[Jaspersharpe]

Nemo - I appreciate it's a highly tenuous sentence that I'm about to write but with respect to Walkaway SS, a forum member on here a few years ago mentioned that him and his girlfriend had a session at that sector whilst bumping into John and his wife. He was seen to do both the sit and start moves independent on the day by said person. Again I appreciate the uselessness of what I've just said and a forum search would doubtless lead you to this account.

I did all the moves on Hubble in a session Tom. Decent links too. Doesn't mean I was anywhere near doing the route cos I wasn't. Does this have any relevance? No, but this sort of straw clutching is depressing. As is most of this thread unfortunately.

[Monolith]

Aye I fully appreciate that Jasper. I was perpetuating exactly the same blah blah blah that's always gone on and shouldn't have done.

[shurt]

Nemo - I appreciate it's a highly tenuous sentence that I'm about to write but with respect to Walkaway SS, a forum member on here a few years ago mentioned that him and his girlfriend had a session at that sector whilst bumping into John and his wife. He was seen to do both the sit and start moves independent on the day by said person. Again I appreciate the uselessness of what I've just said and a forum search would doubtless lead you to this account.

I did all the moves on Hubble in a session Tom. Decent links too. Doesn't mean I was anywhere near doing the route cos I wasn't. Does this have any relevance? No, but this sort of straw clutching is depressing. As is most of this thread unfortunately.

tbh it only started going downhill at the end of the 4th page...

[Fiend]

Come on Jasper say it clearly if you think he is a liar. Reasoning and doubtful ascents would be useful too.

[Jaspersharpe]

People who climb at the 8B+/8C level and who have actually done/tried these problems have a far better idea than me about this stuff Fiend. I wonder what they think? Oh....

[Nemo]

Monolith - I hope you didn't misunderstand where I was coming from.  I believe he climbed everything he said he climbed.  Pantonino said he saw John pretty much doing Walk Away Sit on the other thread.   I just think that Shadowplay and probably one or two other things have almost certainly changed since that time. 

"I understand where you are coming from, but even if you discount Shadowplay and Il Pirata, the legacy is still an impressive list of ascents, for many of which the line is quite clear."  - rman

I entirely agree.  Again I hope you didn't misunderstand my post. 

"I note people getting hung up on finer detail of some acents but it's just a peice of rock to mark your level of ability."

I sort of want to agree - and it seems to be pretty much what John himself thinks.  But this stuff is what climbing news is made of.  And when it's easy to get clarity, I don't think asking for it is unreasonable.  Especially when people have to try to somehow document things.


Probes - good knowledge about Il Pirata.  That's all that's needed.  A bit more like that and I suspect most of the fuss would go away.

[Fiend]

Jasper for someone who seems to be on the side of "asking for clarity", that is a pretty obfuscatious answer 

[Moo]

I was really really hoping to be totally convinced by this interview that he hasn't lied about any of his climbing. Fingers crossed for the board session. 

[Jaspersharpe]

Jasper for someone who seems to be on the side of "asking for clarity", that is a pretty obfuscatious answer 

I give up.

[Probes]

Jasper for someone who seems to be on the side of "asking for clarity", that is a pretty obfuscatious answer 

I give up.

Finally

[SEDur]

Does anyone know anything about the 'line of bolts' his brother was trying, but he didn't think had been done?

Has anyone seen/tried it?

[Jaspersharpe]

Jasper for someone who seems to be on the side of "asking for clarity", that is a pretty obfuscatious answer 

I give up.

Finally

What the fuck is that supposed to mean? Seriously, I realise I'm swimming against a tide of total blind idiocy here but what the fuck?

My comment was made because it's very easy to have a look at who posted the last positive karma and equate that to my previous post. I said "I give up" because I didn't think it would be necessary to point this obvious, simple shit out.

I expected better on here, it's a fucking shame. The forum is UK Bouldering not UK Alice in bastard Wonderland.

For the record, I'd love it if John proved the fact that he can climb hard problems by actually climbing a hard problem in front of someone or on film. He says he's climbing 8B at the moment on a regular basis (a lowly level for him) so that shouldn't be tricky. In fact, it should be a lot less tricky than managing to not climb anything hard ever in front of anybody despite being the best climber in the world for more than ten years.

