Climbs

Named after John Allen, a prolific force in the Peak District, who sadly died shortly before the first ascent.

Different pitches were freed over many years before Lynn Hill's completely free ascent.

The Stoveleg Cracks were first climbed free by Jim Bridwell in 1967.

In Spring 1980 Ray Jardine spent 4 months working the route, fixing ropes, managing to climb as far as the Great Roof free but only after chipping four holds on the Jardine Traverse to avoid the King Swing pendulum. So far (2025) all subsequent free ascents have taken this traverse.

In Fall 1990, Brooke Sandahl and Scott Franklin climbed all but four pitches free, the remaining aided sections were the Great Roof, Pitch above Camp 5, Changing Corners and the final Harding bolt ladder. Working top-down, Sandhal freed the Harding bolt ladder in 1991 (5.12c/7b+) and, with Dave Schultz, freed the pitch above Camp 5 in 1992 (5.12d/7c). They prepared the route for a free ascent including bolting a variation just the left of the aid line on the Changing Corners pitch but were unable to climb this.

Lynn Hill partnered by Simon Nadin first free climbed the Great Roof on a ground-up attempt in 1993 (5.13b/8a) but they were unable to completely free the Changing Corners by either the original line or the Sandhal/Schultz variation. All bar 10 feet of the route had now been free-climbed.

Hill and Sandahl joined forces later in the summer of 1993 and began working the Changing Corners pitch top-down, Sandhal focusing on his left hand variation, Hill on the original aid line. Hill was able to climb all the moves on the latter with two falls. The completely free ascent was made from the ground with Hill leading all the hard pitches.

References

[1] https://alpinist.com/features/birds-eye-view/

[2] http://www.edhartouni.net/nose-in-a-day.html

[3] https://www.rayjardine.com/Papers/Magazine-Articles/index.php?StoryPage=7

[4] https://www.rayjardine.com/Avocations/Rock-Climbing/index.php

[5] https://climbingzine.com/brooke-sandahl-beginnings-freeing-nose/

[6] https://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12199404100/El-Capitans-Nose-Climbed-Free

Originally a project of Mark Leach's before Steve McClure took up the reins and made the first ascent.

The difficulty is pretty dependent on height. Taller climbers can use a low foothold which makes it substantially easier. [1]

References

[1] https://youtu.be/tn-3-hzoxSE?t=147

Originally climbed with a sika'd hold by Nic Sellars in 1992 and named 'Justified and Ancient', a song by The KLF. Then claimed as Yorkshire's first 8c after being reclimbed by Tony Mitchell without the sika'd hold. Subsequently an easier method looping out right was discovered, resulting in the route settling at 8b+