Climbs

5.13c or 5.13b, V10.

A variation, Light Heart (5.13b/8a), avoids the crux dyno. on pitch 6 by climbing Freeblast or similar to the heart ledges.

A link of Maginot Line and Terminator.

Initially climbed as an audacious multi-day aid ascent by Ed Drummond and Oliver Hill in 1970. John Arran and Dave Turnbull then free climbed a variation on the line which then became known as Longhope Route. Dave MacLeod then straightened out the free line to something closer to the original aid line by climbing a very hard pitch up a thin crack line that was originally aided.

Bolted by Kim Carrigan in 1982 this route was ahead of its time (Kanal im Rücken, typically considered to be the first 8b in the world, was only climbed in 1984). Carrigan came tantalisingly close to making the first ascent but it had to wait for Stefan Glowcaz to finish it off .

Carrigan:

Yeah, The Ring Route aka Serious Young Lizards really proved a bridge too far. The astounding thing was, that I'd bolted this route in 1982, long before anyone thought this would even be possible, which meant that I spent a long time learning the moves and developing the strength and fitness needed for a route like this. There was a complete lack of other routes of this difficulty from where this fitness could be gained. Despite being able to climb every move in my sleep, I could never quite bring it together. I still remember my best effort. I'd been shopping in Horsham for the weekly groceries and my fingers were already strained from carrying the shopping bags, but I thought I'll just pop up and give it a go. It had been drizzling, but because the wall was so steep, the route remained basically dry. First shot, I managed to redpoint straight to the last hold, but promptly slipped off mantling onto the wet slab above. That was it.. [1]

The route later featured in a now-famous Patagonia advert when John Sherman shot a carefully staged photo of himself seemingly soloing the route in flip flops, beer in hand!

The route got its name from the ring bolts used to protect it.

References

[1] https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/features/kim_carrigan_and_andy_pollitt-9629

12 of the pitches are 7c+/5.13 or harder including two 8b+/5.14a. Due to its sustained nature it may be the second-hardest free wall on El Capitan (2025).

Moffatt's solution to the Last Great Problem on Great Wall. The line had been attempted by John Redhead in 1980, pre-sticky rubber. After taking a massive fall he placed a bolt at his high point, recording the route as The Tormented Ejaculation. Jerry moved right from around this point, into the neighbouring E4 Spreadeagle. The full direct line was climbed in 1986 by Johnny Dawes: Indian Face.

Leo Houlding made an audacious and terrifying onsight ascent of the route in 1996.

James McHaffie attempted the same in 2000 but got got into serious trouble high on the wall, resulting in one of the most extraordinary and chilling rescue attempts in British climbing. He returned to the route in 2018, climbing it on his second attempt after practising the moves on abseil. The verdict:

I’ll just throw it out there and say I think [Jerry] did an E9 in 1983 and I don’t feel too bad for having a total fucking epic on it as a teenager. (1)

There has been some debate about the line taken on the first ascent.

Nick Dixon, 2004 guidebook:

The route has now had several ascents, some on-sight, though the exact position at which climbers have moved right has varied. The higher, the harder - the first ascensionist moved up and right from position just right of the old Tormented Ejaculation bolt stud, which is 3 metres below and just right of the overhang.(2)

However, based on photographs and Jerry's account, Caff believes Jerry took a high traverse line:

There is a lower weakness beneath the line of Masters Wall leaving the Indian Face 5 metres above the overlap which would be soft E7. It isn't that surprising with the form Jerry had at the time, few climbers in the UK have ever been onsight soloing E4s on mountain cliffs and if you are adept a climber as Jerry obviously was then onsighting many E7s wouldn't feel too hard and after multiple abseils I'd go so far as to say he'd find E7s piss. Listen to his account of his ascent. (1)

References

[1] https://www.jamesmchaffie.com/caffs-blog/masters-wall-extreme-rock

[2] Clogwyn Du’r Arddu Climber’s Club guidebook by Nick Dixon

Originally graded as a tentative 8C+, has since settled around 8B+