UKH

Looking through logbooks it is amazing how many great climbs across the grades are seldom done. Any recommendations? My recommendation from last year was The Lord of the Rings (E2 5c). Less than 30 ascents this century! Being on scafell it is admittedly not often in condition but if we have a decent dry spell then definitely give it a go if within your grade range. Another great one was Red Wall and Longland's Continuation (VD), given how good it is should be done much more often.

Any ones anywhere would be good but  it would be great to have some more ideas in the lakes.

mike

As a slight side-comment, don't confuse lack of logged ascents with lack of ascents. Many folk I climb with don't log their climbs on UKC.

Lord of the Rings on Scafell is still on my tick-list, but a bit hard for me at the moment.

Arete, chimney and crack on Dow

Kipling groove on Gimmer

F Route on Gimmer

NW Arete on Gimmer

Bridges route on Esk - ok so maybe not an exceptional climb, but the location certain is.

I remember enjoying Grooved Arete on Pikes crag too. Warmer and sunnier than the Scafell crags 

Thanatos - Electron HVS 5B Pillar Rock. Great long route in a very remote setting. Hardly any logs this century or the last!

I'm sure you're aware that many great climbs are seldom done for good reason.  The Chasm (Summer) (VS), for example, or slightly more frequently Great Gully (S), are both great climbs for, and only for, a given value of the word.

T.

Try Ring of Air on Scafell, not as committing as lotr but with some great climbing. It may have only seen single figures of ascents. The pitch from the great flake across the Saxon wall is superb.

I was going to suggest some routes on Esk Buttress (Red Edge, Trespasser Groove) but looking at the log books they seem to have a fair few ascents.  Instead have Grendel (VS 4b), a splendid second pitch that seems to have been done rather less often.

T.

It’s indicative though. 30 logs in 20 years = rarely done. Even if the actual number of ascents is 100 on 20 years, that’s still a relatively rarely done route. 3,000 logs = a popular route. 

It depends what you mean by exceptional. I can see that LOTR would be exceptional due to its length and nature, even if the climbing isn’t exceptional. For most routes though, it would be more about the quality of the climbing. There will be loads of 3* routes that don’t get done often due to not being in condition and / or not being on popular crags, particularly in the Lakes.

However I wouldn’t necessarily call every 3* route exceptional - I’d be looking at SMC 4* quality. There aren’t many routes like that and they naturally tend to attract people, so if you’re looking for 4* routes that are rarely done, you’d be looking at rarely in condition mountain crags and sea cliffs.

It also depends on the grade. Not many people do E6 outside the grit, Pembroke and a few popular outcrops here and there. I bet 95% of 3* Lakes E6s see very little traffic. In that respect, Indian Face might be top of your list. 

Lots more logged ascents under the full enchainment, including my own (Thanks Andy) which marked the end of my wife's involvement in climbing (Thanks again Andy!)

https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/y_lliwedd-1214/avalanchered_walllo...

By the way I did Thanatos Electron around 2007and didn't log it because I didn't  know UKC existed.

Scottish rather than lakes:

Jaywalk (E2 5c) in Glen Etive. The final hard pitch is possibly the finest pitch of its grade I have ever climbed.

Ecstasis (HVS 5a) on Blaven on Skye. Beautiful climbing, way better than the Great Prow, and rarely climbed

How about Black Cleft on Cloggy - only 8 ascents logged this century and only a handful last century. Maybe a bit much to say it's not to be missed, but it certainly it was an experience.

Shape of things to come and Deimos , both  E3 5c on Eagle Crag Buttermere, Painted Lady E3 5c Raven Crag High Stile . Direct Route HVS 5a Grey Buttress Newlands and Bolshoi Ballet E2 5c Red Crag and Double Slab VD in the same valley. Chiron E4 5c Sca Fell . Eros E2 5c , Puppet E2 5b , Sodom VS and Walker’s Gully MVS ( !)Pillar Rock. Fanghorn E3 5c  and Sceinic Cruise HVS Boat How And ….. Midnight Watch on Crag Lough HVS ( and Brutus HVS /E1 5b ) etc .. 

It's OK and a fun day out, but I was underwhelmed 

Enigma (E3 5c) has one of the finest pitches I've done, is accessibly near other relatively popular routes of the same grade and has only six logs (two from the same ascent last summer have appeared since I last looked), one of which was not successful. And yes, I'm "guilty", like many others, of not logging my climbs!

And the nearby superb Magic (E4 6a) has only two logs from the same ascent in 2021. The crux is one of the most brilliantly memorable sequences of any climb I've done. The recent log says it is now a bit dirty which is a shame (it was perfectly clean when I did it in 2006).

And just noticed that the adjacent The Conjuror (E3 5c) has no logs at all! Not in the class of the other two, but an excellent pitch.

Absolutely. I don't log routes (can't remember half of them) and know others who don't. 

Out of the way routes may attract the very kind of people who don't log ascents and/or want to live under the radar.

Recently I've been going to a crag (admittedly not in the UK) with a three star classic 7c. Only two UKC logged ascentionists, one of whom was my climbing partner. Yet I must have seen nearly a dozen ascents, usually onsighted. Three in the same group, one day. 

Mick 

It's a long walk to Pillar ... definitely on my to-do list this year. And I'll certainly log anything I get up!

https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/fair_head-17029/scorpion-53714

It's had a relatively high number of logged ascents in the last few years but still not many for how good it is. Done in 2 pitches you get an amazing 50m 3d starter and then a main course with 3 distinct sections each one of which would be a 3* route in the Peak

Sign me up Rob!

To be fair I thought the climbing on LOTR was exceptional as well the overall nature of the route. It has a number of 3* pitches, taking in some of the best climbing on Scafell East

Done! Roll on Spring...

I was tempted to do this until i looked at it!

I did it in '75 which was a very dry summer so probably as dry as it can get but it was still wet in a lot of places, I wouldn't have gone near it in a normal year.

Deimos on Eagle Crag in Buttermere is 4 fine pitches all at solid E2 with a much harder cru move. I thought it was totally memorable but best saved for a hot day in a long  heatwave when the walk in might be the crux. Topless sunbathers on Eagle Front (some front!) according to my man who thought I took ages on the crux pitch because I was spectating. My view was sadly obscured and I missed the vista  I just found it desperate having used the crucial Friend earlier on the pitch.

Main Wall HS at Cyrn Las always stuck with me like nothing else!

Direct Route is an odd one I think, the route is mainly memorable for the collection of comedy gear placements rather than the climbing. The position is also very underwhelming when you're on it, vs how it appears it would be from the bottom of Cwm Idwal.

he meant Direct Route on Grey Crag in Newlands valley in the lakes, not Cwm Idwal, there are quite a lot of direct routes around the country. 

I really enjoyed the Boat Howe routes Numenor Direct (E3 5c) and Breakwater Slabs, Grooved Arete (VS 4c) in particular. Quite remote for the Lakes and not many ascents

Slightly off the beaten track but if you hapen to find yourself on Pabbay Immaculate Conception (E2 5b) is one of the best pitches of climbing I've ever done. 

This should get much more traffic, it’s brilliant

Hyndsight (E4 6a) 

Tyler - you must be so relieved to have the opportunity to revisit your signature recommendation...!

Mind you, I've still not done it, so perhaps I need a little more encouragement.

Cheers, Neil

I know right?! I should never go into viral marketing, after over 10 years of banging the same drum it’s still only got 5 more ticks! I might go and try my luck on the Road to Right Wall thread that’s just started…

I have done the Direct Route in Wales but I was talking about the esoteric crags in Newlands Valley in The Lakes !