A month after climbing the outrageous routes, Bam, Bam E7/8 6b and Harmony (E7 6b/c) at Craig Dorys, Stevie Haston returned to North Wales to clean up some more unfinished business. A further two major lines were established on the same cliff, with the help of Leigh McGinley again.

The first to fall was Dream Canyon Handshake E7 6b, 6a, a wild and physically hard line up the steep ground right of Samarkand, with a superb E4 finishing pitch up the obvious hanging groove right of the arête. The first pitch starts 5m right of the curving arête; climb rightwards to two pegs at 10m, and then go up for a couple of moves, before swinging right onto a ledge (all very difficult). Thereafter general gross looseness (steep too) leads to a big ledge. The second pitch (E4 6a) was lead by Leigh and the description is as follows: climb onto tottering blocks and pull into the hanging groove (peg) and follow it to ledges on the left. Swing right and follow the ramp/groove of Three Dandy Scuttlers. The route was cleaned on abseil first and Stevie took one fall on the first pitch.

The main event was yet to come; an astounding line that eclipses all previous routes on the cliff. Requiem for a Vampire E8 6b tackles the absurdly loose and steep ground between Bam, Bam and The Gross Clinic, starting up the latter for 6m, before breaking out left to confront an extremely difficult and dangerous section where a ground fall would be certain should any mistakes be made.

“At one point I had to stop and have a word with myself. The climbing was very sustained 6b and I knew I must not fall.” Explained Stevie.

Eventually good cams were reached and Stevie was able to continue up the more conventional upper groove, reaching the top, much to the relief of his belayer, Leigh, who described it as:

“The greatest lead of a rock climb that I have ever seen!”

This line was also cleaned on abseil, but no falls were taken by Stevie, which is a good job as he would have most likely decked it off the hard section.

Leigh took the lead on another new route: Rise of the Foot Soldier E4 5c, which takes a bold line up the leaning wall left of Noble Savage, passing a thread to a loose top out.

Prior to the latest bout of activity Bam, Bam had seen two onsight repeats; firstly by UKClimbing.com editor Jack Geldard and then by James McHaffie, both climbers stopping halfway up the route to haul up a second rack.

“It’s a fantastic route; with all the holds chalked and the way clearly marked it felt like E7 with a physical standard of F7a+, maybe F7b. I can see how it would have been a harder lead for Stevie being the first to go up there. I don’t reckon the abseil inspection would have helped him that much on this type of territory.”

Commented Caff from his cliff top perch while he belayed his second, Nick Bullock, who arrived at the top some time later, exhausted by the effort of hauling the huge metal skirt of gear up the route.

Jack's repeat was documented on UKClimbing.com, check the news report here, and associated discussion about the ethics of abseil inspection.

To see an updated topo showing all the new lines on the Tonight at Noon section and Stigmata Buttress go to: Lleyn downloads

Prior to his visit to Wales Stevie broke into the magic F9a barrier back home in the Pyrenees. Go to dmmclimbing.com the read all about the successful ascent.

Relevant links:
      
      
      

news archive
home