[Will Hunt]

Because what really fascinates us is the myth, the legend, the small details that are passed by only in random conversations. Something vaguely mysterious and uncertain.
An aura is undefined, it is there but not clear in its margins.
What is widely known and accepted does not necessarily constitues the aura, but the reputation, that is based on facts.

This should be a thread. Climbing Rumours. Stuff that is written into the folklore of the crag. The little snippets that are passed on by word of mouth. The taller the tale, the better. Stuff that doesn't appear written down in a blog, but which is half-remembered and elaborated upon at every re-telling.

Let's see. When I was a wide-eyed youth cutting my teeth at Pex Hill, I lived on this stuff. It was my window into what climbing could be.

Phil Davidson, arriving at the top of the crag on his motorbike, giving the engine a good rev to let the assorted characters and hangers-on know that the King had arrived. Soloing down Dateline (oft-wet E3) in his biker boots. Pop the rock shoes on. Solo up The Knife (E4/5) and down Black Magic (E5/6).

Giving himself arthritis by doing 1000 pull ups a day in the shop at Ellis Brighams in Liverpool.

An early attempter of the Knife (name is in the Chesh Sand guidebook), coming a cropper on the top slap and parting company with the rock, performing a complete backwards somersault, before landing on his feet and living to tell the tale.

Nick Dixon taking groups of school kids to Castell Helen, setting them up on a stacked abseil at the top and abseiling down to the starting niche on lighthouse arête. Rigging a handline across and up to the first stance, from where they would be top roped to the top. I think this stopped (if indeed, it ever happened) when someone explained to Nick that this might not be safe.

Al Williams, in extremis at the top of Entropy's Jaw, unable to make the last move and about to fall. One of the onlookers leaning over the top of the crag put out a hand for him to grab to save himself from certain doom. Al snatches at it, and grabs, a thumb! He's hauled over the top by this thumb.

You get the picture. Please continue.

[36chambers]

On a glorious November day in 2013, a young, fresh faced, lad called Will Hunt made his way all the way down to the Peak from Yorkshire. On that same day his hero, Adam Long, also made his way to the Peak. Via a series of freak circumstances Will managed to climb The Storm whereas Adam did not. Will hasn't stopped smiling since.

[Paul B]

I thought this was going to either a) an outing of the Twitter profile or b) Will having been offended by said Twitter profile.

[Will Hunt]

I thought this was going to either a) an outing of the Twitter profile

I'd tune in to that.

[Doylo]

Gritstone dildo.

[haydn jones]

I heard someone shouted so loud when they fell off at the cornice police turned up an hour later to see what the fuss was.

[Wood FT]

I heard someone shouted so loud when they fell off at the cornice police turned up an hour later to see what the fuss was.

I still don't believe that Haydn

[haydn jones]

pegging boulder problems is in fashion these days too :p

[fatboySlimfast]

I think the entropys  jaw thing was not Al, Al if I remember actually fell off the top and walked away(hobbled anyway).

[fatdoc]

This is now doing my head in... I reckon you are right.

My aged brain cannot remember who was the thumb assisted climber..

[Will Hunt]

This is now doing my head in... I reckon you are right.

My aged brain cannot remember who was the thumb assisted climber..

I'm sure it was Al grabbing Nick Dixon's thumb. If Andy reads this then he will correct us.

Whether any of these things really happened is immaterial. They're all true stories.

I like the one about the Cornice scream.


EDIT:

Indeed, but I don't think the placement had been found/unearthed yet. Andy Woodward had soloed it so that's what we did. The funniest incident on EJ was when Al Williams didn't fall off. Al is at the last move and is sketching. Me and Nick Dixon are kneeling on the top watching from a distance of about one foot - close enough to touch him. Al keeps repositioning his feet on the smears and squeezing the rugosities but its warm and he's getting nowhere. Al calls for help and Nick sticks out his hand, Al lunges and just manages to latch ... Nick's thumb. Miraculously, everything holds and Al pulls over. He did it the next go.

[Will Hunt]

On a glorious November day in 2013, a young, fresh faced, lad called Will Hunt made his way all the way down to the Peak from Yorkshire. On that same day his hero, Adam Long, also made his way to the Peak. Via a series of freak circumstances Will managed to climb The Storm whereas Adam did not. Will hasn't stopped smiling since.

I love that one. Tell it again, Pa.

[andy popp]

Al grabbed my thumb.

I don't think I remember ever hearing that Phil would solo down Black Magic, but who knows?

[SamT]

The gritstone phallus is the one that popped into my mind too!!

[dave]

The best blatantly false rumour I heard told (and told absolutely straight faced too) was that Malc was so weak from dieting when he did Hubble that he had to be carried from the car to the crag.

[cheque]

I heard someone shouted so loud when they fell off at the cornice police turned up an hour later to see what the fuss was.

In a speedboat.

[SA Chris]

The gritstone phallus is the one that popped into my mind too!!

Likewise. The complexity if the surrounding story changes with every version though.

[fatboySlimfast]

Al grabbed my thumb.

I don't think I remember ever hearing that Phil would solo down Black Magic, but who knows?

So who was it that fell off the top? I know of the various descents from Piece of mind, the legendary Face grabbing a fallee

[SamT]

Who had to be rescued from the lip whilst soloing flying butress direct. Some perma pissed polish dude that was working at outside and staying at North Lees campsite?? and was Grimer involved??

As I recall it, someone soloed up to the back of the roof and could lean out and offer a hand. When they let go, they swung in, but they lost grip with the hand and turned,  ran down the slab and off into the bracken and remained relatively unscathed.

[fatboySlimfast]

The best blatantly false rumour I heard told (and told absolutely straight faced too) was that Malc was so weak from dieting when he did Hubble that he had to be carried from the car to the crag.

There is an earlier generation story about Phil Davidson and the same thing at Kilnsey instead.

[bigtuboflard]

talking of Kilnsey, I heard one about little Nick (think that's what everyone called him) trying to do a racing start on the road at the base of the crag on his motorbike and back flipping it. it might have been true though.

[36chambers]

Not really a rumour, as I witnessed the whole thing, but I wanted to share nonetheless.

My friend fell from two-thirds of the way up Right Wall E5 at Brimham, ripping various pieces of gear, and landed on his belayer. He walked away absolutely fine, but we had to call mountain rescue for the belayer who ended up in a back brace for several months.

[Nibile]

The gritstone phallus is the one that popped into my mind too!!

Likewise. The complexity if the surrounding story changes with every version though.

Full story please.

[Doylo]

The best blatantly false rumour I heard told (and told absolutely straight faced too) was that Malc was so weak from dieting when he did Hubble that he had to be carried from the car to the crag.

Whilst on a broccoli drip.

[Will Hunt]

talking of Kilnsey, I heard one about little Nick (think that's what everyone called him) trying to do a racing start on the road at the base of the crag on his motorbike and back flipping it. it might have been true though.

I think these "carried to the crag" rumours are brilliant. It brings to mind the scenes from the Harry Potter films where the waif like Voldemort is carried around everywhere.

Not really a rumour, as I witnessed the whole thing, but I wanted to share nonetheless.

My friend fell from two-thirds of the way up Right Wall E5 at Brimham, ripping various pieces of gear, and landed on his belayer. He walked away absolutely fine, but we had to call mountain rescue for the belayer who ended up in a back brace for several months.

Didn't he then do the same thing to the same belayer on a different route some months later?