Knockin' on Heaven's Door | E9 Trad climb at Curbar Edge

First ascent.

Climbed from the right with a pre-placed peg.

References

[1] https://www.facebook.com/climbing.in.the.80s/photos/a.270388289694020/3416013038464847

Second ascent?

Ron climbed the route in a similar style to the FA and thought it was worth about E7 [1].

References

[1] https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/features/andy_pollitt+big_ron_fawcett-9483

Third ascent?

From the right with the peg.

A variation on Pollitt's line which allowed some better gear to be placed. Claimed as a new route 'Born Slippy' E8. Later ascents have tended to climb Pollitt's line but have used an unobvious traverse to place the born slippy gear.

References

[1] https://www.facebook.com/rockarchivist/photos/a.115413049915581/115415423248677

Ben suggested E9 for a solo ascent.

References

[1] On The Edge Issue 84, page 10

Following the line of Born Slippy.

References

[1] On The Edge 122, page 10.

[2] On The Edge 118, page 12

References

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2bdROeVsH4?t=283

I climbed the easiest way up to the gear on Born Slippy, then finished up the slab. Don't know what this is supposed to be but it's the most natural way up the cool slab.

Aly placed the peg on lead. He took a few falls and generally thought the gear was pretty good!

References

[1] https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2009/01/roaches_and_curbar_-_hard_grit_repeats-45807

Just to clarify, as the situation with this route is not cut and dried as with most routes. We started up Knockin', made a short traverse left to the bomber gear in a hole just beneath the lip (which Born Slippy climbs a variant start to reach, not really required), then came back along the traverse and finished as per usual, hand-placing a peg on the way (on lead). I believe Alex Honnold headpointed the route a similar way although without the hand-placed pegs and reckoned E8 6c. Both myself and Ryan [Pasquill] think that is about right. You could argue that should the hand-placed peg hold then its more like E7 6c, but its far from a certainty and its probably sensible to assume it will rip, hence the back-up plan of the Born Slippy gear, which would almost certainly prevent a groundfall with a decent belay.

I was a lot more scared than on both End of the Affair and Gaia. I'd say it's definitely worth E8. Placing the pegs for the first time on lead wasn't ideal. I placed them slightly to the left of where they should have been. I didn't trust them at all.

References

[1] https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2010/10/ryan_pasquill_flashes_knockin_on_heavens_door-58563

References

[1] https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2013/11/katy_whittaker_on_knockin_on_heavens_door-68537

[2] https://www.instagram.com/p/BaKHAYylZzL/

References

[1] https://www.instagram.com/p/C8H_xwItJbF/