James McHaffie is a prolific North Wales based trad climber who's also a very capable sport climber. He is one of the best trad onsight climbers in the UK (and potentially the world) with over a hundred E7 onsights to his name. He's also completed some impressive challenges, such as the 100 lakes extremes in a day.
On the 26th May 2021 James climbed Revelations at Raven Tor, the last route of 180 on his way to ticking every route in the book Extreme Rock. This incredible effort demonstrates a huge breadth and depth of experience, from relatively pedestrian climbs such as The Strand at Gogarth (North Stack And Main Cliff) to bold and intimidating leads such as Johnny Dawes' Indian Face and Jerry Moffatt's Master's Wall.
[1] Interview with DMM, September 2021 https://dmmwales.com/journal/may-2021/mchaffie-completes-extreme-rock
[2] Interview with RockClimbingUK, 2011 https://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php?topic=23709.0
[3] Interview with March Langley for UKClimbing.com, September 2020 https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/features/james_mchaffie_-_the_cumbrian-13045
39 recorded ascents.
Year | Climb | Grade | Ascent Date |
---|---|---|---|
2000 | Master's Wall | E7 (Lead did not finish) | 2000 |
James had an epic whilst trying to onsight the route:
[1] http://www.jamesmchaffie.com/caffs-blog/masters-wall-extreme-rock |
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2001 | |||
2002 | Fear Of Failure | E8 (Lead worked) | 2002 |
First ascent. | |||
2003 | |||
2004 | |||
2005 | |||
2006 | |||
2007 | The Serpent Vein | 8b (Lead worked) | Apr 2007 |
First ascent.
References |
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Trauma | E9 (Lead worked) | 17th Jun 2007 | |
James got on the route again some years later and revised his grade suggestion to E9:
References[1] https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2007/06/james_mchaffie_downgrades_trauma_to_e8-37873 |
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2008 | |||
2009 | Mission Impossible | E9 (Lead worked) | Jun 2009 |
Second ascent. https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2009/06/james_mchaffie_tom_cruises_mission_impossible-47686 |
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2010 | |||
2011 | Big Bang | 9a (Lead worked) | Jul 2011 |
He went back a few days later for some pictures and threw down a quick lap! https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2011/08/james_mchaffie_repeats_the_big_bang_-_9a-63370 https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=4217119138388286&set=pcb.4217120798388120 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLz56lDzjAg https://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,10607.msg325555.html#msg325555 |
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Dawes Rides a Shovelhead | E8 (Lead onsight) | Aug 2011 | |
Unjustified | 8b+ (Lead worked) | 6th Aug 2011 | |
In a day and same day as Predator! |
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Predator | 8b (Lead worked) | 6th Aug 2011 | |
In a day and same day as Unjustified! |
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2012 | Bat Route | 8c (Lead worked) | 6th Apr 2012 |
The Meltdown | 9a (Lead worked) | May 2012 | |
First ascent.
Guessed the date based on the blog post [1]. References[1] http://www.jamesmchaffie.com/caffs-blog/the-meltdown |
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2013 | Longhope Route Direct | E9 (Alternate Leads worked) | 25th May 2013 |
Swapping leads with Ben Bransby. James led the crucial crux pitch. https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2013/05/long_hope_repeated_-_mchaffie_and_bransby-68088 |
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Indian Face | E9 (Lead worked) | Jul 2013 | |
http://www.jamesmchaffie.com/caffs-blog/the-indian-face https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2013/07/indian_face_e9_for_james_mchaffie-68205 |
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2014 | |||
2015 | The Beast | 8c (Lead worked) | 2015 |
Supercool | 8a+ (Lead onsight) | 2015 | |
Coeur de Lion | E8 (Lead worked) | Apr 2015 | |
Megalopa | 8c+ (Lead worked) | Apr 2015 | |
Third ascent. https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2015/04/megalopa_8c+_for_james_mchaffie-69637. |
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Divided Years | E9 (Lead ground up) | Jun 2015 | |
https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2015/06/divided_years_e89_ground_up_-_mchaffie+pasquill-69801 |
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2016 | Sea of Tranquility | 8c+ (Lead worked) | 2016 |
Gravity Wave | E8 (Lead worked) | 14th Feb 2016 | |
First ascent.
