[TomP]

Had some long overdue success on a project at Earl today. A real YYFY moment, which I haven't felt for a while. As agonising as it can be working a problem, it does make it more satisfying when sent!

The sit start to Handy Andy's at Earl attracted my attention late last year but never seemed to be in condition when I visited. On at least half a dozen occasions it was sopping wet, whilst the remainder of the crag was dry. Incredibly annoying.

I haven't been counting but I've probably had about half a dozen+ good sessions on it and could/should/wish I had done it several sessions earlier. The subtlety and skin thrashing nature of the problem thwarted all of those efforts until today.

It involves a hard move from sitting to a pretty small, crimpy and painful pinch with the right hand. The foothold is pretty terrible and it took a while to figure out 'micro-beta' to help it stick. On so many occasions I thought it was secure only for it to pop on the next move. Then you have to place your left heel by your left hand and pull through to a foothold used on Handy Andy's. A couple of tricky moves and tough cut lose and you're joining the stand up.

As usual, it always feels easier on the send than first envisaged but I'll stick my neck out and go with the 8b grade.

The vid below shows multiple attempts...I could have added quite a few more failures!  My hard drive needs a good clean out now to get rid of so much failure footage now. Please excuse the crap footage but I do have a proper HD camcorder in the post. It’d be nice to go back and get some different angles at some point...after my month trip to America due in a couple of weeks....that’s another YYFY

[r-man]

Awesome. Always inspiring to hear about success after a seige.

[a dense loner]

 
Fantastic, looks like a quality addition

[tomtom]

Nice one! Great to watch the repeat fails - seeing what stuck then didn't stick - and 'the sag' gradually creep in. Great effort

[dave]

good name.

[GCW]

Considering stepping off the ledge is 8a anyway that may be a sandbag

Fine effort.

[willackers]

 

Nice one mate!,I bet it feels much easier when you're not bleeding from every finger and the hold is damp 

[Fiend]

Cool, very natural looking sitter.

That footage is fine btw, shows the problem well.

[scooby doo]

Solid timmy, looks a great addition. well done mate!

[TomP]

Well thanks peeps. Glad you like the name Dave. Good old nerdy climbing joke name.
Think you're definitley right Will, defo easier when the hold is dry. Although my skin is still totally shot. Effort at cwif btw!

[account_inactive]

Nice work fella

[Jim]

excellent, always wondered if that would go

[andyd]

All that time and it's only 8b?!
Nice to see the edit. I would have liked a raunchy Tina backing track. Gutted I was too late to see it in real time. Well done mate. 

[Greg C]

Nice one Tom, top job!

[andy_e]

pretty small, crimpy and painful pinch

"pretty small"? Going by this scale, a "small" hold for Tom would require an SEM unit.

[andyd]

pretty small, crimpy and painful pinch

Indeed. It's what I call a small foothold.

[TomP]

Ah thanks for reminding me andy....

Not that anyone really does but just in case; just a polite request to try and avoid using this pinch hold as a foothold. It's quite flakey, which is fine for a handhold, but there's a chance it could snap or alter if used as a foothold. There's absolutely no need to use it as such but worth pointing out. If it did break it would probably leave a better hold, but no one wants that do they?

[a dense loner]

Ivan might...

[andyd]

I meant in description, rather than use. We (the less able) are always conscious of our impacts on the 8b climbing community 

[TomP]

Yeah I know thats what you meant, just reminded me to point it out.

[Bonjoy]

Class! That heelhook looks well tenuous.

[Jaspersharpe]

Effort. That looks awesome.

[Doylo]

Well done Tom