Beau Geste | E7 Trad climb at Froggatt Edge

UKClimbing.com

A historic gritstone king line, which was solved well ahead of its time by Jonny Woodward in 1982, in non-sticky boots.

The route relies on a crucial pebble to leave the half height break and enter the seam above. In the early 2000s half the pebble shattered and fell off, making the crux harder but still possible.

John Allen:

It seemed to me that it's ascent was a moment of inspiration fired by desire. A classic natural sculpture made to be climbed, but only by the best. [1]

References

[1] Extreme Rock (1987) Rear Cover /library/collection/1/extreme-rock

Contributors
TdG
28 contributions since 11th August 2025.
remus
24 contributions since 13th February 2021.

Library

Pics + Vids

No pics or vids yet.

Ascents

8 successful ascents and 1 unsuccessful attempt recorded.

Climber Style Ascent Date Suggested Grade
Jonny Woodward Lead | worked 14th Feb 1982
First ascent.

Climbed with three belayers.

Athletic seconds required to prevent cratering. [1]

A few days after the ascent, Woodward repeated the route several times for photos.

Photographer Ian Smith:

Jonny had actually made the first ascent a few days earlier… and the plan was to for him to do the route as well as possible, given the poor conditions, to get a sequence of photos. It was clearly a climb at the absolute upper limit of what was possible at the time, particularly as he was wearing what nowadays would be regarded as very crude and non-sticky boots (this being well before the introduction of the Boreal Firé). He explained that he had top-roped it a number of times and had not been able to do it so he had decided that what was required was the adrenaline of trying it on the lead and seven falls later he had succeeded.

The photo session went really well and Jonny climbed the route a couple of times for different photography angles and, it being a Sunday and Froggatt being a popular crag, created quite a stir as most of the climbers in the near vicinity stopped their own climbing and sat around to watch Jonny at work. The first time he topped out the crowd broke out into spontaneous applause, very unusual behaviour for the normally reserved British climbers. [3]

References

[1] Lovers' Leap Café, Stoney Middleton: New Route Books - 1982-1994 (RockArchivist - New Route Books), Phil Kelly 2023. Page 4.

[2] On The Edge Issue 71, page 50

[3] https://www.geocities.ws/readza1/climbing/beaugeste/index.html
Johnny Dawes Lead | flash Apr 1986
Second ascent.

References

[1] A record of ground-up and on-sight climbing on Peak, Yorkshire and Lancashire gritstone

[2] https://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,31629.msg649897.html#msg649897

[3] On The Edge Issue 107, page 48
Mark Leach Lead | flash Between 1st May 1986 and 1st Jan 1987

References

[1] A record of ground-up and on-sight climbing on Peak, Yorkshire and Lancashire gritstone

[2] https://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,31629.msg649897.html#msg649897
Simon Nadin Lead | flash 1990s

References

[1] On The Edge Issue 107, page 48

[2] [https://youtu.be/O2zRgjv6LwE?
Seb Grieve Lead | ground up 1990
3 sessions.
Neil Bentley Lead | ground up 1990s

Neil Bentley / Robin Barker / Andy Cave All Late 90s all ground-up with falls

References

[1] https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/rock_talk/beau_geste-370437
Tom de Gay Lead | did not finish 1999

A monster fall from the top crack, having skipped the crucial runner

It turned out there was quite a bit of slack, with the single rope looped under the small overhang. Dan [Honneyman] jumped off the ledge to take in whilst I optimistically tucked my feet up, aquaplaned through a puddle at bottom of the route, then swung all the way into the crack on the right, where I had just enough time to apologise to the chaps on that route, before penduluming back round.

Dusted myself off and had another go.

References

[1] https://www.instagram.com/p/CmWVCQHq3q2/
Ed Hamer Lead | worked 17th Jan 2015

References

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mk1Alz7sQb8
Siebe Vanhee Lead | flash 2021

References

[1] https://www.instagram.com/p/CXyvU8GI8pH/