Not just in the lakes... all over the uk. There are Herford test pieces in Wales and on the grit that are still respectable ascents to this day. It's hard to replicate Herford's 1914 Central Buttress ascent today, as there used to be a huge chockstone in the flake around which hemp slings would have been threaded, before the commonly accepted technique of 'combined tactics' were employed. Herford stood on his partners shoulders and head to reach the top of the flake... alas, the in-situ chock eventually fell out of the flake crack and tumbled down to the belay below, tragically taking belayer Iain Newman with it. The commonly accepted route is now to traverse on to the flake rather than follow the crack, but the route that Charlie did is the original and hard to protect without a huge cam, meaning that it is a whole adjective grade harder (E2 - still an easy day out for Charlie).
but he did use the cam or a different bit of gear as you can see there is gear in at 2.40 so maybe hvs/e1 but great vid and story and it was the hardest climb in uk when first done by seigfried remarkable really considering it was done in the days of no runners and the adage the leader does not fall and in nailed boots.those guys where the pioneers of climbing and by god they had balls.these days we have all the gear to make it safe sticky rubber and nylon ropes and it is still a classic 3 star climb.very greasy up there when damp and it is nearly always damp on sca fell central buttress.and yes i have climbed it and no way is it e2 except maybe in winter
he said he didn't take the big came to be faithful to the first ascent and as far as I can see he didn't. the modern variation on to the face is classed as HVS/E1, to follow the flake to the top is regarded as E2. It says something in the guide like 'it is protectable with a huge friend, but the grade is as much for carrying it up there'.
maybe he dident use a big cam but he defo has a runner just where the chockstone used to be maybe size eleven hex as you can see the sling runner and you cant see the big cam on his harness anymore after he says it wont fit so that means he threw it down to partner which is unlikley with the cost of cams more so the big ones and having lead that pitch you can stack 2 hexes to fit the gap.i would say E2 without that crucial runner as without it you would have a long run out of rope from last runner and the next bit of gear is at the top of the flake it is a sling flaked over a spike at very top of flake.i would still say HVS 5b as the hand holds are great and if its dry the footholds are pretty good too.i have not climbed the modern variation so dont know about that one and my guidebook has the origional down as hvs5b but my guidebook is old 1989 and i aint climbed it for 7 years so i suppose holds may have gone due to freeze/thaw and it does get a lot of winter ascents with ice axes chipping away at it.and anyway it is a classic 3 star route and having a higher grade might put a lot of folk off doing it so it will get less traffic and hopefully not become polished like a lot of the lakeland classics such as botterills slab also on scafell crag
very powerful, absolutely wonderful. . . .definitely one of the all time best. . . . .there is a peace
Great story and production. The scene from 4:16 is just awesome. Thumbs up!
Not just in the lakes... all over the uk. There are Herford test pieces in Wales and on the grit that are still respectable ascents to this day. It's hard to replicate Herford's 1914 Central Buttress ascent today, as there used to be a huge chockstone in the flake around which hemp slings would have been threaded, before the commonly accepted technique of 'combined tactics' were employed. Herford stood on his partners shoulders and head to reach the top of the flake... alas, the in-situ chock eventually fell out of the flake crack and tumbled down to the belay below, tragically taking belayer Iain Newman with it. The commonly accepted route is now to traverse on to the flake rather than follow the crack, but the route that Charlie did is the original and hard to protect without a huge cam, meaning that it is a whole adjective grade harder (E2 - still an easy day out for Charlie).
but he did use the cam or a different bit of gear as you can see there is gear in at 2.40 so maybe hvs/e1 but great vid and story and it was the hardest climb in uk when first done by seigfried remarkable really considering it was done in the days of no runners and the adage the leader does not fall and in nailed boots.those guys where the pioneers of climbing and by god they had balls.these days we have all the gear to make it safe sticky rubber and nylon ropes and it is still a classic 3 star climb.very greasy up there when damp and it is nearly always damp on sca fell central buttress.and yes i have climbed it and no way is it e2 except maybe in winter
he said he didn't take the big came to be faithful to the first ascent and as far as I can see he didn't. the modern variation on to the face is classed as HVS/E1, to follow the flake to the top is regarded as E2. It says something in the guide like 'it is protectable with a huge friend, but the grade is as much for carrying it up there'.
maybe he dident use a big cam but he defo has a runner just where the chockstone used to be maybe size eleven hex as you can see the sling runner and you cant see the big cam on his harness anymore after he says it wont fit so that means he threw it down to partner which is unlikley with the cost of cams more so the big ones and having lead that pitch you can stack 2 hexes to fit the gap.i would say E2 without that crucial runner as without it you would have a long run out of rope from last runner and the next bit of gear is at the top of the flake it is a sling flaked over a spike at very top of flake.i would still say HVS 5b as the hand holds are great and if its dry the footholds are pretty good too.i have not climbed the modern variation so dont know about that one and my guidebook has the origional down as hvs5b but my guidebook is old 1989 and i aint climbed it for 7 years so i suppose holds may have gone due to freeze/thaw and it does get a lot of winter ascents with ice axes chipping away at it.and anyway it is a classic 3 star route and having a higher grade might put a lot of folk off doing it so it will get less traffic and hopefully not become polished like a lot of the lakeland classics such as botterills slab also on scafell crag