First Ascents – Peak Limestone North
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2 / First Ascents Raven Tor Area / 3 FIRST ASCENTS LIST PEAK LIST LIMESTONE NORTH Stoney Chee Dale Water-cum-Jolly Raven Tor PEAK LIMESTONE NORTH FIRST ASCENTS LIST Harpur Hill PEAK LIMESTONE NORTH FIRST ASCENTS Peak Limestone North Peak Limestone North Raven Tor Area / 5 Introduction This document is an online resource to its companion BMC guidebook, Peak Limestone North. It gives all first ascent details for the routes and boulder problems contained in that book. The decision was made to produce this information as a separate, freely-downloadable document in order to save space in the face of ever-increasing numbers of routes and more space being devoted to larger topos and photos. As it stands, this first ascent list has run to 79 pages, which would have significantly increased the bulk of the book in your back pocket. It is also hoped that this can allow first ascent information, a notoriously changable series of “facts”, to be more dynamic and updatable as new information comes along. The bulk of the compilation has been carried out by Graham Hoey, with the assistance of Ian Carr, Gary Gibson, Phil Kelly and Geoff Radcliffe. Various other contributions were also made by: John Atkinson, Al Austin, Malc Baxter, Phil Burke, Simon Cundy, Bob Dearman, Al Evans, Neil Foster, Bruce Goodwin, Seb Grieve, Colin Hughes, Mike Hunt, Martin Kocsis, Dominic Lee, Bill McKee, Paul Mitchell, Keith Myhill, Gabe Regan, Keith Sharples, Nick Taylor, Roger Treglown, Dave Williams. The guidebook can be purchased from the BMC, www.thebmc.co.uk/shop. If you have any information on the information contained here, please get in touch. email: [email protected] web: www.thebmc.co.uk phone: 0161 445 6111 Copyright © 2015 British Mountaineering Council Published by: British Mountaineering Council All rights reserved. No part of this work covered by the copyright herein may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means – graphic, electronic, or mechanised, including photocopying, recording, taping, or information storage and retrieval systems – without the written permission of the publisher. Cover photo: Mina Leslie-Wujastyk on Mecca Extension, F8c, Raven Tor (page 224). Photo: Niall Grimes. Cover design: Allen Williams. Jack Street on Dead Banana Crack. Photo by Bob Keates. Peak Limestone North Peak Limestone North 6 / First Ascents Raven Tor Area / 7 THE STONEY AREA STONEY MIDDLETON / STONEY WEST / HORSESHOE QUARRY +++ Steve McClure on Windhover, E2 5c. Photo: Ian Parnell. Peak Limestone North Peak Limestone North 8 / First Ascents The Stoney Area / 9 Originally graded Exceptionally Severe - ‘A serious undertaking on account of 1961 Sept Cave Crack Graham West, Malc Baxter the rotten rock, though the climbing itself is no mean feat’. 1961 Sept Flaky Pastry Glyn Baxter Stoney Middleton Area 1959 Minus Ten Dave Mellor, Dave Johnson, Geoff Birtles 1961 Sept Pot Full Colin Phillpot, Neil Parker Variation finish by traversing horizontally right, The Great Escape, 1976. Other 1961 Sept Postman’s Meander Unknown routes pre-1960, no first ascent details. Named after Jack Mason who was sent to the cottage at Glen Brittle to see if the 1959 The Pearly Gates Dave Mellor, Dave Johnson boatman would ferry the lads round to Scavaig. Mellor 1959. The crack has widened considerably since the first ascent! This was Johnson’s last route. He completed his University studies and returned 1961 Brown Corner (2 pts.) Barry Webb, Charlie Curtis Stoney Middleton 1952 Frisco Bay Don Whillans to Northumberland leaving Stoney for posterity (and Eric’s tea). After a liberal intake of good beer. Two pegs used -- the crack was choked with ‘Pursue a line of mantelshelves in the upper part of the angle. These are five ac- 1959 Wallop Dave Mellor, Dave Johnson loose blocks and mud. robatic specimens, especially climbed so as to be too high for short men to reach 1950s Various other fine lines by Joe Brown and Valkyrie members. Not 1961 Compositae Grooves Barry Webb, Charlie Curtis (Including Goddard’s Quarry, Cucklet Delf and too narrow for big men to stand up on.’ ‘The cliff had an almost evil rep- recorded; some around the Tower of Babel. The start of a brilliant series of additions by the new wave -- post Mellor/John- and Stoney West) utation, forbidding appearance and bad rock being the major complaints’. No pre-1960 Asparagus, Au Gratin, Aux Bicyclettes, Babylon son. Free routes on limestone were exceptional at the time -- Webb’s foresight doubt this reputation was compounded by the Valkyrie/Rock & Ice mythology. By-Pass, Ivy Grotto Direct, Parachute, Shellfish Shuffle, Tiger and brash disregard for tradition opened the door. 1952 Little Capucin (A1) Dennis Gray, J Ramsden Trot Unknown 1961 Little Capucin (1 pt.) Ted Howard, Pat Fearnehough Pre-1900 Mineshaft & Fingal’s Flue James W Puttrell, Henry Dennis had borrowed Arthur Dolphin’s pegs and hammer and at the age of 15 he pre-1960 Cabbage Crack Unknown Nearly free, but not the present bottom pitch -- cleaned and climbed in 1975 by Bishop, Douglas Yeomans, ANO was making his first visit to the crag. 10-15 pitons were used. First (almost) free Written up but no grade -- a futuristic eye for a line? Later A2. Aid reduced to Chris Jackson and Geoff Birtles. Lead miners climbed these routes centuries ago but didn’t grade or record them. ascent by Ted Howard, Pat Fearnehough in 1961. 