| ROUTE |
GRADE |
PROTECTION |
FALL SURVIVAL CHANCES |
| Gaia |
E8 6c |
Cams at base of groove |
“Big body deckout”
…said Seb prior to Jean Minh’s fall. Jean Minh was very lucky to walk away. Gaia has become quite popular after Hard Grit, now with numerous ascents, though none improving upon (or even matching) Johnny’s first ascent style. |
| Fat Slapper |
E7 6c |
Lots at half-height |
“Bad smash ’til gear, big air after”
Fairly safe for the grade, with the crux slap for the lip obviously well protected (as Seb illustrates). Gaining the half-height break is the worrying bit. |
| Piece of Mind |
E6 6b |
Nowt! (solo) |
“Slab bouncer, hospital, macro-surgery”
It's guaranteed to hurt! Tested by Johnny Dawes who fell from the crux near the top. He turned, hopped, skipped, and landed like a cat. Don’t believe for a moment that you could do the same. |
| Samson |
E9 7b |
Big flared cam plus gear in Goliath |
“Ground-sweeper if you fall from the crux; ground-bouncer after”
Physically the hardest route on grit? Not a route for the stream of hard grit aspirants. |
| End of the Affair |
E8 6c |
Low cams |
“Death from the top floor”
– or not, as David Pickford was to find out. Other notable lobs include another ‘grounder’ by Mike Weeks and near-grounder from Tim Emmett. Becoming popular amongst hard grit wannabees. |
| Kaluza Klein |
E7 6c |
Low cams |
“Good with diligent belayer”
Undoubtedly gritstone's most popular E7, with endless tales of ground-sweeping falls, ground-impact falls and too many ascents to mention. Let's hope the crucial right foot smear doesn't get too polished! |
| Paralogism |
E7 6c |
Low psychological runner |
“Piss poor, call an ambulance”
Steep thuggy roofwork above an appalling shelved landing, which no amount of 'thermarest' mats will help to alleviate, Seb. |
| Master’s Edge |
E7 6c |
Good tri-cams half height |
“Good with diligent spotter's/belayer”
Another popular route, big swooping falls and bold start to the shot-holes. Airlie Anderson’s ascent in ’95 is the only hard grit route ever climbed by a woman. |
| The New Statesman |
E8 7a |
RPs after crux |
“Crap, broken back, legs, arms”
A spotting team essential. A real heavyweight route, years ahead of it's time and with only two fairly recent repeats. |
| Parthian Shot |
E9 7a |
Small stuff in hollow flake |
“Safe-ish from crux if gear holds, else death”
The route with the monster reputation and grade. After Seb’s legendary second ascent, repeats placing gear on lead have followed from Neil Bentley and Nic Sellars.
Truly awesome. |
| Renegade Master |
E8 7a |
RPs |
“Safe after wires, flat landing before”
A campus-board session for the very strong, fiercely overhanging but relatively safe with good spotting team. |
| Marbellous |
E8 7a |
Good cams half height |
“Ankle-snapper before gear”
A French grade of 8a+, with a hard and frightening traverse to get the first gear in (left clipped on subsequent attempts and the ascent, as Robin reversed and jumped). |
| Meshuga |
E9 6c |
None till after 40 feet |
“Higher you go, closer to the morgue you are”
Truly hard and terrifying with possibly grit’s worst landing, which Neil Gresham tested and managed to walk away from after a low fall. An attempt by Bentley saw a crumbling foothold and scary retreat from low down. |
