Gravediggers | E8 Trad climb at Gravestones

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First ascent. With Patch Hammond.

My ascent of Gravediggers turned into a tale of friendship of rivalry. Having spotted a great looking line on the Gravestones in the Llanberis Pass in the summer of 1997, I was somewhat put out to hear that a young climber called Leo Houlding who was emerging on the scene was keen to step on my toes. I had mentioned to Leo that I'd been trying the route but he didn't seem too interested in respecting 'the code'. In the end, Leo ended up leading the route one evening, unaware that I had snatched an ascent at lunchtime on the same day. He returned jubilantly to record his ascent in the new routes book in Pete's Eats in Llanberis, only to realise that he'd been pipped at the post. We shook hands over the affair and became great friends subsequently. I conceded that this would be the first and last time that I would ever have the upper hand over someone who went on to become one of Britain's most prolific and accomplished climbers. [2]

References

[1] https://www.instagram.com/p/DBEH3D5tyuw/

[2] https://www.neilgresham.com/climbing/first-ascents/traditional-climbing/uk

[3] On The Edge Issue 71, page 73

Second ascent. With Neil Gresham.

Half an hour after Neil Gresham's ascent.

References

[1] On The Edge Issue 71, page 73

Third ascent.

References

[1] On The Edge Issue 71, page 73

Fourth go.

References

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SxH2ILd74c

[2] https://www.instagram.com/p/CKMl4gmjagv/

Second go.

References

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SxH2ILd74c

References

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SxH2ILd74c

Second go.

References

[1] Llanberis - Sixth Edition 2009, by Iwan Arfon Jones, page 402