1 pt. by Al Rouse in 1971. First free ascent by Tom Proctor, John Kirk in 1979. 1961 Medusa Len Millsom, M ‘Garth’ Rainer Re-ascended circa 1918 by James W Puttrell, Henry Bishop, Douglas Yeomans, 1952 Thrutch Don Whillans pre-1960 Cointreau Dave Johnson, Jack Soper A long-standing problem, Dave Mellor and Dave Johnson had previously failed while exploring for caves. Fingal’s Flue was recorded as Very Difficult, with 3 1955 Scoop Wall (A1) Roy Leeming A double hangover. The total overhang amounts to eighty feet’(!!) Has since to lead it. Attempting a repeat on Jan 4 1964, a young Geoff Birtles fell with matches. ‘Back and footwork well inside the cave leads with increasing difficulty An attack on the scooped wall of Windy Buttress, which used 12-15 pitons. First suffered two big rock falls, one when Pete Fieldsend fell with a monster block one foot on the top and just missed the bottom much to the enjoyment of the to a comfortable dozing position in the roof.’ almost free ascent by Tom Proctor, Geoff Birtles in 1968. from the top. Fortunately he let go! The block stayed for years -- ‘Pete’s Block’.’ watching crowd. 1933 Aurora Frank Elliott, Gilbert Ellis, Harry Dover 1957 During the next three years, 40 new routes were recorded; many pre-1960 Hum Unknown 1961 Mortuary Steps Barry Webb, Charlie Curtis An incredibly bold achievement, showing the vast potential for limestone climb- had been ascended by the Valkyrie. An armed invasion of the rocks took place. Written up in West’s 1961 guidebook as an unled route. ‘It is a short traverse Loose and precarious. ing. The ascent of The Great Ridge was reputedly pictured in the Sheffield Tele- Ice axes, shovels, choppers, coal rakes, yard brushes, pruning shears, pokers of no great character, but is in a splendid position. It cuts across from the grass 1961 Padme/Pology Wall Barry Webb, Nev Crowther, Mike Wild graph, but following thorough research this appears not to be the case. Three --- even a saw and butchers’ knife were used to penetrate the jungle. banks above Prayer Wheel (Wall) to the upper regions of “Minestrone” (v.i.). Written up in 1960, but not climbed! ‘Anyone who takes some ironmongery onto young men from the Nottingham area later fell from the climb; one was killed 1957 Child’s Play John Childs May be found quite difficult as one or two holds are both vital and loose’ the climb will find sufficient cracks and will be rewarded with a fine new route and the others badly injured --- casting a dismal shadow over the crag and on Now abandoned, somewhere up on Ivy Buttress. Possibly superseded by Emanon pre-1960 Mani (Aid) Unknown of considerable length’. Sheffield & SUMC domination of development contin- limestone climbing in general. which first appeared in the 1969 guide where Child’s Play should have been! VS + one or two pegs’. Doubtful understatement -- a fully-blown peg route! ‘It ued. It is possible that some aid (at least two points) was used as Geoff Birtles 1933 Fingal’s Cave, The White Knight Eric Byne, Clifford Moyer 1957 Gabriel Jack Soper, Nev Crowther, Dave Johnson is usual to climb the lower section with the first piton between one’s teeth, as believes it was climbed free in 1963 by John Atkinson and recorded in the Cioch Various tentative explorations from these great gritstone pioneers, other lines All horrible layaway things’. This group climbed ‘several other routes of fine great difficulty may be found in trying to bring it to hand when it is needed!’ Club Notes as Pology Wall. “I think it was a peg route originally then Barry not recorded. As was later to become common practice they bivouacked on character’, but not fine enough to record them. Most other routes were climbed pre-1960 Om (A1) Unknown Webb did it with about four pegs.I would hesitate to claim it as a first ascent Windy Ledge. by Dave Mellor, Dave Johnson with occasional shanghaied SUMC members. Mel- ‘A beginner’s exercise in piton work. It gives few of the elementary limestone but when I did it there was one peg as a runner only. Memories fade after 50 1950 Oct The Golden Gate Joe Brown, Slim Sorrell, Nat Allen, lor was the first British climber trained solely on limestone.