First climbed by Mark Leach after one of the most legendary sieges on Yorkshire limestone.
Originally 8b+, the route has been upgraded in recent guides, despite no holds having broken since the FA and an easier sequence than the original nails method on the top crux being found.
19 recorded ascents.
| Climber | Style | Ascent Date | Suggested Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Leach | Lead | worked | 1988 | 8b+ |
|
First ascent. 46 sessions.
References[1] https://www.theprojectmagazine.com/features/2019/1/2/cry-freedom |
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| Jean-Baptiste Tribout | Lead | worked | Jun 1989 | |
|
Second ascent.
Date not exact. Jibe apparently found the endurance style of this route to his liking but found the shorter, more bouldery Mecca - The Mid-life Crisis much harder and didn't manage to redpoint it during his stay in the UK |
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| John Dunne | Lead | worked | Aug 1989 | |
|
Third ascent.
References[1] The Power of Climbing (1991) by David Jones, page 192 |
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| Tony Mitchell | Lead | worked | 1991 | |
|
Fourth ascent.
References[1] Email correspondence with Tony Mitchell, December 2024 |
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| Ben Moon | Lead | worked | Jun 1991 | |
|
An early ascent. Used in the media at the time to extol the benefits of bouldering for climbing stamina routes! |
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| Malcolm Smith | Lead | worked | Jun 1993 | |
|
An early, fast repeat (date not exact) |
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| Drew Haigh | Lead | worked | Jun 2009 | |
| Neil Mawson | Lead | worked | 1st Oct 2009 | |
| Steve McClure | Lead | worked | Oct 2009 | |
References[1] Email correspondence |
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| Jordan Buys | Lead | worked | 8th Jul 2011 | 8b+ (hard) |
| Paul Reeve | Lead | worked | Jun 2013 | |
| Ted Kingsnorth | Lead | worked | 25th Sep 2014 | 8b+ |
References |
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| Steve Dunning | Lead | worked | Jun 2015 | |
| Neil Dickson | Lead | worked | 14th May 2016 | |
| Al Wilson | Lead | worked | 2018 | |
| Jerome Mowat | Lead | worked | 25th Sep 2018 | |
| Matt Cooke | Lead | worked | 25th Apr 2019 | |
| Louis Lancaster | Lead | worked | 3rd May 2024 | |
References |
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| Adam Jeffs | Lead | worked | ||