Nightmayer | E8 Trad climb at Dinas Cromlech

First ascent.

Second ascent.

An unsuccessful onsight attempt that ended with a memorable whipper.

Talking about E8 on-sights - you took a whipper down Nightmare on Dinas Cromlech…

Yes, it was my first day climbing in the UK. I was still virgin to this type of climbing so still a bit ignorant! The famous old school local climber Pat Littlejohn was climbing next to us and had seen me looking easy on climbs. Nightmare E8 6c was a good looking line so I decided to try it. I mentioned to Sean [Villanueva O’Driscoll] that I would first try it on toprope but Pat said to Sean: "If there is somebody here who is able to give a good try ground up it's him." When Sean told me this I thought it would be good to follow this wise local climber's suggestion. The route was completely dirty so Sean first went up to clean the route a bit and look at the gear. The climbing was really nice with a style of climbing that I like particularly, crimpy and dead vertical. But the climb was still very dirty with poor gear on the first part of the climb. After a few good pieces of pro midway up the wall the crux arrived at the upper section. While searching for other pro I got too pumped to keep on climbing and so I fell. The piece I thought would hold didn't, it ripped out and so I unexpectedly fell a long way down the wall. 3 pieces ripped and I was stopped upside down about 20 meters below by a good wire. Afterwards people talked about this fall a lot, even though for me it was just an unsuccessful try. [2]

References

[1] https://vimeo.com/21869523

[2] https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/nicolas-favresse-trad-climbing-in-wales-and-england.html

References

[1] https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2018/07/nightmayer_e8_6c_by_emma_twyford-71648

After the event you quickly forget, but I really had to give it everything, and only just got it. I’ve seen people say ‘its 8a so for Steve it should be ‘piss’, well, it doesn’t work like that! 8a is really hard. 7b is hard! An Olympic level 100m sprinter who can manage 9 seconds doesn’t just stroll along in 9.5 seconds! I’d say this was one of the hardest pieces of climbing I’ve ever done. It’s up there with Rainman, Overshadow and Rhapsody though in a different style.

...

It’s damn hard. It’s the hardest trad route I’ve onsighted by a chunk. [2]

References

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guVZd4_huSQ

[2] https://www.climber.co.uk/news/steve-mcclure-has-nightmayer-on-sight-on-dinas-cromlech/

Journey of the cromlech complete :( what an experience, from the first time I tried it i couldn’t stop smiling. It’s everything I love about the cromlech. The most psyched for a route I have ever been on trad. I sort of didn’t want to lead it because I didn’t want it to end, but then the weather is so good now that I feel I’m missing out on the mountain crags. 6 sessions, touch and go but went down on the first lead. Hottest day of the year, I like being warm? leading it made me realise what a bad ass Steve Mac is, incredible. Found a white tri cam at the top under the sky hooks that made the ending quite safe imo.

References

[1] https://www.instagram.com/p/Cto0lv3NA2F/

[2] https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2023/06/rachel_pearce_on_nightmayer_e8_6c-73368