Robert Brown | E3 Trad climb at High Tor

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First ascent.

Free climbed the old Bastion Wall. A really first-class route, even if I say so myself! So it's the least I could do to name it after poor Rob.

...

I flung myself at the slimy, grass-filled crack, not daring to stop, for fear of falling off. Then after a very committing move over a bulge I was confronted by a steep fragile wall with uselessly fragile, shallow, greay finger pockets. It was getting dark fast and my fingers squirmed about in the grease, no light left except for three blood red tongues of sky tearing the jet black clouds on the horizon, absolutely no time left for emssing about, I frantically got a peg out to put in for pro. Unfortunately, as I whipped out my hammer I smashed myself in the mouth with it, bursting my lip and breaking off a corner and a flake of my front tooth.

Now I was really freaked out, the sun had long since gone below the ridge. I sped up the crisp wall like there was no tomorrow and gained the break below the enormous summit bulge. I reached up over this, and to my surprise my hand came onto a line of fine holds leading away to the left. I boated across in exuberance and exploded up to the summit tree, to the sound of loose rock crashing down the cliff from the east last ten feet. Poor old Jerry [Frost] prussicked up in the dark. Mission accomplished. [1]

References

[1] Arnis Strapcans' first ascents book, Mountain Heritage Trust collection.