Historical Nuggets

[andy popp]

I've told this story here before, but I had the pleasure of taking Elie out for his first day in the Peak. I was looking for someone to climb with and someone said there's some Swiss guy at Ben Pritchard's house looking for a partner. I picked him up in the morning but it was only when we were halfway to the crag that I realised who he was. I had a project on Long Wall, Cheedale, so we went there. Happily I did the project and it took him two repoint goes. It was fun day, he seemed to be a really nice, easy going person.

 

[Johnny Brown]

Nice! Didn't he onsight a bunch at the Cornice too?

 

[remus]

I've told this story here before, but I had the pleasure of taking Elie out for his first day in the Peak. I was looking for someone to climb with and someone said there's some Swiss guy at Ben Pritchard's house looking for a partner. I picked him up in the morning but it was only when we were halfway to the crag that I realised who he was. I had a project on Long Wall, Cheedale, so we went there. Happily I did the project and it took him two repoint goes. It was fun day, he seemed to be a really nice, easy going person.

A lovely story Andy. Do you think it would have been this route? https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/chee_dale_upper-10865/mouldwarp_wall-12009 or something else?

 

[Bonjoy]

For anyone who's interested in what Windy Knoll Cave looked like before the lip collapsed in 2005:

 

[andy popp]

And look just how tiny Winnats Pass used to be!

 

[andy popp]

I've told this story here before, but I had the pleasure of taking Elie out for his first day in the Peak. I was looking for someone to climb with and someone said there's some Swiss guy at Ben Pritchard's house looking for a partner. I picked him up in the morning but it was only when we were halfway to the crag that I realised who he was. I had a project on Long Wall, Cheedale, so we went there. Happily I did the project and it took him two repoint goes. It was fun day, he seemed to be a really nice, easy going person.

A lovely story Andy. Do you think it would have been this route? https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/chee_dale_upper-10865/mouldwarp_wall-12009 or something else?

Yes, it was. I remember it and the rest of the day pretty well.

 

[remus]

Thanks Andy. I hope you don't mind but I've reproduced your anecdote here https://climbing-history.org/climb/4162/mouldwarp-wall

 

[andy popp]

Of course, no problem.

 

[remus]

There's an interview with Ian Vickers in OTE about his quick redpoint of True North 8c where he drops this little bomb in there:

On my last climbing day before red pointing True North I had a really hard session, I started by going to Longridge and doing the 300' 8b+ traverse [Traverse of the Gods] three times. It's absolutely superb for the basic stamina needed to complete hard routes in a quick time as there are no moves harder than 6b but it is extremely long. After a brew we drove to Kilnsey and did a 7b+, two 7cs, two 7c+s,an 8a and finished off doing a few laps of Urgent Action.

Safe to say he was on form. Shortly followed by

Do you think you could redpoint harder than True North?

No, not at the moment anyway.

:lol:

 

[Duncan campbell]

Phwoar!!! Rediculous stuff. Could of climbed way harder!

Crazy levels of stam there

 

[highrepute]

Just read this article about bolts being placed on Book of Hate, which just seems bizarre. Bolts aside the article contained a link to this video which looks mega.

https://youtu.be/8v7z4dQcwP8

The channel also has this video, which I have watched back in the day and I remember that I thought it was very good at the time.

https://youtu.be/8s7J1xAGtMU

 

[remus]

Good finds! Looking forward to a watch of those.

I stumbled on this nice little site while doing a bit of reading on some old bleau wads http://www.grimporama.com/francais/bleau/bl_itw.htm Top notch 90s website vibes, and some nice interviews. In french but google translate does a decent job.

 

[highrepute]

https://youtu.be/8v7z4dQcwP8

Just watched the book of hate footage from this. Interesting and surprising to me that Randy Leavitt wore "stealth rubber gloves to cover the holes in his palms" on the first ascent.

 

[remus]

I feel like I've seen a pic (or maybe a vid) of Jerry campusing up a bachar ladder in the foundry but can't find it anywhere. Anyone know the pic I mean and where I might find it?

 

[sxrxg]

It is in The Real Thing.
25:40 is the timestamp for the bachar ladder bit.

 

[remus]

Top knowledge, thanks!

Unrelated, but this article from Jim Erickson is a fun read https://www.climbing.com/people/cleaning-up-climbing-history/ Some quality details about historic ascents in the US.

 

[remus]

Does anyone know much about Dave Kenyon's fa of Traverse of the Gods? There's a few off hand references online but nothing concrete, and more recent guides briefly mention his ascent in the "mid to late 1980s". I've had a look in Phil Kelly's rock archivist book (Black Dog new routes book) but only goes up to 1983 as far as I can tell.

Tony Mitchell got in touch via email with a very nice letter from 1989 when he made an ascent, thinking it was the first. I was wondering whether one of the older guides might have some more detail on Dave's ascent? Or perhaps a mag from the time?

 

[SamT]

Just had a look in my guide.. it's not mentioned in there at all and from what I can tell, it was published in about 1987 or 88.

 

[remus]

Thanks for digging out the guide! I guess that means Dave either did it around 85/86 but didn't publicise it, or did it around 87/88 and there wasn't time to get it in to the guide.

I've dropped Phil Kelly a message to see if he can shed any more light on it.

 

[SamT]

No worries.. I checked the addendum pages at the back but no entry either.