[Bonjoy]

Any done/tried this?
I know Johnny Brown has tried it as it was his enthusing about it that got me onto the idea.
The challenge is to climb all the starred HVSs in the ’89 Stanage guide, in a day. As there are 71 of them this means a lot of soloing. But there’s a few beasts on the list so most will want to lead at least a handful.
Seems like a brilliantly pitched challenge to me (with exception of SMCSLT, see below).
I’ve been heading out on odd evening sessions soloing ones I haven’t done or haven’t done for a while and sussing out which ones I’ll want a rope for.
Just noticed a potential major spoiler today, namely So Many Classics So little Time, HVS 5c in the old guide, now given E4 6b! Anyone done/tried this? Heading up to High Neb tonight to recce the next bunch so will give it a look.
Any thoughts on which direction is best, what kit to bring, etc will all help feed my obsession and keep the boredom gremlins at bay. Thanks.

The list:

1.      Grand theft 5c *
2.      Apparent North 5b**
3.      Suzanne 6a*
4.      Rugosity Crack 5b*
5.      Grotto Wall 4c*
6.      Eliminator 5b*
7.      Townsend Variant 4c*
8.      Flying Buttress Direct 5b***
9.      Leaning Buttress Direct 5b*
10.  Queersville 5a*
11.  Rusty Crack 5b*
12.  Rusty Wall 6a*
13.  Rugosity Wall 5c*
14.  The Flange 5b*
15.  Black Magic 5b**
16.  Retroversion 4c**
17.  Good Friday 5b*
18.  Cave Arete 5a**
19.  Cave Gully Wall 5a**
20.  Paucity 5b*
21.  Agony Crack 5a**
22.  The Link ***
23.  Congo Corner***
24.  Saliva 5a*
25.  Phlegethoa 5c*
26.  The Scoop 5a***
27.  Green Grocer’s Wall 5c*
28.  Pedlar’s Slab 5c*
29.  Punklet 5c*
30.  BAW’s Crawl 5a***
31.  Dover’s Wall Route 2 5a*
32.  Right Unconquerable 5a***
33.  Little Unquonquerable 5a*
34.  August Arete 5a*
35.  Cue 5a*
36.  Billiard Buttress 5a**
37.  Overhanging Wall 5b*
38.  Pegasus Rib 5a*
39.  Tower Face 5a**
40.  Tower Chimney 5b*
41.  Tower Crack 5a*
42.  Fina 5b*
43.  Pullover 5b*
44.  Crescent Arete 5b**
45.  Goliath’s Groove 5a***
46.  Surprise 5b*
47.  Tom-Cat Slab 5b*
48.  Blockhead Direct 5b*
49.  Titanic Direct 5a*
50.  Jeepers Creepers 5b*
51.  Kelly’s Overhang 5b**
52.  Fate 5c*
53.  The Blurter 5b**
54.  Hearsay Crack 5a*
55.  The Knutter 5b*
56.  Travesties 5b*
57.  Sudoxe 5a*
58.  Leviticus 5b*
59.  Deuteronomy 5b**
60.  Exodus 5a*
61.  So Many Classics So Little Time 5c*
62.  Right Hand tower 5a**
63.  Terrazza Crack 5b***
64.  Sceptic 5b*
65.  Microbe 5c*
66.  Valediction 5a*
67.  Old Salt 5a**
68.  The Wobbler 5b*
69.  Surgeon’s Saunter 5b**
70.  The Vice 5b*
71.  The Green Streak 4c**

[Andy B]

I think JR may have done/ tried this. I remember him coming in for a ton of heckling as he battled up Tower Chimney. It might have been some other challenge they were trying though.

[dave]

I haven't done this but have given it the odd thought. I have however done all 36 starred VSs from the '89 guide though, did it in a pair and both soloed or lead/seconded every route. A much easier undertaking but still some general points worth bearing in mind:

With the VSs the greatest concentration of routes, and the ones you're generally already familiar with, is at the popular end. So its best to start at this end because a lot of the routes you have already done can be soloed or otherwise knocked off quickly while you're still fresh. A mate of mine did the VSs going the other way, north to south, and said it was crap cos by the time you reached the popular end and the bulk of the climbing you were already knackered from all the walking. Although with the HVSs you've got the Vice as the penultimate route - HA HA.

