The Master's Edge | E7 Trad climb at Millstone Edge

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First ascent.

I soloed to the top of the crag to warm up and threw a rope down the sharply defined arête. I thought it likely that chalk Jerry had left on the route would have absorbed some of the moisture in the air over the last few days and made sure I brushed the holds vigorously with a toothbrush. The arête itself looked rather enigmatic, particularly near the top, but I tested the holds and tried the Amigo in one of two shot holes at half height. I wasn't totally convinced, after tugging on it a few times, but it looked promising. That's all the preparation I did. [2]

References

[1] https://www.facebook.com/climbing.in.the.80s/photos/a.270388289694020/288281861237996

[2] Ron Fawcett, Ed Douglas ‘Ron Fawcett: Rock Athlete’, Vertebrate Publishing, 2011

First go.

First go after abseil inspection.

References

[1] On The Edge Issue 107, page 48

First female ascent.

The first British woman to climb E7.

A mattress was used to protect the moves up to the shot holes. A local climber confronted Airlie about it in the Broadfield pub in Sheffield, and Airlie was so incensed that she punched him so hard that she floored him.

References

[1] On The Edge Issue 104, page 58

References

[1] Climber June 1997, page 4

It is hard to be angry when the climbing is so good! [1]

References

[1] Hard Grit (1998)

References

[1] High Mountain Issue 253, page 12

First go.

The route's first first-go ground-up ascent.

References

[1] https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/destinations/millstone_-_quarried_grit-2791

References

[1] https://www.instagram.com/reel/DGDsL8hM_NA/

References

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ij9_41yNdS4

Adam Long:

Climbing smoothly to the shotholes, he placed the tricam and tried briefly to rest before continuing. The route was plastered in chalk from top-ropers the previous week, friction was poor, and the rest wasn't helping. So he carried on. Arriving at the crux last move, he gave a brief exclamation at the disappointing size of the crimp, did the move anyway, and then continued to the top of the crag up Great Arete, itself a rarely climbed and very bold E5 5c. Abseiling for the gear, he discovered the heavily chalked and ticked crimp he had used was not in fact the right one, it lurking unchalked and twice-the-size a foot to the side. It's tricky making definitive statements about style, but this is at least as good an ascent as the route has ever had. It's certainly hard to imagine how it could be improved upon. [2]

References

[1] https://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,10607.msg256035.html#msg256035

[2] https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2010/04/neil_nige_kershaw_-_golden_feet+local_hero-53061

The beginning of a long relationship with the route. Since making this ascent Tom and Pete Whittaker have made it a tradition to reclimb the route each year on their birthday, usually in some sort of fancy dress. For example, they've climbed it in fat suits, dressed as minions and even as a multipitch.

References

[1] Tom's first ascent https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtKLXSGjop4

References

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkn_nLKA0aE

References

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

References

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thBQ5LyXAas

References

[1] https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/features/the_edge_of_time-15613

References

[1] https://www.facebook.com/100016134670204/videos/pcb.1478266526054489/1756393474838999

[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g56DwdoGzBo

Third ascent?

References

[1] https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/ukc/supercool_duncan_drake_versus_martin_atkinson-493019?v=1#x6743460