Andy Pollitt

YouTube.com | en.wikipedia.org

Quick Info

From: United Kingdom 🇬🇧
Date of birth: 26th October 1963
Age: 56 years old
Date of death: 13th November 2019
Gender: Male
Hardest Sport (Worked): 8b+
Hardest Trad (Worked): E9
Hardest Trad (Onsight): E7

Mark Pretty on the first time he met Andy:

One grey and rather bleak day I had hitched in and met, by chance, Stevie Haston. We'd gone up to Windy Ledge [at Stoney Middleton] where a team had assembled to attempt Circe. I was well out of my depth so settled down to watch the heroics on display. A young lad with lots of hair and enthusiasm who had repeated the route the day before (as he kept reminding everyone!) volunteered to clip the bolt. At the wire before the bolt he had a bit of a wobble, grabbed the wire which promptly came out and he then hit the ledge and bounced off it! The belayer fell over and was dragged towards the 70 foot drop. The quick thinking of Stevie, who jumped on the belayer and stopped his slide, saved the day. The youth re-emerged on the ledge, brushed himself down and was keen to go again...! Needless to say he wasn't allowed that opportunity! [5]

References

[1] North Stack Wall, 1980s https://www.facebook.com/climbing.in.the.80s/photos/a.270388289694020/3463204157079068

[2] Andy in Longland's Cafe, Hathersage 1987. By Bernard Newman https://www.instagram.com/p/CZYqXzmNuWS/

[3] https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/goodby-to-british-rock-climbing-icon-andy-pollitt.html

[4] https://www.thebmc.co.uk/remembering-andy-pollitt

[5] Interview with Mark Pretty September 2017, https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/features/mark_zippy_pretty_and_andy_pollitt-9762

Contributors
32 contributions since 7th February 2021.

Quick Info

From: United Kingdom 🇬🇧
Date of birth: 26th October 1963
Date of death: 13th November 2019
Age: 56 years old
Gender: Male
Hardest Sport (Worked): 8b+
Hardest Trad (Worked): E9
Hardest Trad (Onsight): E7

Mark Pretty on the first time he met Andy:

One grey and rather bleak day I had hitched in and met, by chance, Stevie Haston. We'd gone up to Windy Ledge [at Stoney Middleton] where a team had assembled to attempt Circe. I was well out of my depth so settled down to watch the heroics on display. A young lad with lots of hair and enthusiasm who had repeated the route the day before (as he kept reminding everyone!) volunteered to clip the bolt. At the wire before the bolt he had a bit of a wobble, grabbed the wire which promptly came out and he then hit the ledge and bounced off it! The belayer fell over and was dragged towards the 70 foot drop. The quick thinking of Stevie, who jumped on the belayer and stopped his slide, saved the day. The youth re-emerged on the ledge, brushed himself down and was keen to go again...! Needless to say he wasn't allowed that opportunity! [5]

References

[1] North Stack Wall, 1980s https://www.facebook.com/climbing.in.the.80s/photos/a.270388289694020/3463204157079068

[2] Andy in Longland's Cafe, Hathersage 1987. By Bernard Newman https://www.instagram.com/p/CZYqXzmNuWS/

[3] https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/goodby-to-british-rock-climbing-icon-andy-pollitt.html

[4] https://www.thebmc.co.uk/remembering-andy-pollitt

[5] Interview with Mark Pretty September 2017, https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/features/mark_zippy_pretty_and_andy_pollitt-9762

Contributors
32 contributions since 7th February 2021.

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Ascents

29 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
Punks in the Gym 8b+ Lead | worked 5th May 1992

After long and frustrating but ultimately successful siege Andy gave up climbing.
Chimes of Freedom 8a+ Lead | worked 27th Jun 1986 E7
First ascent.

References

[1] https://www.ukclimbing.com/photos/dbpage.php?id=391050
Boot Boys 8a+ Lead | worked 10th Apr 1987
First ascent.