Although on their own you'd be happy to solo all of the VSs and probably a lot of the HVSs I reckon its actually quicker and less mentally draining to just lead them fast with maybe just sticking in one bit of gear at the crux. We did this on most of the VSs and it means you can go fast and climb in a sprinty cavalier fashion without the need to be ultra-careful and the worry of soloing, and without the penalty of concentration lapses when you're knackered.

Also we took mainly cams not nuts for speed, and also find the shortest lightest rope you can get away with for the routes, if need be cut an old 9mm in half or something. I think we took an old 30m rope. Saves weight and also coiling/ropehanding time. Also save time by not taking proper belays at the top of routes, where possible just wedge yourself behind a block or in a gully, or in some cases start downclimbing the descent route down the back of the butress while the second is following the route etc etc.

Having someone meet you around high neb or plantation area with some food and water is a good boost too.

And one final thing, remember downclimbing routes doesn't count, unless you're name is arran or ohly.

[Bonjoy]

I think JR may have done/ tried this. I remember him coming in for a ton of heckling as he battled up Tower Chimney. It might have been some other challenge they were trying though.

Pretty sure he's done a VS and an E1 (this would include Tower Chimney if based on the new guide) based challenge on Stanage, but not a HVS one.

And one final thing, remember downclimbing routes doesn't count, unless you're name is arran or ohly.

You reckon? It was good enough for Fawcett. To be honest I wasn't planning on doing this.
However, on a similar note, was thinking of getting round the necessity of doing The Link AND Congo Corner by going up TL and climbing down then up the CC bit en-route. 

[dave]

Wasn't Right Unconquerable that was doenclimbed years before it was first "done", i.e. ascended by Brown? Hence downclimbing doesn't count as an ascent (clues in the name).

[nai]

JR blogged about doing the VS one recently, including some gear tips:

http://jr-climbing.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/the-vs-challenge.html

[Bonjoy]

Cheers nai.
Had a look at So Many Classics last night. Lets just say it didn’t reek of classic or HVS, more like pokey highball 7a on dirty slopers with a sketchy landing. Doesn’t look well (at all!) travelled. Wonder if it’s a Hoey/Allen joke entry to scupper puerile grade list tickers. Was being devoured by a cloud of midges at the time so didn’t try climbing it. On or off the list it’s a fly in the ointment. For now I reckon unless persuaded otherwise I’ll strike it off my list, which leaves a round 70 routes.

[fatboySlimfast]

Si berry did it back in 91/92 as training for a lotus flower trip. Did it roped.
(his lake district hard rock tour ujsupported in 3 days with john topping was impressive as well)

[Will Hunt]

Kelly's Overhang without a rope? Eep!

[Bonjoy]

Have soloed it before but think it was above snow. Remember the move being knacky rather than gnarly.

[dave]

You should do the whole thing above snow, would be a right epic challenge in limited daylight.

[SA Chris]

Wearing snowshoes.

[Bonjoy]

Just found this account of Matt Heason doing it over two day http://www.planetfear.com/articles/Midsummer_Madness__The_UKs_Best_Climbing_Challenges_485.html . He includes SMCSLT but doesn't make any mention of it (as you might given that it's supposed to be E4 6b) in the article  . Now I'm confused.

[dave]

Its probably a path for lanky 6'4" motherfuckers, bastards.

[JR]

Bonjoy you're right,

I've only done the VS (twice) and the E1 both out the 89 guide.  Both cracking days out but the E1 is hard, even though there's only 29 there's some proper tough'uns in it especially when it's normally a warm day (pig's ear, centaur etc)

As i tweeted the other week, I keep meaning to have a go at the HVS challenge but not got round to it yet, it's definitely on the list, the same technique/rack as the VS would do it but it and would require a very early start in midsummer, it would probably getting on for 16+ hours.

