Neil Gresham

Instagram.com | ifsc.results.info | neilgresham.com

Quick Info

Nationality: GB
Hardest Sport (Worked): 8c+
Hardest Trad (Worked): E11
Notable Partnerships
Rachel Farmer
Tim Emmett
Airlie Anderson

Neil Gresham is a British climber who is notable for his had trad ascents, including early repeats of notable test pieces such as Johnny Dawes' Indian Face E9 and Neil Bentley's Equilibrium E10 as well as making his own contributions to hard trad in the uk with routes such as Lexicon E11 and Final Score E10.

As well as his trad climbing Neil was an early adopter of deep water soloing in the UK, establishing some of the harder DWS lines in the UK such as

References

[1] Interview with Dave MacLeod 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2wgXc_blao

[2] Interview with Niall Grimes part 1, 2024 https://open.spotify.com/episode/4H9lcr8Fp4lR6lMMmJa8Yt?

[3] Interview with Niall Grimes part 2, 2024 https://open.spotify.com/episode/5cac0uPMB1TYDaUF8XN06f?

Contributors: remus (23 contributions since 06 Jan 2021)
Added on 14th November 2020. Last updated on 12th October 2024.

Quick Info

Nationality: GB
Hardest Sport (Worked): 8c+
Hardest Trad (Worked): E11
Notable Partnerships
Rachel Farmer
Tim Emmett
Airlie Anderson

Neil Gresham is a British climber who is notable for his had trad ascents, including early repeats of notable test pieces such as Johnny Dawes' Indian Face E9 and Neil Bentley's Equilibrium E10 as well as making his own contributions to hard trad in the uk with routes such as Lexicon E11 and Final Score E10.

As well as his trad climbing Neil was an early adopter of deep water soloing in the UK, establishing some of the harder DWS lines in the UK such as

References

[1] Interview with Dave MacLeod 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2wgXc_blao

[2] Interview with Niall Grimes part 1, 2024 https://open.spotify.com/episode/4H9lcr8Fp4lR6lMMmJa8Yt?

[3] Interview with Niall Grimes part 2, 2024 https://open.spotify.com/episode/5cac0uPMB1TYDaUF8XN06f?

Contributors: remus (23 contributions since 06 Jan 2021)
Added on 14th November 2020. Last updated on 12th October 2024.

Lists

Podcasts

Pics + Vids

Added at 21:08 on 24 August 2023
Added at 22:07 on 27 July 2024
Added at 22:07 on 27 July 2024
La Rose et le Vampire (8b)
Added at 22:07 on 27 July 2024
Indian Face (E9)
Added at 22:07 on 27 July 2024
The Flying Dutchman (E7, FA)
Added at 18:09 on 18 September 2023
San Simian (E8, FA)
Added at 18:09 on 18 September 2023
Cutlass (8a, FA)
Added at 18:09 on 18 September 2023
Meshuga (E9)
Added at 14:09 on 06 September 2024
© Unknown
Equilibrium (E10)
Added at 20:09 on 04 September 2024
© Unknown
Meshuga (E9)
View this post on Instagram

Added at 11:02 on 23 February 2023
Olympiad (8b, FA)
Added at 21:05 on 24 May 2021
Premonition (8b+, FA)
Added at 13:09 on 28 September 2021

Ascents

21 recorded ascents.

Year Climb Grade Style Date
1990 La Rose et le Vampire 8b Lead | worked 1990s

References

[1] https://open.spotify.com/episode/4H9lcr8Fp4lR6lMMmJa8Yt?
1991
1992
1993
1994 Indian Face E9 Lead | worked 1994
Third ascent. Belayed by Airlie Anderson.

Just days after Nick Dixon made the second ascent.

I was locked in this world and the only way I could release myself was by climbing this route.

...

The reason it was particularly fatalistic was Airlie [Anderson] was coming over to North Wales to belay me, and it was obvious it was gearing up towards her belaying me on the route when I did it, which she did. She was with Rachel [Farmer] when she died, and we never really discussed this and I don't know why it played out this way, but in the end I went for the lead and she was belaying me and I really sketched. I was not steady on it. I started really shaking on the crux part, and I can remember hearing her in tears belaying me, because if you fall off that top part that's almost certainly it. You're like 100ft up and you've got an RP2 that's miles below you and that's probably going to rip. And Airlie lost it, she was in tears, and I was fighting for my life climbing up this thing. [1]

References

[1] https://open.spotify.com/episode/5cac0uPMB1TYDaUF8XN06f?
1995
1996
1997 Gribin Wall Climb E9 Lead | worked Between 24th May 1997 and 1st Sep 2016
Second ascent.
1998 Groove Rider E7 Lead | worked 31st Aug 1998
First ascent.

References

[1] https://www.facebook.com/rockarchivist/photos/a.115413049915581/115416679915218
1999
2000 Meshuga E9 Lead | worked 2000
Second ascent.

Prior to making the second ascent Neil took a nasty ground fall and banged his head resulting in severe vertigo.

References

[1] https://www.instagram.com/p/Co_4j5SNocT/
2001
2002 Equilibrium E10 Lead | worked 12th Dec 2002
Second ascent.
2003
2004 San Simian E8 Lead | worked May 2004
First ascent.
The Wizard 8a Deep Water Solo | worked 21st Jun 2004
First ascent.
2005
2006 The Flying Dutchman E7 Deep Water Solo | worked 2006
First ascent.

References

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcsKGFAR3TE
2007 San Simian E8 Deep Water Solo | repeat 2007
First ascent.

