UKH

Does anyone know when the flake broke on the crux of Queersville?

Not much help. But it was there 25 years ago and I too noticed it had broken off when I did it again in Oct 2015. Sadly, I think it's been missing for quite a number of years.

IMO the crux is the delicate leftward traverse from the top of the rib at the bottom.  lots of ground fall potential even with an attentive belayer.

The tip of the flake was already missing in summer of 96 when I first got to grips with the route. No further breakage when I last climbed it in 2018. Has it been recently damaged further? 

No further damage that I know, climbed it Sunday and couldn't remember if the flake was broken last time I climbed it but from the responses it almost definitely was. Agree that the bottom feels more nervy than the top 

The bottom is the crux, surely? It's not just 'more nervy', it's harder and more delicate, as buxtoncoffeelover says above.

Top of the flake broke decades ago, made the move slightly harder but still 5a.

Bottom of the flake has worn massively, probably due to wear from cams. It used to take a solid hex. Now a hex pulls through unless incredibly well placed (and this was many years ago so it'll be even worse now) so cams are used and the wear accelerates.

This is a problem on a lot of grit but I can't see any easy solution since we all want the best protection we can get

I never could understand why the flake was used for protection when there is an excellent deep horizontal break below it. I won't spoil with beta it's current state, but you used to be able to 'bury' all your fingers behind it. Very reassuring.  

Just to avoid any confusion...

I think your "deep horizontal break" is my "bottom of the flake".

I didn't mean the diagonal right hand side of the flake, which although you could presumably get gear in, as you effectively say, why would you bother.

I distinctly remember "burying" all my fingers behind it when soloing many years ago, but then pulling on only my fingertips deep within the flake so as not to risk it breaking off. Seems like such a cautious approach was justified!

Hi. John.

'Burying' was my thought too. It's top of my grade so I won't be soloing it in a hurry. It also happens to be my UKC profile picture. I always wonder how it broke.

The crux is reaching the good holds under the overhang, having completed the traverse to the ledge!