, obviously.

DFBWGCC. Might be a bit slow paced...

[remus]

Slow paced? i thought it was already over! (or maybe im thinking of DFBWG (grovel.))

More (reasonable) comment from Stevie H: http://steviehaston.blogspot.com/2011/10/century-crack-2-by-stevie-good-job.html

[Jaspersharpe]

I don't get it. Stevie originally said he thought the route was desperate, 9a etc.

Now he only failed on it because of his heroic eithical stance.

 

Funny how a million pullups every day didn't get Stevie him up this route eh.

Maybe indoor cellars are better for cracks then they are for euro sport climbs

.....better than pull ups anyway.

Anyway, I'm sure he'll be along soon to clear all this up.

[chillax]

Because after all, its very important. Massive effort to the lads.

[r-man]

Nice idea by mike m on the super topo forum:

Looks like you could do it by putting a bunch of logs across crack and then dropping cordage from the logs through the roof. Would eliminate the climbing around the gear factor.

If that's true, then carrying a rack with you for the onsight/super clean ascent would seem a ridiculous contrivance, since you can place the protection from the ground...

[duncan]

Nice idea by mike m on the super topo forum:

Looks like you could do it by putting a bunch of logs across crack and then dropping cordage from the logs through the roof. Would eliminate the climbing around the gear factor.

If that's true, then carrying a rack with you for the onsight/super clean ascent would seem a ridiculous contrivance, since you can place the protection from the ground...

Separate Reality used to be climbed this way (substitute hexes for logs). 

[chillax]

Nice idea by mike m on the super topo forum:

Looks like you could do it by putting a bunch of logs across crack and then dropping cordage from the logs through the roof. Would eliminate the climbing around the gear factor.

If that's true, then carrying a rack with you for the onsight/super clean ascent would seem a ridiculous contrivance, since you can place the protection from the ground...

Separate Reality used to be climbed this way (substitute hexes for logs).

The Roof on Inis Mor is climbed that way too, pre-protected from above.