Discussion Topic |
|
This thread has been locked |
Mick Ryan
Trad climber
Saratoga Springs, NY
|
|
|
Topic Author's Original Post - Apr 10, 2006 - 07:25am PT
|
Single pitch rock of course.
Word has trickled out from ScottishClimbs.com to the UKClimbing.com forums that this weekend Dave MacLeod has climbed the the direct line of the Dave Cuthbertson route, Requiem, on Dumbarton Rock, in Scotland.
MacLeod said recently in the Sunday Herald, “I’ve known about the true line of the Requiem crack since I started climbing; it’s obvious, in your face. You just climb the crack all the way to the top. I’d tried the moves in 2002 when I had just done the first E9 in Scotland and couldn’t even hang on the holds.”
MacLeod who has been trying the route over the last year was known to be getting close. This could be the hardest traditional route in the world and a strong contender for E11. MacLeod has climbed several E10's, bouldered Font 8b and is at the cutting edge of hard Scottish mixed ice climbing.
Many 50ft falls were taken whilst doing the last section which is thought to be around Fr 8c+ or 5.14c
UKClimbing News: http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/
UKClimbing.com Forums: http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?n=177104
ScottishClimbs.com: http://www.scottishclimbs.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=2828
Picture here of Dave MacLeod leading Requiem E8 6b, placing the gear on the lead.
http://www.scotlandonline.com/outdoors/dumbarton/routes.htm
|
|
bachar
Trad climber
Mammoth Lakes, CA
|
|
|
Apr 10, 2006 - 10:37am PT
|
Ground up, no TR rehearsal or previewing? jb
|
|
dirtineye
Trad climber
the south
|
|
|
Apr 10, 2006 - 10:42am PT
|
At that level, does it matter?
He can onsight the next 5.14c, LOL.
|
|
k-man
Gym climber
SCruz
|
|
|
Apr 10, 2006 - 10:49am PT
|
John's not talking onsight, he's talking ground up, no previewing (or dogging I suppose). And yes, it does matter. Not that it takes away the accomplishment, but style always matters.
|
|
dirtineye
Trad climber
the south
|
|
|
Apr 10, 2006 - 11:02am PT
|
Like I said, he can do the next one to satisfy you style mongers.
If he gets up 5.14c by any means, as long as he free climbs it at some point, and is honest about his effort, and in not claiming to have done it ground up if he didn't do it that way, that's a big deal.
And if you think style always matters, you're nuts. Going home in one piece always matters, style is secondary.
|
|
aldude
climber
Monument Manor
|
|
|
Apr 10, 2006 - 11:16am PT
|
Headpoint - the bastard child of British freeeclimbing?
|
|
bachar
Trad climber
Mammoth Lakes, CA
|
|
|
Apr 10, 2006 - 11:27am PT
|
Yes indeed...was it a "headpoint" like Grit ethics, or "ground-up" like the Czechs or old school Yosemite boys did it?
just curious, jb
|
|
Jeremy Handren
climber
NV
|
|
|
Apr 10, 2006 - 11:44am PT
|
Headpoint style I'm sure. However its basically a safe route, the issue is probably much more about staying cool headed enough to control the pump and handle the super technical moves when climbing way above gear. Its weird rock at Dumbarton all downsloping and technical. It said that he did Requiem placing the gear, but it didn,t say if he placed the gear when he did the direct.
|
|
Mick Ryan
Trad climber
Saratoga Springs, NY
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Apr 10, 2006 - 01:35pm PT
|
I'm sure Jerry's right John but MacCleod had been quiet on any reports yet. Not sure if on first acquaintance everything was onsight.
I do know that he did lead the original Requiem placing the gear as he went whereas previous ascents had pre-placed gear (three I think after Cubby's first ascent).
Still not to be sniffed at, there are bolts at this cliff and sport routes.
|
|
Dru
climber
HELL, BABY, HELL!
|
|
|
Apr 10, 2006 - 02:35pm PT
|
how long until reardon solos it?
|
|
Trashman
Trad climber
SLC
|
|
|
Apr 10, 2006 - 02:51pm PT
|
he already did, but he's so humble he didn't tell anyone.
no witnesses, but he's got some pictures of himself on top and tieing his shoes at the base to prove that he did it.
|
|
healyje
Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
|
|
|
Apr 10, 2006 - 02:52pm PT
|
I had to go back and check, but now that I look I do see that Trotter headpointed the "East Face of Monkey Face". I think jb's point is well taken; redefining "traditional" to include headpointing would be quite a stretch of both the term and its use.
|
|
scuffy b
climber
S Cruz
|
|
|
Apr 10, 2006 - 03:20pm PT
|
Is headpointing getting a thing wired on toprope and then leading it?
|
|
jack splat
climber
|
|
|
Apr 10, 2006 - 03:37pm PT
|
Todays hardest "trad" climbs are always top-roped and rehearsed. Todays top climbers have decided that's how they want to climb. It's pretty much just scary sport-climbing. Until I've taken a fifty-footer off a .14c onto a small nut, I'm not going to compare it for better or worse to how things were done back in the day.
It's just really really rad, and really really hard.
|
|
bachar
Trad climber
Mammoth Lakes, CA
|
|
|
Apr 10, 2006 - 03:43pm PT
|
If it ain't ground-up, on-sight - it ain't trad. Peace, jb
|
|
jack splat
climber
|
|
|
Apr 10, 2006 - 03:50pm PT
|
Not in the old sense, but times change. Would you call it sport climbing?
|
|
Jeremy Handren
climber
NV
|
|
|
Apr 10, 2006 - 04:02pm PT
|
"If it ain't ground-up, on-sight - it ain't trad. Peace, jb"
Well how would you describe all those routes in places like Squamish and New Hampshire which had to be dug out from under a thick coating of dirt and lichen. For the purpose of the article trad means natural protection as opposed to bolts, but I do think whether the gear was preplaced or placed on the lead makes a lot of difference, and is an important detail.
|
|
jack splat
climber
|
|
|
Apr 10, 2006 - 04:20pm PT
|
Was it not part of the "trad game" back in the day to rehearse hard climbs and later free-solo them?
It's really just about respect, whatever you call it,
|
|
Jeremy Handren
climber
NV
|
|
|
Apr 10, 2006 - 05:08pm PT
|
Actually Jack Splat, so much frigging went on that by modern definitions a lot of routes from the 70's and 80's never really had proper first ascents. My favorite was the "rule" that you could restart an attempt from a no hands rest, which on slabs and corners meant just about anywhere on the pitch. Or how about when big gangs of climbers would get together leapfrogging protection up a climb, the guy who got the credit for the lead might only have actually led the last few feet. Obviously we would all prefer to have onsighted everything we tried, it just didn't happen very often. I've done plenty of yo-yo ascents of hard gear routes in the past but I have to admit that the end result of the headpoint, that clean lead, placing all the gear is a lot more satisfying. And in the end, if some pompous oaf doesn't think your ascent lives up to the high ideals of "trad", who gives a s**t.
|
|
Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
|
|
|
Apr 10, 2006 - 05:23pm PT
|
Maybe we should have a SPRAD category for when it's not exactly perfect trad but gear is placed and longer falls risked.
Is Magic Line a SPRAD route? I'd like to seem somebody do a second ascent before we assume it's not a sandbag at 14b.
Peace
karl
|
|
|
SuperTopo on the Web
|
Let us know!