Pete Whittaker


Quick Info

From: United Kingdom 🇬🇧
Gender: Male
Hardest Boulder (Worked): 8B
Hardest Boulder (Flash): 8A
Hardest Sport (Worked): 8c+
Hardest Trad (Worked): E11
Hardest Trad (Onsight): E8
Hardest Trad (Flash): E10
Notable Partnerships
Tom Randall
Mari Augusta Salvesen
Family
Jill Whittaker (parent)
Katy Whittaker (sibling)

One half of the WideBoyz.

References

[1] Features in Without a Partner: Rope Solo of El Cap in Under 24rhs

Contributors
279 contributions since 13th January 2021.
TdG
45 contributions since 1st September 2025.
1 contribution since 24th January 2025.

Quick Info

From: United Kingdom 🇬🇧
Gender: Male
Hardest Boulder (Worked): 8B
Hardest Boulder (Flash): 8A
Hardest Sport (Worked): 8c+
Hardest Trad (Worked): E11
Hardest Trad (Onsight): E8
Hardest Trad (Flash): E10
Notable Partnerships
Tom Randall
Mari Augusta Salvesen
Family
Jill Whittaker (parent)
Katy Whittaker (sibling)

One half of the WideBoyz.

References

[1] Features in Without a Partner: Rope Solo of El Cap in Under 24rhs

Contributors
279 contributions since 13th January 2021.
TdG
45 contributions since 1st September 2025.
1 contribution since 24th January 2025.

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No pics or vids yet.


Ascents

63 recorded ascents.

This timeline is missing some ascents where the date of the ascent is unknown.
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Climb Grade Style Ascent Date Suggested Grade

Pete had a little play on the crack section to see if he could work out a sequence.

References

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

Kaa'bah 8c+ Lead | worked 2nd Jun 2015
Climb Grade Style Ascent Date Suggested Grade
Harder than The Kraken.
First ascent.
Second ascent. 3 sessions.
Climb Grade Style Ascent Date Suggested Grade
First ascent.
First ascent. With Tom Randall.
First ascent.
First ascent.
Third ascent.
First ascent.
First ascent.

Will it see repeats?

Pete: No. I would absolutely love it if someone did. Honestly I would love it! But it's a fairly short list of candidates, and even then, they'd still need to put some training time in, and they'd need a partner of a same standard. And then to go through the whole recce, access, police thing again.

References

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

First ascent.
Second ascent.
12 sessions.

As it's not had many ascents I'll give my thoughts on the grade to add to the general consensus over time. For me it felt tough 8c, harder than Cobra [Crack], easier than Recovery [Drink]. With pure cracks like this hand and finger size does always play a part though. This crack does take in a range of bad sizes so the cruxes are likely to be slightly different for everyone.

However, what can be said is it's such a classic for the hard global crack circuit, and you really need to know your pure jamming techniques for this one. Thanks Mason Earle for the vision and the fight right to the anchor. [1]

References

[1] https://www.instagram.com/reel/C0Cl6HrvwK-/

[2] https://open.spotify.com/episode/19Qi2hObiFY843FSwzN0vp?4v-Ppg

[3] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGQfQpjpq8I

First ascent.
Greenspit E9 Lead | worked Aug 2010
First ascent.
Black Mamba E9 Lead | worked Apr 2019
First ascent. With Tom Randall.

I was pleased with our successes on this one. When one person gets it it's great, but it always feels like a job half-done, so it was good that we both did it one after the other on the same day. It felt like a little inner personal achievement to me. [1]

References

[1] https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2019/04/roof_crack_repeat_by_randall_and_whittaker_-_necronomicon_513d14a-71912

Second ascent. Belayed by Ben Heason.
Third ascent. 1 session.

Pete fell of high on the onsight, spent a little time working it and then did it next go. [2]

References

[1] https://www.instagram.com/p/C6eHLCttTxv/

[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIh4pBvnzu0

Grandad's Slab E8 Lead | worked 5th Jan 2008 E7
First ascent.
Inspiration Dedication E8 Lead | worked 13th Sep 2009
First ascent.
First ascent.
Pieces of Eight E8 Lead | worked 22nd Dec 2010
First ascent.
Belly Full of Bad Berries E8 Lead | flash Oct 2011
Selladore E8 Lead | worked 15th Jun 2012
First ascent.
The Complete Scream E8 Lead | onsight Jun 2015
Jon Bønner E8 Lead | worked 16th Sep 2019
First ascent.
First ascent.

On trying to find a partner for the line:

He [George Smith] kept giving me phone numbers of other climbers. Calum [Muskett] managed to bring in the excuse that he was becoming a Dad. However, I eventually managed to rope Zippy [Mark Pretty] into a trip down there. Fortunately for him, the swell was way too big and we couldn't even make it to the base of the first pitch.

References

[1] https://www.instagram.com/p/Ci8JBrcMzVt/

[2] https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2022/09/massive_new_gogarth_e8_roof_crack_by_pete_whittaker_-_bar_wars-73154

[3] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFDrzUL8srU

First ascent.

Climbing The Cleaver a few weeks back i went wayyyy over maximum. After I passed the crux lip turn I was hazing in and out vision and could barely do the few simple moves to the anchor. Proper over the red line and beyond moment! 😅 I enjoyed it. [1]

References

[1] https://www.instagram.com/p/C1BeVVpOF_7/?img_index=1

First ascent.
The Price of Evil E8 Lead | worked
Captain Calamity E7 Lead | worked 1st Mar 2008
First ascent.

Pete's ascent was partially aided by a gardening glove taped to his under-sized fist.

References

[1] https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2008/06/rays_roof__-_dispatched_by_tom_randall_and_pete_whittaker-44807

Silent Scream E7 Lead | worked 7th Mar 2009
First ascent.
Gobbler's Roof E7 Lead | worked 22nd Apr 2009
First ascent.
First ascent.

Probably the first ground-up post-peg

References

[1] https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2010/11/jordan_and_pete_tearing_up_the_grit-58926

Thai Boxing E7 Lead | worked 25th Oct 2010
Ray's Roof E7 Solo | repeat Nov 2010
First ascent.
De Nada E7 Lead | worked 2012
First ascent.
Ugly E7 Lead | worked Before 1st Jan 2014
Second ascent.

By some definitions Pete flashed the entire route. However it is not clear cut:

  • After completing the first 7 pitches Pete rappelled to the ground for logisitical reasons
  • Pete fell on the boulder problem pitch, lowered to the belay and then climbed the teflon corner first go

References

[1] https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2014/10/freerider_flashed_by_pete_whittaker-69244

Norwegian Crown E7 Lead | worked
First ascent.
Re-Mastered Edge E7 Lead | worked
First ascent.
Second ascent.
Fast Forward E6 Lead | ground up 2010
The Soft Parade E6 Lead | worked 2013
Second ascent.
Our Forte E5 Lead Sep 2011
First ascent.
Climb Grade Style Ascent Date Suggested Grade
The Crackhouse 7c+ Boulder | worked