I'm not calling anyone a liar, I just like seeing good climbers climb hard stuff, well. It tends to be all the evidence anyone needs to prove that someone is a good climber.

[r-man]

Let's not go down this road again. It was a crap thread the last time. I googled ukb and these are all sightings of John doing the business.

I was lucky enough to climb and meet with Jon on many occasions.  I sessioned in Wales with him, which is where I discussed the Pil Box project with him.  We hit Sway On, Diesel Power and a couple of other places.  Very strong, but very project oriented.  He went home with Sway on and Diesel Power (sub 30 mins), and flashed SubSociety (8a).

I also had a session with him on his board.  I was absolutely shocked how strong he was.  I've climbed with a good handful of top UK wads, and also International wads, and he was in a different league.

He demonstrated the moves he had used to train for VNB - all harder that moves on the route, and did all.  The speed of movement, and the contact involved was mind blowing.

Not watched him on many of his test pieces, but wouldn't doubt them for a second.

I used to do a 7:30am start at the Tor and on several occasions saw Gaskins on the Brandenburg project. He seemed a quiet/private guy so we didn't engage him in conversation, just the odd 'hi'/nod of the head.  To drive from Lakes to Tor for a pre 7:30am start takes a big effort.  What stands out in my mind was that he would drag his misses along with him. She didn't climb and would scurry back to the car for a warm up between belaying (not looking too happy about it either).  He certainly appeared to be putting some effort in and taking some grief.

of the VNB picture
He might be in the toe hooks but strong fingered McClure couldn't even hang them.

ok, just to re-iterate - I saw John Gaskins climbing on Brandenburg Gate. He was doing all the moves, some links etc. He looked like he could do it. Brandenburg Gate makes Hubble look like a juggy warm up. I have seen a lot of good climbers climbing but i have never seen anything like that before.

So John has been seen doing hard climbing by several ukb regulars. That line of complaint is dead. We'd all have loved to have seen him climbing Violent New Breed or some of the 8C's, but hey.

Ben's sighting especially seems pretty impressive to me. John reckoned in the interview that each of the hard moves on Brandenburg Gate was like the crux of Hubble. Ben saw him doing all the moves and linking some of them. Has anyone else done/linked moves on this line? That would be interesting.

And what's the story with McClure trying Violent New Breed? Someone should ask him what he thought of the moves...

[ferret]

Ben saw him doing all the moves and linking some of them. Has anyone else done/linked moves on this line? That would be interesting.

Exactly, it seems like Ben wasn't the only one either. If people want to try something that has been witnessed, why don't they try some moves and links. Plus its only down the road from alot of climbers, no excuses like not driving 17 hours and hiking 9 days for a crap problem that doesn't exist etc etc.
Funnily enough the only long term proj he had at popular crag, a number of people saw him climbing on it.....

[GCW]

I did all the moves on Hubble in a session Tom. Decent links too. Doesn't mean I was anywhere near doing the route cos I wasn't. Does this have any relevance? No, but this sort of straw clutching is depressing. As is most of this thread unfortunately.

This is an interesting point regarding specificity. The only proof that JG climbed his 8Cs is for him to either show a video or go back and repeat them on film (which he readily stated he can't at present). Him climbing every 8B in the UK on film, with an audience, proves only that:  that he can climb any 8b in the country. It has no impact on the question of 8C.

So basically, we'll never know. Choose to believe, or chose to doubt. It's up to you.  Endless wrangling on the net changes nothing.

[roddersm]

Great interview thanks for doing these. I personally have never understood the deal with this guy - how he could be so widely regarded to be one of the strongest climbers in Britain, and the world even, with so little footage or evidence of him climbing the things that he is credited with, compared to other top climbers climbing comparable or even lesser grades.

He came across as a really dedicated athlete and humble guy - I've no doubt he's a monster but I was surprised with the vagueness in some of his answers, particularly around topics were doubts or questions have been raised like Shadowplay or the Bock incident.... that doesn't mean he didn't do them but certainly did little to quell any doubts some may have.

Any chance Malcolm next? Rich Simpson would be a good one too.....

[Doylo]

Ben saw him doing all the moves and linking some of them. Has anyone else done/linked moves on this line? That would be interesting.

