[unclesomebody]

sorry to hijack this thread. But when you are trying for a first ascent on a piece of rock with a lack of logical belay points is there a minimum pitch length? I ask because if you were a stupid fool (like myself) you would extrapolate this backwards and for a FA you would simply be required to have climbed every move individually and voila! You have the first ascent. I know this is ridiculous, but I'm only asking because I don't know what the normal precedent is when you climb big things!

[Bonjoy]

 It's up to the person doing the FA. Some routes don't have ideal/logical places to take a belay. As long as they are clear in the way they write up the ascent the FA decides. Often subsequent ascentionists will combine pitches, often this makes for better route eg The Prow at the Tor, originaly done as 7b,7b,7c, now more usually done as one long 7c+.
 I imagine if someone pushed the rule by splitting say a straightline 20m pitch into two or more pitches for no justifiable reason, this would technically be an ascent but would rightly be ridiculed as a copout and history would note the first person to climb the pitch as one. If the FA was very non sensical and on a significant line I dare say consensus might consider the route unascended until linked as one. It is not totally black and white but I don't think it's too hard to see where to draw the line in 99% of cases.
 As it happens I have done a new multi-pitch route, but have yet to do it all in one day and I want to combine two of the pitches to make a more logical and challenging route. I could legitimately claim the route now, but i am holding back on claiming it until I have done it the way I'd like.

[unclesomebody]

[Huffy]

[dobbin]

Huffys back! 

[Bonjoy]

Morning Uri

[Johnny Brown]

Coefield not looking too well there... loving Uri Huffer's jumper.

[Huffy]

Huffys back! 

only for the crack mate.

Hi to all you psyched cats i aint seen for ages.

[a dense loner]

uncle you're being a cock!

have him huff

[cofe]

every bloody photo he does...

[unclesomebody]

Dense, you're in trouble, because huffy and I are fighting alongside each other these days... you're going to have to find someone else to carry out your dirty work...

[Huffy]

C'mon Keith, if you're going to rip pics from our private collection, why not use the shots from lastnights rumble (you's on the right):

[Fiend]

Can just see the wisps of the mullet there too...

[enigma]

Glad to see that this panned out in my favour in the end.  I never tried to hide that this wasn't a perfect ascent (the 8 goes was a hint).  Anyone who's been to Hobson Moor could verify that the belay stances I picked weren't random (you could happily camp on them if prepared), but i am personally happy with the ascent considering the effort it took. 

[Somebody's Fool]

Having accompanied enigma on one of his attempts at this classic line I am willing to justify his siege tactics. For starters, the cave at the end of the crux pitch was filthy. 

I had an attempt at leading this pitch.  Worried was not the word.  Friends tucked behind dubious blocks did not inspire me to push on to the 6a moves that would lead me to safety.  I personally think that enigmas abseiling antics to clean this section were more than justified.

On the issue of belays.  The belay before this bastion of British girdling was the only logical stopping place.  The fact that it was E2 max to reach this point warranted the fact that subsequent attempts could be started from this stance.

I'm just gutted that it wasn't the attempt that I was on was the one that resulted in completion of this route.  We started from the very start, and the first 2/3 pitches are an absolute delight. Well worth doing.

[enigma]

I don't know wether to spit or swallow you toad.  As concerns the F. A. list you're on it with everyone else so don't worry.

[Somebody's Fool]

Jesus wept.  You try and do someone a favour and they throw it back in your face.  Thats the last time I write a post with someone dictating it to me as I write. Cheeky fucker.