Dumbarton Rock

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A hugely impressive ascent for its time featuring extremely hard climbing (comparable to 8a sport) on trad gear. The route was climbed mostly ground-up in a yo-yo style – a style that even today, very few people have improved upon.

Cubby explains:

Looking back now with hindsight Im quite pleased I did it trying it ground up...I'd get to my high point, touch the holds above and then lower back to the ground...A sort of extended yo-yo style.

In fact, I actually gave in right at the end, because I got to the last move, and I couldn't quite work out how to do this last move. And I said to Gary Latter, who I was climbing with at the time, I'm just going to have a quick look at this.

So I did it on a top rope straight away. I did it first time after that.

So it wasn't done in the perfect style, but it wasn't done in the worst style. And it wasn't really headpointed as such. I know it's a bit of a grey area.

[1]

References

[1] http://www.niallgrimes.com/jam-crack-climbing-podcast/2022/10/7/jcpc-120-dave-cubby-cuthbertson

[2] On The Edge Issue 104, page 10

I tried the line intermittently through the last spring, but failed to link it all on top rope. I finally linked it this September, following a return to sport climbing and bouldering after the summer's tradding. I had just done the second ascent of Digital Quartz and I found linking my project harder than this. I went on the lead the following week and took a 50-60 footer from the last 6c move. This set the pattern for the next three tortuous weeks! I got the train down to Dumbarton [Rock] every other day and took 60 footers one after the other, 11 times in total. The route is the most conditions dependent route I've ever done, as the holds are very small and smooth and I couldn't chalk up at all on the 10m headwall.

I finally did it in cold, windy weather on 9th October. The fall is on to good gear, but still scary, not just because of it's length, but because of the violent slam in to the rock. Every fall was painful and bruising for my hands and feet and on some of my worst falls I sprained my ankles and wrist. One time my foot caught in the rope and sent me plummeting head first, which was terrifying! [2]

References

[1] https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2001/10/scotland_gets_first_e9-1452

[2] On The Edge Issue 113, page 11

Perhaps the prime example of Dave's attritional approach, however, was his ascent of Pressure (8b) in 2005, taking a line through the desperate, horizontal terrain of the black cave of the Eagle Boulder - the apex of an epic siege across 100 days and four years. Deemed impossible by many strong boulderers, Dave invoked the spirit of Andy Dufresne in the film The Shawshank Redemption to understand that all it takes, really, is pressure and time. [1]

[1] The Climber's Complete Guide to Dumbarton Rock, J. S. Watson and John Hutchinson, 2020

[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZTdF3ftQik

Dave chose to belay from the half-height ledge in order to carry less rope up with him. This made for a harder catch than subsequent ascents, who have all belayed from the ground, including a fall which snapped the crucial top RP.

References

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xn8SaTntzG8

[2] https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/features/dave_macleod_the_modern_traditionalist__e11-198

References

[1] https://youtube.com/watch?v=rFr7sxoci2o

References

[1] https://vimeo.com/9488139

[2] https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2008/06/direquiem_514a_r_trotter_stays_and_mcclure-44699

[3] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnASw2av9Kw

References

[1] https://vimeo.com/5098601

https://vimeo.com/11089789

https://www.stonecountrypress.co.uk/2010/04/firefight-by-malc-smith.html

Although there seems to be a lot of holds from the floor, almost everything is an undercut or a side pull. This makes the climbing very technical as the feet are tiny! The climbing is also very intense and powerful as you cannot relax. [2]

References

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

[2] https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2022/07/first_ascent_of_scotlands_hardest_route_by_will_bosi_-_free_at_last_9a+-73090

References

[1] https://www.instagram.com/p/C9hzanKNcfX/?img_index=1

[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mov8qcTDJ_8

References

[1] https://www.instagram.com/p/DNEAYket6LO/?img_index=1