References[1] https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2016/02/new_e8_for_james_mchaffie_on_anglesey-70261 |
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House of Talons | E9 (Lead worked) | Apr 2016 | |
First ascent.
https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2016/04/new_12-skyhook_e9_by_james_mchaffie_house_of_talons-70418 |
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Dark Religion | E9 (Lead worked) | May 2016 | |
First ascent.
https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2016/05/new_e9_7a_for_mchaffie_on_dinas_mot_-_dark_religion-70461 |
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Face Mecca | E9 (Lead worked) | Jun 2016 | |
https://www.climber.co.uk/news/news/james-mchaffie-repeats-face-mecca-e9/ |
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Devil's Blade | 8A (Boulder worked) | Sep 2016 | |
First ascent. | |||
2017 | Mur Gwyn | 8A (Boulder worked) | Apr 2017 |
First ascent. | |||
Moonrise Kingdom | E9 (Lead worked) | May 2017 | |
First ascent. | |||
2018 | The Walk of Life | E9 (Lead worked) | May 2018 |
Once Upon a Time in the Southwest | E9 (Lead worked) | May 2018 | |
Master's Wall | E7 (Lead worked) | 28th Jun 2018 | |
[1] http://www.jamesmchaffie.com/caffs-blog/masters-wall-extreme-rock |
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2019 | The Rising Son | E8 (Lead worked) | 2019 |
Second ascent. |
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Requiem to the Cyber Wankers | E3 (Lead) | 30th Apr 2019 | |
First ascent. | |||
2020 | |||
2021 | Revelations | 8b (Lead worked) | 26th May 2021 |
This ascent marked the end of James' challenge to climb every route in Ken Wilson's book Extreme Rock and the first person to complete the challenge. |
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The Tesseract | E7 (Lead worked) | Jul 2021 | |
First ascent. | |||
2022 | Crac Yr Meistri | E9 (Lead worked) | 1st Jun 2022 |
First ascent.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CeRgzyBt6gE/ https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2022/06/james_mchaffie_climbs_new_e9_6c_in_llanberis_pass-73068 |
Climb | Grade | Ascent Date | Suggested Grade |
---|---|---|---|
The Meltdown | 9a (Lead worked) | May 2012 | 9a |
First ascent.
Guessed the date based on the blog post [1]. References[1] http://www.jamesmchaffie.com/caffs-blog/the-meltdown |
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Big Bang | 9a (Lead worked) | Jul 2011 | |
He went back a few days later for some pictures and threw down a quick lap! https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2011/08/james_mchaffie_repeats_the_big_bang_-_9a-63370 https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=4217119138388286&set=pcb.4217120798388120 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLz56lDzjAg https://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,10607.msg325555.html#msg325555 |
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Megalopa | 8c+ (Lead worked) | Apr 2015 | |
Third ascent. https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2015/04/megalopa_8c+_for_james_mchaffie-69637. |
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Sea of Tranquility | 8c+ (Lead worked) | 2016 | |
Bat Route | 8c (Lead worked) | 6th Apr 2012 | |
The Beast | 8c (Lead worked) | 2015 | |
Unjustified | 8b+ (Lead worked) | 6th Aug 2011 | |
In a day and same day as Predator! |
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The Serpent Vein | 8b (Lead worked) | Apr 2007 | |
First ascent.
