Trad climbs

Originally graded E9 but subsequently downgraded to E8 by Robin Barker after the second ascent. Purportedly has some of the hardest moves on a trad route in the UK, and a distinct lack of repeats has helped cement this reputation.

Perhaps the physically hardest trad route in the world when it was first climbed by Jacopo Larcher in March 2019. He did not grade the route.

Larcher:

“Tribe” (E none)

I’ve never invested so much time in a route before and I believe it’s the hardest I’ve done so far, but I don’t want to reduce it to a number. It wouldn’t make any sense to me. It seems like nowadays grades are the most important things in climbing and everything else gets forgotten...but at the end of the day, what we will remember is the experience, not a number.

References

[1] https://www.instagram.com/p/BvZjURwgm4T/

Named after Foster's ill-fated encounter with Ulysses' Bow the next day

First climbed by Gabe Regan onsight in 1986, he hadn’t realised he was making a first ascent. The route may have been named by John Allen or Jonny Woodward, who had both taken an interest in the line.

Originally climbed with no pads and above a worse landing than exists today, the route is now typically highballed above a big stack of pads at about 7A.

Pete Crew:

From the previous position on the arete one can just make out a hand-sized spike. This is lassoed - on the first attempt by the lucky or skilled, and never by the doomed. [1]

References

[1] Pearson, Mike., Pearson, Lucy. Hard Rock: Great British Rock-climbs. United Kingdom: Granada, 1981. Hard Rock

References

[1] https://www.geocities.ws/readza1/climbing/gritlist/grit_e9.html

Originally graded E4, now a contender for the first E7 in the UK.

Don Whillans:

Woubits? Woubits!!? What the hell's a Woubits?