First DWS ascent.

References

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6o6QnoO6ZA
Cutlass 8a Deep Water Solo | ground up 2007
First ascent.

References

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdgO9WXiiMU
2008 Fearless E9 Lead | worked 15th Jun 2008
First ascent.
2009
2010 Excalibur 8a Deep Water Solo | worked 14th Aug 2010
First ascent.
2011 Hydrotherapy 8a+ Deep Water Solo | worked Aug 2011
First ascent.

References

[1] https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/neil-gresham-hydrotherapy-deep-water-solo-in-pembroke.html
2012 Olympiad 8b Deep Water Solo | worked 27th Jul 2012
First ascent.

References

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZzdtFsm-ZQ

[2] https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/interviews/neil-gresham-and-his-olympiad-climb.html
2013
2014
2015 Premonition 8b+ Lead | worked 2015
First ascent.

References

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4m55m6MfgxQ
Freakshow 8c Lead | worked Aug 2015
First ascent.
2016 Sabotage 8c+ Lead | worked Oct 2016
First ascent.
2017
2018
2019
2020 Way Out West E8 Lead | worked 2020
First ascent.
Final Score E10 Lead | worked Sep 2020
First ascent.

References

[1] https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2020/09/final_score_e10_7a_-_iron_crag_first_ascent_by_neil_gresham-72507
2021 Lexicon E11 Lead | worked 4th Sep 2021
First ascent.

References

[1] https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2021/09/lexicon_e11_7a_-_first_ascent_on_pavey_ark_by_neil_gresham-72872

[2] https://www.climber.co.uk/news/neil-gresham-talks-about-the-first-ascent-of-lexicon-e11-7a/
Climb Grade Style Ascent Date Suggested Grade
Sabotage 8c+ Lead | worked Oct 2016
First ascent.
Freakshow 8c Lead | worked Aug 2015 8c
First ascent.
Premonition 8b+ Lead | worked 2015
First ascent.

References

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4m55m6MfgxQ
La Rose et le Vampire 8b Lead | worked 1990s

References

[1] https://open.spotify.com/episode/4H9lcr8Fp4lR6lMMmJa8Yt?
Climb Grade Style Ascent Date Suggested Grade
Climb Grade Style Ascent Date Suggested Grade
Lexicon E11 Lead | worked 4th Sep 2021
First ascent.

References

[1] https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2021/09/lexicon_e11_7a_-_first_ascent_on_pavey_ark_by_neil_gresham-72872

[2] https://www.climber.co.uk/news/neil-gresham-talks-about-the-first-ascent-of-lexicon-e11-7a/
Final Score E10 Lead | worked Sep 2020
First ascent.

References

[1] https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2020/09/final_score_e10_7a_-_iron_crag_first_ascent_by_neil_gresham-72507
Equilibrium E10 Lead | worked 12th Dec 2002
Second ascent.
Fearless E9 Lead | worked 15th Jun 2008 E9
First ascent.
Indian Face E9 Lead | worked 1994
Third ascent. Belayed by Airlie Anderson.

Just days after Nick Dixon made the second ascent.

I was locked in this world and the only way I could release myself was by climbing this route.

...

The reason it was particularly fatalistic was Airlie [Anderson] was coming over to North Wales to belay me, and it was obvious it was gearing up towards her belaying me on the route when I did it, which she did. She was with Rachel [Farmer] when she died, and we never really discussed this and I don't know why it played out this way, but in the end I went for the lead and she was belaying me and I really sketched. I was not steady on it. I started really shaking on the crux part, and I can remember hearing her in tears belaying me, because if you fall off that top part that's almost certainly it. You're like 100ft up and you've got an RP2 that's miles below you and that's probably going to rip. And Airlie lost it, she was in tears, and I was fighting for my life climbing up this thing. [1]

References

[1] https://open.spotify.com/episode/5cac0uPMB1TYDaUF8XN06f?
Gribin Wall Climb E9 Lead | worked Between 24th May 1997 and 1st Sep 2016
Second ascent.
Meshuga E9 Lead | worked 2000
Second ascent.

Prior to making the second ascent Neil took a nasty ground fall and banged his head resulting in severe vertigo.

References

[1] https://www.instagram.com/p/Co_4j5SNocT/
San Simian E8 Lead | worked May 2004
First ascent.
San Simian E8 Deep Water Solo | repeat 2007
First ascent.

First DWS ascent.

References

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6o6QnoO6ZA
Way Out West E8 Lead | worked 2020
First ascent.
Groove Rider E7 Lead | worked 31st Aug 1998
First ascent.

References

[1] https://www.facebook.com/rockarchivist/photos/a.115413049915581/115416679915218
The Flying Dutchman E7 Deep Water Solo | worked 2006
First ascent.

References

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcsKGFAR3TE
Climb Grade Style Ascent Date Suggested Grade
Olympiad 8b Deep Water Solo | worked 27th Jul 2012 8b
First ascent.

References

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZzdtFsm-ZQ

[2] https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/interviews/neil-gresham-and-his-olympiad-climb.html
Hydrotherapy 8a+ Deep Water Solo | worked Aug 2011
First ascent.

References

[1] https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/neil-gresham-hydrotherapy-deep-water-solo-in-pembroke.html
The Wizard 8a Deep Water Solo | worked 21st Jun 2004
First ascent.
Cutlass 8a Deep Water Solo | ground up 2007
First ascent.

References

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdgO9WXiiMU
Excalibur 8a Deep Water Solo | worked 14th Aug 2010
First ascent.