Climbs

Does the start of Noia before linking in to the hard end section of Anaconda via some difficult moves.

Named after the book The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera [1].

References

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Unbearable_Lightness_of_Being

Originally given 8c but upgraded following repeats.

First 8b in Norway Oslo - Norway

A direct start to Route of All Evil bolted in 1991 by Boone Speed, and the first 8c+ in America established by an American, the soon to be famous Chris Sharma.

Jim Thornburg writing in Climbing magazine #168:

Speed worked on the sick-looking direct start and reckoned that an ascent of the entire route would be like climbing two 5.14a's back-to-back. After a finger injury put Speed out of commission, it seemed likely that the route would gather cobwebs until some visiting Euro arrived to snake yet another American testpiece. [1]

References

[1] https://www.instagram.com/p/CkRY8NJSro2/

The hardest route on Dinas Cromlech. 8a climbing with spicy gear.

Named after Jerry Moffatt who decked from the upper reaches of the route on a previous attempt at the FA. Miraculously he survived relatively unscathed, using up one of his nine lives. Having completed all the hard, dangerous climbing and found a good runner he was stumped by the dirty top section so decided to lower off the runner. The runner failed and he landed flat on his back and was knocked unconscious, but miraculously awoke unscathed.

Alan Carne recalls

I thought he was dead. He landed flat on his back and was completely unconscious, immobile and I just looked at him and thought 'oh, my god, he's dead'.

Tried extensively by Ben Moon. Despite coming close around 1995 was unable to finish the route due to a combination of poor conditions and injury. Steve McClure's successful ascent in July 2000 represented a passing of the torch, with him taking on the mantle as the UK's pre-eminent sport climber by finishing off Ben's old project.

A very long boulder problem. Around 8c+ to 9a as a sport route depending on how many knee bars you find.

Chris Doyle:

Pilgrimage (or The Big Link as it was always referred to) is a historic piece of Welsh climbing. In the early 90s long before the Cave was a popular and recognised bouldering destination an in-form Ben Moon got close to making the FA. The problem was written up in the first Northern Soul despite being a project and its legend grew in Cave circles. In 2004 legendary strong man Malcolm Smith invested considerable time and money (1000 pounds worth of fuel driving down from Scotland) and made the first ascent of the link at 8b+ or F9a.

References

[1] https://doylosblog.blogspot.com/2013/03/pilgrimage-2nd-ascent.html