Neil Kershaw

Also known as: Nige and Golden Feet

Quick Info

Nationality: GB
Hardest Boulder (Worked): 8A
Hardest Trad (Worked): E9
Hardest Trad (Onsight): E7
Hardest Trad (Flash): E7

Contributors: remus (19 contributions since 03 Jan 2021)
Added on 3rd January 2021. Last updated on 13th June 2024.

Quick Info

Nationality: GB
Hardest Boulder (Worked): 8A
Hardest Trad (Worked): E9
Hardest Trad (Onsight): E7
Hardest Trad (Flash): E7

References

[1] https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2010/04/neil_nige_kershaw_-_golden_feet+local_hero-53061

Contributors: remus (19 contributions since 03 Jan 2021)
Added on 3rd January 2021. Last updated on 13th June 2024.

Lists


Pics + Vids

Knockin' on Heaven's Door (E9)
Added at 22:01 on 10 January 2021
The Master's Edge (E7)
Added at 17:01 on 24 January 2021
MaDMAn (E8)
Added at 19:01 on 31 January 2021
Duel (8A)
View this post on Instagram

Added at 11:10 on 21 October 2021

Ascents

15 recorded ascents.

This timeline is missing some ascents where the date of the ascent is unknown. Use the other tabs to view these ascents.
Year Climb Grade Style Date
2009 Windows of Perception E6 Lead | flash 2009

References

[1] Llanberis Slate. United Kingdom: Ground Up, 2011.

2010 One Chromosome's Missing E7 Lead | flash 2010

Did ab it in trainers to brush moss off holds, but no warm up except trusty gripmaster. [1]

References

[1] https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2010/04/neil_nige_kershaw_-_golden_feet+local_hero-53061

Marrow Bone Jelly E7 Solo | onsight 2010
Thumbelina E7 Solo | onsight 2010
Braille Trail E7 Lead | ground up 2010
Sad Amongst Friends E7 Lead | ground up 2010
Barriers in Time E6 Lead | onsight 2010
Cornelius 7C Boulder | ground up 2010
The Master's Edge E7 Lead | onsight 11th Apr 2010

Adam Long:

Climbing smoothly to the shotholes, he placed the tricam and tried briefly to rest before continuing. The route was plastered in chalk from top-ropers the previous week, friction was poor, and the rest wasn't helping. So he carried on. Arriving at the crux last move, he gave a brief exclamation at the disappointing size of the crimp, did the move anyway, and then continued to the top of the crag up Great Arete, itself a rarely climbed and very bold E5 5c. Abseiling for the gear, he discovered the heavily chalked and ticked crimp he had used was not in fact the right one, it lurking unchalked and twice-the-size a foot to the side. It's tricky making definitive statements about style, but this is at least as good an ascent as the route has ever had. It's certainly hard to imagine how it could be improved upon. [2]

References

[1] https://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,10607.msg256035.html#msg256035

[2] https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2010/04/neil_nige_kershaw_-_golden_feet+local_hero-53061

Knockin' on Heaven's Door E9 Lead | worked Oct 2010

Just to clarify, as the situation with this route is not cut and dried as with most routes. We started up Knockin', made a short traverse left to the bomber gear in a hole just beneath the lip (which Born Slippy climbs a variant start to reach, not really required), then came back along the traverse and finished as per usual, hand-placing a peg on the way (on lead). I believe Alex Honnold headpointed the route a similar way although without the hand-placed pegs and reckoned E8 6c. Both myself and Ryan [Pasquill] think that is about right. You could argue that should the hand-placed peg hold then its more like E7 6c, but its far from a certainty and its probably sensible to assume it will rip, hence the back-up plan of the Born Slippy gear, which would almost certainly prevent a groundfall with a decent belay.

2011
2012
2013
2014 Meshuga E9 Lead | worked Mar 2014
Dynamics of Change E9 Lead | worked Mar 2014
MaDMAn E8 Lead | worked Apr 2014
Second ascent. 3 sessions.

Also added a direct finish.

Thanks chaps! In answer to some of the questions; to best of my knowledge this was the second ascent of MaDMAn, although you never know, it has been nearly twenty years since the FA! From the position Dave is in that picture his original line bridges out into Trident, the neighbouring HVS, and finishes up this. This manoeuvre is still tricky! On the day the very green sidewalls of Trident were pretty gopping too. I found that if instead you did another move up to stand higher (eeek!) on the "ledge" then you could reach round enough to get a bomber rock 12 in the base of the wedged block trident feature after which the HVS is named (although not enough to actually reach any holds / an HVS position!), then just carry straight on up the upper arête from the same spot. Its a balancey position and feels pretty spooky / falloffable to place but it is definitely en route and seemed like a good idea as the route was wet when we arrived and the upper section relies on quite a few pebble footholds and recently de-mossed handholds. Top section probably E6 6b on its own and you could actually do it as a separate route starting up Trident I suppose? Its really excellent climbing. As TB says once you get that gear in the top feels very enjoyable so I doubt it changes the original grade. I see it as an extension to MaDMAn rather than a new route, obviously if Dave Pegg had bothered to take a rope and harness he would have cruised up it I'm sure. [2]

