All climbs

A long standing project of Mark Leach's. Unfortunately after working out the extension he was unable to repeat Mecca so the first ascent had to wait for Steve McClure.

A Peak District test piece, the soaring arête was so named because, while working the line, Jerry Moffatt proclaimed:

only a true master could solo it onsight. [1]

Jerry was preparing for a solo ascent. Meanwhile, Ron Fawcett found that a new and obscure sliding nut, the Edelrid Amigo [2,3], fitted the quarrymen’s shotholes, which lie just over halfway between the ground and the crux. Keen not to be outdone by the up-and-coming Moffatt, Ron promptly led the route after minimal inspection. The gear went untested and the Master showed he still had the edge…

In the 2010s a marginal slider placement was discovered in the first part of the route, taking some of the sting out of the solo to the shotholes. Around 2024–2025 someone took a fall onto the slider and blew the placement out in the process.

References

[1] On The Edge Issue 107, page 48

[2] https://www.ukhillwalking.com/photos/dbpage.php?id=416863

[3] https://needs-needlesports-gob2b.b-cdn.net/imagecache/8dae6b69-d110-410b-890c-aaf700cdd554/NutsStory510_300x198.jpg

Kilnsey's first 8c. In 2024 a hold came off on the upper section making the route a little harder.

An old project from Chris Sharma and Dave Graham, features in dosage (vol 4?)

Immortalised in the 1994 film One Summer, Superman was one of the hardest problems around at the time of its first ascent, c.1989. The problem is somewhat eliminate; an easier version using all the holds is known as Superwoman.

It was originally graded 8A+, at least according to Jerry's autobiography, though was given 8B in One Summer. After the left hand sidepull broke in c.2004 it was reascended by Tim Clifford, apparently also at 8A+; this version was for a while known as Superman II. It's now considered 8B.

References

[1] https://open.spotify.com/episode/2Ydq78HiAujHdEy0t4hp1R?

References

[1] https://fanatic-climbing.com/il-etait-une-voie-once-upon-a-line-dreamcatcher/

Estado Crítico is notable for being the first ever 9a to be onsighted after Alex Megos climbed it in March 2012.

Although Ramón Julián Puigblanque suggested 9a when he made the first ascent it later settled to around 8c+/9a after several repeats (most notably a third go ascent from Adam Ondra and a second go ascent from Patxi Usobiaga). However around 2010 a hold broke and after reclimbing the route while working Golpe de Estado Adam suggested 9a was appropriate. Since then the grade has settled at 9a.

The naming is somewhat confusing as first ascentionis Giuliano Cameroni has used it to refer to both the stand and the low. This is the stand start.

Previously a Dave Graham project before Daniel Woods made the first ascent in 2007. In 2015 Adam Ondra flashed the problem, a wild piece of climbing.

References

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHveI852h0M

8B/+.