References |
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Predator | 8b (Lead worked) | 6th Aug 2011 | |
In a day and same day as Unjustified! |
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Revelations | 8b (Lead worked) | 26th May 2021 | |
This ascent marked the end of James' challenge to climb every route in Ken Wilson's book Extreme Rock and the first person to complete the challenge. |
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Supercool | 8a+ (Lead onsight) | 2015 |
Climb | Grade | Ascent Date | Suggested Grade |
---|---|---|---|
Devil's Blade | 8A (Boulder worked) | Sep 2016 | |
First ascent. | |||
Mur Gwyn | 8A (Boulder worked) | Apr 2017 | |
First ascent. |
Climb | Grade | Ascent Date | Suggested Grade |
---|---|---|---|
GreatNess Wall | E10 (Lead did not finish) | ||
House of Talons | E9 (Lead worked) | Apr 2016 | |
First ascent.
https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2016/04/new_12-skyhook_e9_by_james_mchaffie_house_of_talons-70418 |
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Dark Religion | E9 (Lead worked) | May 2016 | |
First ascent.
https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2016/05/new_e9_7a_for_mchaffie_on_dinas_mot_-_dark_religion-70461 |
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Moonrise Kingdom | E9 (Lead worked) | May 2017 | |
First ascent. | |||
Crac Yr Meistri | E9 (Lead worked) | 1st Jun 2022 | E9 |
First ascent.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CeRgzyBt6gE/ https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2022/06/james_mchaffie_climbs_new_e9_6c_in_llanberis_pass-73068 |
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Trauma | E9 (Lead worked) | 17th Jun 2007 | E9 |
James got on the route again some years later and revised his grade suggestion to E9:
References[1] https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2007/06/james_mchaffie_downgrades_trauma_to_e8-37873 |
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Mission Impossible | E9 (Lead worked) | Jun 2009 | |
Second ascent. https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2009/06/james_mchaffie_tom_cruises_mission_impossible-47686 |
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Longhope Route Direct | E9 (Alternate Leads worked) | 25th May 2013 | |
Swapping leads with Ben Bransby. James led the crucial crux pitch. https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2013/05/long_hope_repeated_-_mchaffie_and_bransby-68088 |
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Indian Face | E9 (Lead worked) | Jul 2013 | |
http://www.jamesmchaffie.com/caffs-blog/the-indian-face https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2013/07/indian_face_e9_for_james_mchaffie-68205 |
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Divided Years | E9 (Lead ground up) | Jun 2015 | |
https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2015/06/divided_years_e89_ground_up_-_mchaffie+pasquill-69801 |
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Face Mecca | E9 (Lead worked) | Jun 2016 | |
https://www.climber.co.uk/news/news/james-mchaffie-repeats-face-mecca-e9/ |
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The Walk of Life | E9 (Lead worked) | May 2018 | |
Once Upon a Time in the Southwest | E9 (Lead worked) | May 2018 | |
The Big Issue | E9 (Lead ground up) | ||
Rare Lichen | E9 (Lead worked) | ||
Gribin Wall Climb | E9 (Lead worked) | ||
The Rathlin Effect | E9 (Lead worked) | ||
|
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Fear Of Failure | E8 (Lead worked) | 2002 | |
First ascent. | |||
Gravity Wave | E8 (Lead worked) | 14th Feb 2016 | |
First ascent.
References[1] https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2016/02/new_e8_for_james_mchaffie_on_anglesey-70261 |
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Dawes Rides a Shovelhead | E8 (Lead onsight) | Aug 2011 | |
Coeur de Lion | E8 (Lead worked) | Apr 2015 | |
The Rising Son | E8 (Lead worked) | 2019 | |
Second ascent. |
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The Tesseract | E7 (Lead worked) | Jul 2021 | |
First ascent. | |||
Master's Wall | E7 (Lead did not finish) | 2000 | |
James had an epic whilst trying to onsight the route:
[1] http://www.jamesmchaffie.com/caffs-blog/masters-wall-extreme-rock |
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Master's Wall | E7 (Lead worked) | 28th Jun 2018 | E9 |
[1] http://www.jamesmchaffie.com/caffs-blog/masters-wall-extreme-rock |
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Requiem to the Cyber Wankers | E3 (Lead) | 30th Apr 2019 | |
First ascent. |
Climb | Grade | Ascent Date | Suggested Grade |
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