Climbs

Ben Bransby on the first ascent:

My memory has been proven by others to be pretty patchy. I think [Adam Long] was around so may confirm/correct my recollections...

We (The Leeds crew) were at Caley one day, doing our normal of cruising around doing 30-40 problems and then bits of soloing etc that we seemed to think was what bouldering consisted of. Myles and Patta were up from Sheffield and were trying the proj sitter to Ben's. Both were doing ok but Myles was looking best on it. His hands were moving so fast on the slaps that from then on we called him 'fast hands Gibson' using the same creative nick name process that led to Harry being called 9 toez, Nick being called Shakin' Nick etc. I think JB has some photos but even using his camera skills Myles' hands are a blur. Myles was wearing very snazzy tartan trousers. Neither did it and they went back to Shef. In the meantime we didn't bother to get on it as we were all lazy fucks.

A few days later Patter and Myles are talking about coming back up to try it again. Myles doesn't own a car. Patter refuses to give him a lift and drives up without him. Patter conquers the project, the guilt of dropping Myles is worth it for the primo fa.

Turns out our dark horse hero Stevey D had made the fa a few days before the Sheffielders first session and just hadn't told anyone...

Just to reconfirm this is all based on my dodgy memory and gossip regarding the non lift. Patta, Myles and Steve are all lovely blokes. [1]

References

[1] https://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,31667.msg686489.html#msg686489

B.I.G is a sport climb in Flatanger. It was bolted in 2013 by Adam Ondra around the same time he bolted Silence. It received significant attention from Adam Ondra, Jakob Schubert and Sébastien Bouin before Jakob made the first ascent in September 2023.

The re-ascent of Small Arms after the loss of holds.

The subject of some bolt-related controversy that saw the line debolted.

Links Conviction (du bas) in to The Big Island.