Once upon a time in Yorkshire, this blogger, Robin Sutton and Malcolm Smith decided to try a route on the North Buttress of Kilnsey. That route was True North and is graded the magical grade of 8c. The hardest grade imaginable in 1990. The grade of Agincourt, the grade on the poster above my bed, the one in place of the football line-ups that decorated the walls of my mate's rooms. The thing that made me different. A bit of rock, with a number. Massive moves on holds for only one finger, a million miles from the routes my Dad was taking me up at Polney crag every weekend. How exciting to finally think I too could be like Ben Moon.
Malcolm sent the route, no surprises there, with the efficiency expected of an international rock star. Rob and I needed more time. We didn't lack commitment. M8, M74, M6, A65... up and down, up and down. Round and round the Glasgow 45 board, 40 move circuits midweek. We got fit. We each came within a move. Next time we reasoned. M8, M74, M6, A65... WETNESS! Weeks of wetness, months of wetness, years of wetness. I gave up. Rob had 2 kids. I moved to Spain, climbed 8c, knowing I could thanks to True North, but it was always there needing finished.
My younger self trying True North in 2007 (Photo Copyright: Pete O'Donovan)
Fast forward to 2011 and it was time for Rob and I to take up the gauntlet again. We booked some days of work, committed ourselves and got it done. Rob, requiring a fair few goes less than I, showed just what a beast he is. Inspired I pulled my finger out and got it done in less than perfect conditions, drying holds before attempts and getting resourceful in my hold drying methods (I might be looking for a tampon sponsor).
True North is now my 6th (or 7th) route graded 8c and I think it fits in quite neatly among routes like Rollito-Sharma Extension in terms of difficulty (i.e. low/mid 8c). It is far from horrendous move by move but a pumpy power endurance test when summed together. Having ticked True North I got thinking about Unjustified again. I think Adam Ondra eluded clearly to his opinion about the grade when he commented on Bat Route and he isn't alone in thinking the route is soft. I knew at the time I did it that it all went too easy to be 8c given my form at the time and True North, by no means a hard 8c confirms it; Unjustified is a good grade easier. If Cry Freedom remains at 8b+ then even that grade may seem a bit much.
The glory move to the final jugs leading in to Urgent Action (Photo copyright Pete O'Donovan)
So there we go, somebody has done it, stepped up to take the flack and (with no malice intended) shatter a few egoes. Maybe I'm wrong and it sure as hell doesn't matter one bit. It is still a fantastic climb and still just a bit of rock with an arbitary and subjective number attached to it just like True North, just like Agincourt...
I'm real hurt Al - how could you do this to us! If I climb with a weightbelt in 30 Deg sun surely I can still take the 8c tick! ;)
ReplyDeleteWell done for sticking yer neck our al.
ReplyDeleteInteresting comments about Cry Freedom. Have you tried it much? I honestly think it wouldn't be too bad if you're tall. 8b to the hard move; and a semi-decent kneebar rest beforehand... And Ondra said it was "solid 8c". I think you should smash it in!
I agree with Al that True North feels a bit harder the Unjustified and though I've not done other 8cs to compare, I would guess Unjustified is on the soft side. However having said that, true North has had more ascents this year despite wet holds etc.....
ReplyDeleteI think it's interesting that back in the day when both routes were only done by the 'Rock Stars' neither were considered soft and required tactics such as the infamous Unjustified pre-clips - only really dispensed of v recently. This is despite those same climbers doing other 8c and harder testpieces. I remember seeing Vickers doing UJ with all the pre-clips when he was in his prime - no hint of a downgrade then. Most climbers in the UK, unlike in France, Spain etc. think 8c is desperate and still have that mentality despite improvements in standard. I think this can result in us thinking that if it doesn't feel the living end it can't be that hard. Maybe we're all just getting a bit better!
I agree with Al that TN does feel a bit easier than UJ and UJ is likely to be soft for the grade (I haven't done other 8cs to compare). But I don't reckon it's that easy. Consider:
ReplyDeleteTN has had more ascents this year (I think just me and Al on UJ) and with wet holds on TN.
Back in the day UJ had ascents by several top 'rock stars' who were climbing 8cs all over with no hint of a downgrade. in fact all were using tactics like pre-clipping beyond the crux which suggests they weren't finding it easy. I remember seeing Ian Vickers doing it in this style back in 2000 when he was in his prime and the preclipping only seems to have been dispensed with v recently (Al, me, Steve Mac?)
I think a lot of this is down to the fact that unlike in France, Spain etc. UK climbers still have the mentality that 8c is nails. However our standards have improved, even if this mentality hasn't, the result being that when someone manages to climb an 8c (or other hard grade) and it doesn't feel like the living end we immediately think it deserves downgrading. Maybe we are just getting a bit better!
I forgot Sam Whittaker's well deserved ascent of UJ this year - apologies Sam! However again this took him a very long time, preclips etc. Sam is a very strong and experienced climber and he clearly did not find it easy.
ReplyDelete