flippin eck
James attempted a flash go after abseil inspection (brushing and feeling the holds on his way down). I’m not entirely sure if this is fitting with ethics but nevertheless, his attempt was very impressive.
He wasn't far away and there is little doubt in my mind he would have flashed it had he used the different sequence. But that's the game...
James fell off 2 moves below where Steve fell from and you can see the way that he slammed into that lower wall only a few metres above the deck. He hadn’t even entered the crux.
"Any grey area in climbing will always get abused" (36chambers' Law)
the reason why standards are not increasing in trad is in my opinion, mostly due to the public response to hard grades being publicised.
(RE the other point, I've always thought ab inspection was pretty dodgy for a flash - to the point of not really being a flash... but not really being a headpoint. Kinda the same as onsighting/flashing multiple lines that share a significant section - sits in a grey area so whatever you call it, it will need an asterisk next to it)
Quote from: abarro81 on June 10, 2022, 10:52:18 am(RE the other point, I've always thought ab inspection was pretty dodgy for a flash - to the point of not really being a flash... but not really being a headpoint. Kinda the same as onsighting/flashing multiple lines that share a significant section - sits in a grey area so whatever you call it, it will need an asterisk next to it)Yes. Saying “flash attempt” without any qualifier is very misleading.
Yeah, 'flash' has a big range. Can vary from someone telling you that a hold is good, all the way through to abbing, brushing and feeling (but not pulling on, even in trainers!).
Yeah, 'flash' has a big range. Can vary from someone telling you that a hold is good, all the way through to abbing, brushing and feeling (but not pulling on, even in trainers!). I think all flash ascents need a qualifying sentence afterwards.
Challenge is personal and a flash at the right personal level can be just as satisfying as an on sight in my experience as a redpoint might be.Headpointing skills are very close to those required for redpointing. In my view it’s a much ‘easier’ discipline to ‘learn’ than on sighting or flashing.
So to be negative about James’ attempt - wherever the greyness lies with flashing - smacks of a lack of understanding of how audacious yet smart an effort it was.
Having said that I've got a lot of sympathy for the practicality of getting stuff done,
That's half the challenge of flashing though isn't it - getting good beta from someone. Even at many sport crags, let alone on something like this!
I read Mat’s comments on the other channel as a bit negative tbh.