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the shizzle => chuffing => Topic started by: Bigdog on October 29, 2012, 06:43:27 pm

Title: Youngest Brit to climb 8b and 8c?
Post by: Bigdog on October 29, 2012, 06:43:27 pm
New to the site, does anyone know what Brits have made the youngest ascents of an 8b and 8c? Would also be interested to know any other 'youngests'
Cheers guys  :) :punk: :2thumbsup:
Title: Re: Youngest Brit to climb 8b and 8c?
Post by: Kingy on October 29, 2012, 08:17:26 pm
I think Matt Donnelly did Zeke the Freak when he was 14 or 15. can't think of any younger 8b climbers. not sure about 8c
Title: Re: Youngest Brit to climb 8b and 8c?
Post by: Bigdog on October 29, 2012, 08:33:00 pm
yeah and mecca when he was 15? tom bolger for youngest 8c maybe?
Title: Re: Youngest Brit to climb 8b and 8c?
Post by: Monolith on October 29, 2012, 09:22:45 pm
He did indeed. Up at the top of Mecca Extension these days after a long layoff.
Title: Re: Youngest Brit to climb 8b and 8c?
Post by: Bigdog on October 29, 2012, 10:24:22 pm
yeah cheers, youngest 8a flash or onsight? hm
Title: Re: Youngest Brit to climb 8b and 8c?
Post by: andy_e on October 30, 2012, 09:13:04 am
What, THE Matt Donnelly?
Title: Re: Youngest Brit to climb 8b and 8c?
Post by: Ally Smith on October 30, 2012, 09:53:09 am
Yep, THE Enigma that is Matt Donnelly with what he calls "a binary party switch"...
(currently set to the "0" position)
Title: Re: Youngest Brit to climb 8b and 8c?
Post by: Monolith on October 30, 2012, 10:53:23 am
He's very much a helper these days. Caught the contents of my soul in a bucket Saturday past after drinking the bar dry.
Title: Re: Youngest Brit to climb 8b and 8c?
Post by: Bigdog on November 06, 2012, 08:14:54 pm
did jasper sharpe do chouca when he was 15?
anyone know any other young hard ascents ?
Title: Re: Youngest Brit to climb 8b and 8c?
Post by: fatdoc on November 06, 2012, 08:20:12 pm
Jasper will correct me.. I thought it was Reve at 15, chouca at 16...
Title: Re: Youngest Brit to climb 8b and 8c?
Post by: Jaspersharpe on November 06, 2012, 08:33:44 pm
No. I flashed to the crux much to my surprise on the last day of a trip age 15. Never tried it seriously. Just had a go cos Gresham had his rope on it.

I did two 8as on SS when I was 15 and 8b at Buoux just after I was 17 but nothing like the kids these days are doing. Really impressive from the young Brits.

Oh God that was 21 years ago.... :'(
Title: Re: Youngest Brit to climb 8b and 8c?
Post by: Jaspersharpe on November 06, 2012, 08:36:58 pm
Damn I should have just let fatdoc embellish my cv there. ;)
Title: Re: Youngest Brit to climb 8b and 8c?
Post by: cjsheps on November 06, 2012, 08:45:38 pm
buster martin's climbed a few 8b's now.
Title: Re: Youngest Brit to climb 8b and 8c?
Post by: Doylo on November 06, 2012, 09:14:35 pm
No. I flashed to the crux much to my surprise on the last day of a trip age 15. Never tried it seriously. Just had a go cos Gresham had his rope on it.

I did two 8as on SS when I was 15 and 8b at Buoux just after I was 17 but nothing like the kids these days are doing. Really impressive from the young Brits.

Oh God that was 21 years ago.... :'(

You showed them the way Jasper...
Title: Re: Youngest Brit to climb 8b and 8c?
Post by: Bigdog on November 06, 2012, 09:16:08 pm
:) what bout Leo holding, Ben bransbury and Adam drewnhrusts sorry not sure about spellings? What did they get up to
Title: Re: Youngest Brit to climb 8b and 8c?
Post by: Doylo on November 06, 2012, 09:17:48 pm
Think Leo was 17 or 18 when he did Bungles Arete
Title: Re: Youngest Brit to climb 8b and 8c?
Post by: Jaspersharpe on November 06, 2012, 09:28:36 pm

You showed them the way Jasper...

With hindsight 8b when the hardest route in the world was 8c+ wasn't bad. But then I climbed with Malc so at the time I thought I was quite weak. It's all relative.
Title: Re: Youngest Brit to climb 8b and 8c?
Post by: Paul B on November 06, 2012, 09:29:13 pm
There were a few young 'uns (Irish) on Chouca, the Rose and an assortment of other hard Buoux test pieces last week, it was really impressive to watch (all seemed to have a great attitude too), they were all coming painfully close on their last day before a big drive for a comp. I'm unsure how it ended (maybe I missed this somewhere?) but it seemed a question of just a little more time rather than anything else.
Title: Re: Youngest Brit to climb 8b and 8c?
Post by: Baron on November 06, 2012, 09:38:36 pm
Youngest to headpoint E6? Great trad coaching that.
Title: Re: Youngest Brit to climb 8b and 8c?
Post by: buster martin on November 06, 2012, 09:39:57 pm
Yeah 16 year old eoin acton did chouca and Dom burns got to the last hard move on rosé
Title: Re: Youngest Brit to climb 8b and 8c?
Post by: Doylo on November 06, 2012, 10:19:42 pm

You showed them the way Jasper...