Freed two days after the first aid ascent! [1]

References

[1] Peak Limestone North, First Ascents Supplement /file/bc3fd0e4-a3ee-a736-1cbf-d68af9f0910e/peak_lime_north_first_ascents.pdf
The Whore of Babylon 8a Lead | worked 28th May 1987
First ascent. 3 points of aid.
Out of My Tree 8a Lead | worked 20th Jun 1987
First ascent.
The Spider 8a Lead | did not finish 2nd Aug 1987 E5
First ascent. 1 point of aid.
Ruby Fruit Jungle 8a Lead | worked 19th May 1988
First ascent.
Over the Moon 8a Lead | worked Jun 1988
First ascent.
Thormen's Moth 8a Lead | worked 16th Jun 1988
First ascent.
Arch Enemies 7c+ Lead | worked 9th Dec 1987
First ascent.
Climb Grade Style Ascent Date Suggested Grade
Climb Grade Style Ascent Date Suggested Grade
Knockin' on Heaven's Door E9 Lead | worked 2nd Mar 1988 E9
First ascent. Pre-placed gear.

Climbed from the right with a pre-placed peg.

References

[1] https://www.facebook.com/climbing.in.the.80s/photos/a.270388289694020/3416013038464847
The Hollow Man E8 Lead | worked 2nd Oct 1986
First ascent.
Zero E7 Lead | worked 1983
Second ascent.

Again with Paul [Williams], the second ascent of Pete Livesey’s Zero – a genuine frightener on Idwal’s Suicide Wall. On my first attempt, facing a ground fall from about seventy feet, my left index finger ended up in the pocket that my hex 3 needed to be in. Committing to the ‘dead-point’ principle, I pulled my finger out with a ‘pop’ and hurriedly stacked the little nut upright to cam it in the pocket, then grabbed it and clipped my rope in. On reaching the ground after a rapid but gentle lower-off, the nut must’ve come out of tension so slid all the way back down to the bottom … along with my rope a second or two later! [1]

References

[1] https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/features/andy_pollitt_-punk_in_the_gym-_exclusive_extract-8314
The Bells! The Bells! E7 Lead | onsight 1986
Second ascent.

It had been top roped a few times since John [Redhead] led it and as far as I knew only one person hadn't fallen off. They were three Peak E5 leaders whose comments on the route were something like, 'utterly ridiculous', 'think I only spotted one poor RP placement' and 'death on a stick'. Three of the top rope falls were due to a 'crucial' finger flake and two footholds snapping off so I wasn't even sure if the route was still climbable. That intrigued me and I began psyching up for it and when Johnny, Pritch and Nick Dixon starting checking it out two years later it became, in my mind, a 'now or never' situation and I went for it! [2]

References

[1] https://www.ukclimbing.com/gear/publications/other_publications/the_bells_the_bells__an_extract_from_andy_pollitts_punk_in_the_gym-12110

[2] https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/features/mark_zippy_pretty_and_andy_pollitt-9762
Masters of the Universe E7 Lead | worked 7th Apr 1988
First ascent.
Eye of the Tiger E7 Lead | worked

Andy made an early repeat of the line.
Strawberries E7 Lead | worked

References

[1] https://www.facebook.com/climbing.in.the.80s/photos/a.270388289694020/3454948037904680
Fingerlicker Direct E6 Lead | worked 29th May 1982
First ascent.
A Midsummer Night's Dream E6 Lead | worked 30th May 1982
The Dillusioned Screw Machine E6 Lead | worked 27th Jul 1982
First ascent. 1 point of aid.
Psyche 'n' Burn E6 Lead | worked 1983
Space Case E6 Lead | worked 2nd Jun 1983
First ascent.
Skinhead Moonstomp E6 Lead | worked 12th Apr 1984
First ascent.

References

[1] https://www.facebook.com/climbing.in.the.80s/photos/a.270388289694020/4520398724692934
For Whom the Bell Tolls E6 Lead | worked 29th Apr 1984
First ascent.
Mammoth Direct E6 Lead | worked 26th May 1984
First ascent.
Teenage Kicks E6 Lead | worked 28th Aug 1984
First ascent.
Knocked Out Loaded E6 Lead | worked 1987
First ascent.
Flash Dance E5 Lead | worked 1983
First ascent.
Mammoth E5 Lead | worked 20th May 1984
First ascent.

First all free ascent.

https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/gogarth_north_stack_and_main_cliff-598/mammoth-4286
Climb Grade Style Ascent Date Suggested Grade