Exactly, it seems like Ben wasn't the only one either. If people want to try something that has been witnessed, why don't they try some moves and links. Plus its only down the road from alot of climbers, no excuses like not driving 17 hours and hiking 9 days for a crap problem that doesn't exist etc etc.
Funnily enough the only long term proj he had at popular crag, a number of people saw him climbing on it.....

And why didn't he claim it if he's such a fantasist. It was the biggest plum...

[Jaspersharpe]

Him climbing every 8B in the UK on film, with an audience, proves only that:  that he can climb any 8b in the country. It has no impact on the question of 8C.

It would be a fucking start though wouldn't it.

r-man, I have eyes so I've read those posts before. The only person who could read them and deduce that no further evidence was required is someone already desperate to believe.

Looked at from an objective point of view they mean very little. Climbing 8A quickly and doing some moves on something, oh ok I believe it all now.

I'm not a mistrusting sort of person. Check the Scotty threads and you'll see that originally I thought he should be given the benefit of the doubt. However, I trust the judgement of people who have actually climbed/tried these things more than a bunch of hearsay crap.

[GCW]

Him climbing every 8B in the UK on film, with an audience, proves only that:  that he can climb any 8b in the country. It has no impact on the question of 8C.

It would be a fucking start though wouldn't it.

Yes it would, but my point continues from your own.  I've seen Weak Sam do Kaizen in two overlapping sections and a video of him getting to the lip from the start.  I've not seen him do the whole thing in one, and people still say he's not done it and lied about it.  Do I believe him?  Yes.  Do I incontrovertibly know?  Of course not.

As I say, until definite proof comes out in the form of video, all we have is Mr Gaskin's word on what he's done.  I personally accept that at this point in time.  But the reverse view is equally valid.   

If he posts up an uncut video of him doing VNB, it still doesn't prove he did Shadowplay.  Or Walk Away sitter.  Or Gossip.  etc etc

[Fiend]

Jasper for someone who seems to be on the side of "asking for clarity", that is a pretty obfuscatious answer 

I give up.

Okay so Dan Varian (carlisle slapper) says, via karma that you are "bothering to try and convince people of the obvious", when you write:

I did all the moves on Hubble in a session Tom. Decent links too. Doesn't mean I was anywhere near doing the route cos I wasn't. Does this have any relevance? No, but this sort of straw clutching is depressing. As is most of this thread unfortunately.

Which at least implies that he thinks that doing large links on a project doesn't show you're capable of climbing as hard as that project implies. Further than that, I don't expect him to say clearly what he thinks of John's climbs / claims, because Dan V is a public high level boulderer with sponsors etc.

However, you keep (despite "giving up") posting a lot of negative comments without clearly expressing what you think. It's like expecting a defence without actually having set out a case for the prosecution "Well m'lud, I think the accused may or may not have done stuff and there may or may not be something fishy going on.....and yes I expect the accused to answer these claims right away!".

I don't care if you doubt him or not but if you are expecting honesty at least have the decency to be honest in what you are saying:

I don't believe John Gaskins has done all the boulder problems he has claimed to have done, and has lied about his ascents. This is because although people have witnessed him climbing strongly, no-one has witnessed him climbing at a necessary level for his claimed ascents, he has shown too little evidence of those ascents, and some of his claimed problems take rock that clearly isn't and never was climbable. Of course he may have done these ascents but given the vagueness of the situation (claims, lines) I need more evidence to show that.

Feel free to copy and paste that if that's exactly what you mean....

[slackline]

@Fiend .....

I'm not calling anyone a liar, I just like seeing good climbers climb hard stuff, well. It tends to be all the evidence anyone needs to prove that someone is a good climber.

[GCW]

This is all just Schrödinger's cat.  These boulder problems and routes exist and don't exist.  Only once they are seen to be climbed will we know.

Until then, can we stop flogging a dead horse?

[slackline]

Not until someone has made an accusation of someone else being a nazi...

[GCW]

We need Houdini back.

[tomtom]

Not until someone has made an accusation of someone else being a nazi...

I'm gonna be controversial and call Adolf Hitler a Nazi...

I love David Ike (in case that needs to be covered too)