Ulysses' Bow | E6 Trad climb at Stanage

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Top roped in EBs at English 7a.

First ascent.

Solo after top rope practice.

Certainly Ulysses was very dangerous. I mean, it was really dangerous. If you think, when I went there, there was nobody on the crag. We got the bus to Redmires and walked, so it was an hour's walk, nobody on the crag, no safety, nothing, no bouldering mats, no phones. I mean, if anything had happened, I would have been absolutely screwed. I only top roped it 10 times over two days, and then top roped it once and did it. I mean, it's ridiculous. I mean, now you top rope it till you're blue in the face. Till you have it totally wired. I mean, I top roped it 10 times and fell off it twice. I mean, it's crazy. (2)

References

[1] https://www.facebook.com/climbing.in.the.80s/photos/a.270388289694020/1557591667640336

[2] https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/jam-crack-the-niall-grimes-climbing-podcast/id1065991509?i=1000554413296&r=3285

In his autobiography, Ron mentions that he had quickly repeated the route sometime prior to his ascent of Master's Edge

Climbed just after his onsight solo first ascent of Silk.

He had previously attempted to top rope the easier lower part of the route on a school trip, but the top section – the crux – was climbed on sight.

No pads

There are routes, eg Ulysses, where I chose not to use pads because of the historical aspect, but having returned to some of these routes with pads I've found the character of the route is retained more than you might expect.

References

[1] https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/ukc/guest_editorial_a_gritstone_retrospective-342687

References

[1] High Mountain Issue 253, page 12