Climbs

Initially given 8B.

Originally thought to be 8B/+. A 'crucial' side pull broke after the first ascent but it was later re-climbed without the side pull.

Chris Sharma's original line, and world famous testpiece. Start sitting on the right facing fin, then wrestle your way up and right through the sick, sloping features.

References

[1] https://kaya-app.kayaclimb.com/climb/The-Buttermilker-v13-Bishop-108457

[2] https://27crags.com/crags/buttermilks/routes/buttermilker

John Dunne:

It is undoubtedly one of the best routes on grit, in terms of the line, the position and of course climbing. [1]

References

[1] Yorkshire Gritstone Volume 2, 2014. Page 63.

Originally climbed with no pads and a single ball nut for protection. James gave it E10, believing any fall would involve hitting the ground. Subsequent ascents tested the ball nut (above pads) and found it to be better than expected with the ball nut holding around 20 falls. Based on this, grades around E7 to E8 were suggested.

Due to the falls the quality of the placement deteriorated, with Jordan Buys ripping the gear in a fall from high on the route. It is not clear how reliable the placement currently is. [1]

Now usually climbed as a highball above a big pile of pads.

References

[1] https://johnroberts.me/outdoors/2011/11/the-promise-is-it-finally-the-end-of-the-affair/

Originally climbed as a trad route at ~E7.

First ascentionist Mark Leach stated there was a pebble that he didn't want to stand on in case it broke, so he used a really hard sequence. Then he stood on it and did the route first time. Ben Moon used the pebble too. It's not clear if the pebble still exists.

Although originally a trad route, it's a contender for the first 8A in the UK, climbed a few months before Careless Torque.

The first E9 in Scotland. Repeats have taken a slight variation through a line of least resistance, rather than MacLeod's original. [1]

References

[1] MacLeod, D. 'Moving the Needle', 2024.

First discovered by Dave Graham it was a project for a long time before Shawn Raboutou made the first ascent.

5.11c

First climbed in 1959 by Warren Harding, Glen Denny and Chuck Pratt as the East Face of Washington Column. Although this ascent was mainly aided, the Harding Slot - free climbed at a notional 5.9 - is still a considerable challenge for many despite its relatively low grade.

References

[1] https://www.mountainproject.com/route/105845493/astroman

A historic gritstone king line, which was solved well ahead of its time by Jonny Woodward in 1982, in non-sticky boots.

The route relies on a crucial pebble to leave the half height break and enter the seam above. In the early 2000s half the pebble shattered and fell off, making the crux harder but still possible.

Originally climbed without knee bars and given 8C, now considered to be 8B.