The Dark Side | E9/8A Trad climb at Back Bowden Doors

First ascent.

Steve Crowe:

It all went smoothly, me hanging on ab rope taking photos (another camera on a tripod & motor drive, click click click) then suddenly… Andy was barn dooring, somehow he reeled it in dropped a gear and exploded up to the break. Phew but no “Shit!” he was wrong handed with his hand in the slot where his only cam should go and the cam was now out of reach on the wrong side of his harness. Karin [Magog], a tiny thing, way below holding a rope that wasn’t clipped into anything yet was wondering wether to run or spot Andy when he fell. Somehow Andy got a hold of the cam and rammed in where it didn’t really fit and freestyled an untested sequence and thankfully made it to the top. [1]

References

[1] https://climbonline.co.uk/2020/05/05/andy-earl-on-top-of-the-world/

Highballed above a stack of pads.

References

[1] https://marksavagephotography.blogspot.com/2011/12/darth-varian-turns-to-dark-side.html

Highballed above pads.

Highballed above a big pile of pads.