Mecca - The Mid-life Crisis | 8b+ Sport route at Raven Tor

First ascent.

The hardest route in the UK at the time, and completed the day before Martin moved to Switzerland to start a job with Mammut [1].

We ended up having this enormous bouldering session...doing loads of stuff and feeling really strong...then someone said "come on, have a go then" and I just did it. [1]

Pete Oxley:

I was at the crag when Basher sent Mecca - his last effort on his last day in the UK - how cool was that? Everyone stopped when he was on it - dead quiet - only the clouds moved. I was on In Brine and leaned out from a high bolt to watch, with bated breath, as history was made. [2]

References

[1] https://vimeo.com/68128640

[2] Kelly, Phil., Hoey, Graham., Barker, Giles Ellis. Peak Rock: The History, the Routes, the Climbers. United Kingdom: Vertebrate Graphics Limited, 2013. Page 240.

Second ascent. 2 sessions.

Third ascent. 11 sessions.

Prior to climbing this the only other 8th grade routes Ed had climbed was Caviar and one other!

Was redpointing MECCA mentally strenuous?

Yes, horribly. It was standing at the bottom not knowing what to think before getting on it. Friends tell me before I got on the route I was just too psyched, wide-eyed and really tense.

References

[1] The Power of Climbing (1991) by David Jones, page 148

Fourth ascent.

References

[1] The Power of Climbing (1991) by David Jones, page 192

References

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxIKmzhiFjw

Second british woman to climb 8b+.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sw82ZcyCq2Q

Second go.

https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2014/10/mecca_8b+_for_katy_whittaker-69224

https://www.instagram.com/p/CW6eK2mougJ/

3 sessions.

References

[1] https://twitter.com/mollytheclimber/status/928249603740327939

References

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

3 sessions.

References

[1] https://www.instagram.com/p/C7mOF62NeBg/?img_index=1

Aged 15.