The Ace | 8B Boulder problem at Stanage Plantation

A low start to The Joker. Alex Megos:

The holds are there, the holds are big, the moves are small, it's easy. Why is it so hard!? [1]

[1] https://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,10607.msg470882.html#msg470882

Pics + Vids

Jerry Moffatt
Added at 13:09 on 26 September 2022
© Ray Wood
https://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,332...
James Thornton
Added at 10:02 on 07 February 2021
Dave Mason
View this post on Instagram

Added at 12:02 on 10 February 2021
James Squire
Added at 07:12 on 22 December 2020
Hamish Potokar
Added at 07:12 on 22 December 2020
David Fitzgerald
View this post on Instagram

Added at 12:02 on 10 February 2021
Orrin Coley
Added at 10:02 on 07 February 2021
Aidan Roberts
Added at 18:01 on 07 January 2022
James Pearson
View this post on Instagram

Added at 22:12 on 23 December 2021
James Pearson
View this post on Instagram

Added at 09:12 on 22 December 2021

Ascents

21 recorded ascents.

Climber Style FA Ascent Date Suggested Grade
Jerry Moffatt Boulder (Worked) ✓ 1st January 2001 (approx)

Various dates between 2000 and 2002 have been reported for the first ascent. It was reported in On The Edge #105 (March 2001 edition) which suggests it was done around January 2001 [4].

If the truth be known, it had been my goal for the last three years; either I'd just not been in good enough shape to try it, or the conditions were not right. As soon as I started trying The Ace everybody who had done The Joker was attempting it this way, which added to the pressure. My advantage was that I felt good on The Joker. If I could just get in to the top moves feeling strong, I knew i could do it. My sequence didn't feel right though and I was intrigued to find out about an alternative sequence Ben Moon had been trying. First chance I had I went straight back to the crag and tried his method. I hit the top second go but couldn't hold it. The friction wasn't good that day, but I returned in better conditions and for it done. [5]

References

[1] Revelations by Jerry Moffatt and Niall Grimes, 2009. Page 225.

[2] Peak Rock by Phil Kelly, Graham Hoey and Giles Barker, 2013. Page 310.

[3] https://www.climber.co.uk/news/dave-mason-repeats-the-ace/

[4] https://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,33255.msg666546.html#msg666546

[5] Climber magazine
Ben Moon Boulder (Worked) 1st January 2005 (approx)

Second or third ascent.
Tyler Landman Boulder (Worked) 6th March 2006 (approx)

Fourth ascent.
Andy Earl Boulder (Worked) 29th November 2006

Fifth ascent.

https://www.climbing.com/news/andrew-earl-the-ace-climber/
Stew Watson Boulder (Worked) 25th December 2011 (approx)

https://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,10607.msg345285.html#msg345285
Tom Newman Boulder (Worked) 1st October 2012 (approx)
James Thornton Boulder (Worked) 1st January 2015 (approx)

https://vimeo.com/121274111
Dave Mason Boulder (Worked) 2nd February 2015

https://www.instagram.com/p/ymtgQOvdb5/
James Squire Boulder (Worked) 11th October 2015

https://vimeo.com/142486299
Hamish Potokar Boulder (Worked) 4th December 2015

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToKsbMdDx_0
Jan Hojer Boulder (Worked) 1st March 2016 (approx)

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1046600605379342
David Fitzgerald Boulder (Worked) 25th March 2017

https://www.instagram.com/p/BSE3dxNgbn5/
Orrin Coley Boulder (Worked) 26th January 2018

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCJkVXzgXCI
Cailean Harker Boulder (Worked) 24th February 2018
Sam Blackwell Boulder (Worked) 7th November 2020
Matt Cousins Boulder (Worked) 26th November 2020
Aidan Roberts Boulder (Worked) 1st January 2021 (approx)

https://youtu.be/y6mHPXtge4w?t=425
James Pearson Boulder (Worked) 15th December 2021

James' first 8B on grit.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CXtsRyBopc_/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CX11GN2M0PA/
Ryan Pasquill Boulder (Worked)
Malcolm Smith Boulder (Worked)

Second or third ascent.

https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2001/12/malcolm_smith_repeats_careless_torque_-_as_fawcett_watches-2119
Tom Williams Boulder (Worked)