With hindsight 8b when the hardest route in the world was 8c+ wasn't bad. But then I climbed with Malc so at the time I thought I was quite weak. It's all relative.
That's like a youth doing a 9a now!
Title: Re: Youngest Brit to climb 8b and 8c?
Post by: Kingy on November 06, 2012, 10:35:02 pm
Martin Watson did Grooved Arete 8a+ at Kilnsey aged 14
Title: Re: Youngest Brit to climb 8b and 8c?
Post by: Bigdog on November 06, 2012, 11:23:31 pm
Good effort, does no one know youngest 8c, I thought on this forum of all knowing someone would know  :2thumbsup: :shrug:
Title: Re: Youngest Brit to climb 8b and 8c?
Post by: gme on November 07, 2012, 08:51:35 am
Jasper has already mentioned his name but surely Malcs ascents have not been equaled even though they were 20 years ago.

8b at 16, 8A boulder problems at 16.

8c+ at 18 which at the time was as hard as anything in the world and also ranks as 8B bouldering according to those in the know. This is not that different to ondra doing 9b at 18. I think Malc had only been climbing regularly for 3 or 4 years at that point.

I cant think of any Brits that have come close to that even now when the sport has moved on a considerable amount.

On another point i also think the age thing is slightly overloaded as some of the 14-16 year olds have been climbing and training for 10 years+. The length of time you have been climbing has a bigger effect on grade and ability than age. The only thing i see as being harder is due to size.

I think there are cases of people climbing 8b and 8A within 2 years of ever setting foot or finger on rock. (miles Gibson, Micky Page) and Ben Davison has done 8b+ recently having only started climbing in 2010.
Title: Re: Youngest Brit to climb 8b and 8c?
Post by: SA Chris on November 07, 2012, 09:45:01 am
Fuckers the lot of them :)

I think what Gav says is true though. Before the advent of commercial climbing walls (last 10 years) it was highly unusual for anyone to be climbing anything remotely challenging until they were in their late teens. Puts what Malc, Jasper and similar achieved into perspective.
Title: Re: Youngest Brit to climb 8b and 8c?
Post by: Bigdog on November 07, 2012, 10:20:25 am
i think malc ascents have been equaled and out done apart from 8c+ at 18, but of course relative what he was doing was much harder!
Title: Re: Youngest Brit to climb 8b and 8c?
Post by: gme on November 07, 2012, 10:47:50 am
i think malc ascents have been equaled and out done apart from 8c+ at 18, but of course relative what he was doing was much harder!

Only the really important one then and relative to the time they were done !!!!! Name some other Brits who have climbed 9a (8b equivalent) at < 16 and 9b (8c+ equivalent) & 8B at 18yrs or less or even got close.

In fact even if we take out the historical context it would appear that whilst a hand full of people now have equalled Malcs 8b at 16years, only Matt Donnelly has surpassed it, and no one is close to his 8c+ (maybe 9a in modern times) ascent at 18yrs.
Title: Re: Youngest Brit to climb 8b and 8c?
Post by: Jaspersharpe on November 07, 2012, 11:57:30 am
 :agree:

Except Malc was 17 when he did his first 8b (Magnetic).
Title: Re: Youngest Brit to climb 8b and 8c?
Post by: Bigdog on November 07, 2012, 02:35:34 pm
yes there are a few british climbers who have climbed 8b younger than malc, but its all relative to what was going on at the time so yes i agree also
Title: Re: Youngest Brit to climb 8b and 8c?
Post by: SA Chris on November 07, 2012, 03:05:47 pm
yes there are a few british climbers who have climbed 8b younger than malc

So who else is there, other than Matt Donnelly mentioned already?
Title: Re: Youngest Brit to climb 8b and 8c?
Post by: Bigdog on November 07, 2012, 03:21:00 pm
http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/item.php?id=67081 (http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/item.php?id=67081)
And maybe jonny stocking or Luke Tilley
Title: Re: Youngest Brit to climb 8b and 8c?
Post by: north_country_boy on November 07, 2012, 03:50:33 pm
http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/item.php?id=67081 (http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/item.php?id=67081)
And maybe jonny stocking or Luke Tilley

Tom Bolger?

Martin Watson has already been mentioned (even though Grooved Arete is definitely no more than 8a+)
Title: Re: Youngest Brit to climb 8b and 8c?
Post by: SA Chris on November 07, 2012, 03:52:20 pm
http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/item.php?id=67081 (http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/item.php?id=67081)

Guessing, is this you then?
Title: Re: Youngest Brit to climb 8b and 8c?
Post by: Jaspersharpe on November 07, 2012, 03:58:29 pm
Don't go for that job at the Yard yet Holmes.....

http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php?action=profile;u=7393 (http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php?action=profile;u=7393)

He posted earlier on the thread!
Title: Re: Youngest Brit to climb 8b and 8c?
Post by: SA Chris on November 07, 2012, 04:01:44 pm
Pesky meddling kids!
Title: Re: Youngest Brit to climb 8b and 8c?
Post by: tomtom on November 07, 2012, 04:40:07 pm
Pesky meddling kids that climb harder than me!

a quick edit.. ;)
Title: Re: Youngest Brit to climb 8b and 8c?
Post by: SA Chris on November 07, 2012, 08:02:16 pm
If only it was just kids
Title: Re: Youngest Brit to climb 8b and 8c?
Post by: Bigdog on November 20, 2012, 10:25:03 am
acording to 8a.nu Wiz Fineron (lives in new zealand but from wales) has done his first 8c at age 17
Title: Re: Youngest Brit to climb 8b and 8c?
Post by: fatdoc on November 21, 2012, 09:31:10 pm
 :agree:

jasp & malc were also part of the cellar revolution... which encompassed nigh on every training climber in sheffield for a year or so... and then it caught on ( yes, i know malc's board was in scotland)
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