I put some of the list on UKC

VS here: http://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/set.php?id=437
and E1: http://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/set.php?id=443

[Bonjoy]

Cheers JR.
I'm aiming for minimal leading/seconding. As I can't find anyone so far who'd want to do it in this style I'll prob only have partner on the led routes. Hoping for a <10 hour completion this way!

[JR]

I always saw the un-official rules as requiring a partner and all roped/seconded but obviously that's totally open to whatever!  We were pretty strict on the E1s, we did the solos with a rope and brought up the second!  A bit anal I know!  Dave's right though in terms of leading.  It does feel a bit easier, safer and quicker to err on the side of leading quickly than solo I think as you do just fly up chucking gear in.  Once you're halfway along Stanage, 15 routes in ,any gear dyslexia faffing is long gone.

If you do it in less than 10hours I shall definitely doth my cap.  That's about 8mins per route average, non stop at 10 hours including time walking between routes, and some inevitable queuing if it's a weekend.

I'd do it with you if I had the time, but I won't be around or probably inclined to do it, with good daylight hours, now until next summer due to work etc.

The VS took us just under 10 hours, though it was relatively "leisurely".  ie could go faster but not much.

[Bonjoy]

Could be way optimistic on the timing. Doing it in a day is the main thing. Did a test pace check starting at Suzzane and going left for 70 mins one evening last week. Did 14. Obviously this is the fastest bit of the challenge and i was fresh and soloing.... Plan is to start early, work left and blitz the popular end before the crowds turn up. Meet partner at either Unconquerables or Tower Chimney depending on how fried my head is.
The choice of doing it that way is largely due to the difficulty of finding someone able and psyched to do it with, though I like the idea of having led/soloed every route.

[dave]

I can't remember how long it took me and barson on the VSs, I might have it written down somewhere,

[John Gillott]

I looked at having a go at all the VSs in the 1989 guide in a day, so starred and non-starred. We reckoned there were 148 of them.

We planned right to left, to avoid the crowds on the popular end of an evening and to avoid the damp on the far end of a morning.

We planned soloing, but with maybe a rope and a bit of gear for one or two routes. Brief write up here:

http://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/c.php?i=41159

We did one quarter one day in training, another quarter another day, and the remaining half another day. We did the latter in eight and a half hours, so it was doable. I lacked the fitness, dedication and timing (watch out for bird bans) to piece it together. It was good to look at all the routes rather than just the starred ones as we discovered a number of nice routes we'd otherwise have missed. It'd be nice to try it again.

[Bonjoy]

Spotted that before on the UKC log. Now that is a fine and hefty mission!

[dave]

I remember Kim and Barson trying to do all 70-odd starred VSs from the unpopular 2002 stanage guide, they got about half way and the general feeling was that the writers in an attempt to draw traffic away from the classics had given stars to some proper shockers. I suppose thats a joy of the starred routes from '89, its all killer, no filler.

[Bonjoy]

Cleaned and soloed So Many Classics… last night. Crux is high up above a so-so landing/very low gear and involves pulling on some very slopey breaks. The E4 6b given in the new guide seemed correct, though the crux might feel easier than that on a cold day. Actually very good, ideal as a highball at about 6B/+ with enough pad. Will probably try to include if/when the weather allows an attempt.

[TobyD]

Cheers JR.
I'm aiming for minimal leading/seconding. As I can't find anyone so far who'd want to do it in this style I'll prob only have partner on the led routes. Hoping for a <10 hour completion this way!

i'm keen.   i'd solo 80% of that list,  roughly!

[Johnny Brown]

I did the VSs in an afternoon with Ben, and then tried the HVSs with Ben and Pete, all soloing. We started at the popular end and got to Tower Face before a bird ban (oh the irony) and heat/ lack of water took the wind out of our sails. Somewhere I've got a photo of all three of us on the top half of Right Unconquerable. Be keen to try again, the Staffs nose is the other obvious challenge.