References

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8oFJXVsyvU

[2] https://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,10607.msg442692.html#msg442692

[3] https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2014/04/madman_2nd_ascent_for_nige_kershaw-68872

2015
2016
2017
2018 Duel 8A Boulder | worked Apr 2018
Climb Grade Style Ascent Date Suggested Grade
Climb Grade Style Ascent Date Suggested Grade
Duel 8A Boulder | worked Apr 2018
Butternut Squash 7C+ Boulder | worked
First ascent.
Cornelius 7C Boulder | ground up 2010
Climb Grade Style Ascent Date Suggested Grade
Knockin' on Heaven's Door E9 Lead | worked Oct 2010 E8

Just to clarify, as the situation with this route is not cut and dried as with most routes. We started up Knockin', made a short traverse left to the bomber gear in a hole just beneath the lip (which Born Slippy climbs a variant start to reach, not really required), then came back along the traverse and finished as per usual, hand-placing a peg on the way (on lead). I believe Alex Honnold headpointed the route a similar way although without the hand-placed pegs and reckoned E8 6c. Both myself and Ryan [Pasquill] think that is about right. You could argue that should the hand-placed peg hold then its more like E7 6c, but its far from a certainty and its probably sensible to assume it will rip, hence the back-up plan of the Born Slippy gear, which would almost certainly prevent a groundfall with a decent belay.

Meshuga E9 Lead | worked Mar 2014
Dynamics of Change E9 Lead | worked Mar 2014
MaDMAn E8 Lead | worked Apr 2014
Second ascent. 3 sessions.

Also added a direct finish.

Thanks chaps! In answer to some of the questions; to best of my knowledge this was the second ascent of MaDMAn, although you never know, it has been nearly twenty years since the FA! From the position Dave is in that picture his original line bridges out into Trident, the neighbouring HVS, and finishes up this. This manoeuvre is still tricky! On the day the very green sidewalls of Trident were pretty gopping too. I found that if instead you did another move up to stand higher (eeek!) on the "ledge" then you could reach round enough to get a bomber rock 12 in the base of the wedged block trident feature after which the HVS is named (although not enough to actually reach any holds / an HVS position!), then just carry straight on up the upper arête from the same spot. Its a balancey position and feels pretty spooky / falloffable to place but it is definitely en route and seemed like a good idea as the route was wet when we arrived and the upper section relies on quite a few pebble footholds and recently de-mossed handholds. Top section probably E6 6b on its own and you could actually do it as a separate route starting up Trident I suppose? Its really excellent climbing. As TB says once you get that gear in the top feels very enjoyable so I doubt it changes the original grade. I see it as an extension to MaDMAn rather than a new route, obviously if Dave Pegg had bothered to take a rope and harness he would have cruised up it I'm sure. [2]

References

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8oFJXVsyvU

[2] https://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,10607.msg442692.html#msg442692

[3] https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2014/04/madman_2nd_ascent_for_nige_kershaw-68872

One Chromosome's Missing E7 Lead | flash 2010

Did ab it in trainers to brush moss off holds, but no warm up except trusty gripmaster. [1]

References

[1] https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2010/04/neil_nige_kershaw_-_golden_feet+local_hero-53061

Marrow Bone Jelly E7 Solo | onsight 2010
Thumbelina E7 Solo | onsight 2010
Braille Trail E7 Lead | ground up 2010
Sad Amongst Friends E7 Lead | ground up 2010
The Master's Edge E7 Lead | onsight 11th Apr 2010

Adam Long:

Climbing smoothly to the shotholes, he placed the tricam and tried briefly to rest before continuing. The route was plastered in chalk from top-ropers the previous week, friction was poor, and the rest wasn't helping. So he carried on. Arriving at the crux last move, he gave a brief exclamation at the disappointing size of the crimp, did the move anyway, and then continued to the top of the crag up Great Arete, itself a rarely climbed and very bold E5 5c. Abseiling for the gear, he discovered the heavily chalked and ticked crimp he had used was not in fact the right one, it lurking unchalked and twice-the-size a foot to the side. It's tricky making definitive statements about style, but this is at least as good an ascent as the route has ever had. It's certainly hard to imagine how it could be improved upon. [2]

References

[1] https://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,10607.msg256035.html#msg256035

[2] https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2010/04/neil_nige_kershaw_-_golden_feet+local_hero-53061

Windows of Perception E6 Lead | flash 2009

References

[1] Llanberis Slate. United Kingdom: Ground Up, 2011.

Barriers in Time E6 Lead | onsight 2010
Climb Grade Style Ascent Date Suggested Grade