UKH

Happy New Year when it comes folks. I’ll be seeing in the bells whilst isolating, reflecting on a great years climbing. 
 

Thought I’d start a wee thread for folk to share their favourite/best climb of 2021. 
 

Mine was South Ridge Direct on Cir Mhor, a top tier day out 👌

In reply to Harrison_Connie:

The Crawl of Life. Pylon King's secret crag.

In reply to Harrison_Connie:

Central Pillar (E2 5b)

On a scorcher of a couple of days. Went heavy and packed a tent, stopped on the walk in to have a swim and a cool down and the same after the route. Camping in Upper Eskdale, clear skies, no flysheet just the netting to look up to the stars. Absolutely mega.

It a route i'd wanted to do since i heard about it....now i need to get good enough to go back for The Cumbrian (E5 6b)

In reply to Harrison_Connie:

Hardly climbed any rock this year due to tendon injury and life in general getting in the way so not got much to choose from but Golden slipper was magnificent on a hot day as was the skinny dip swim across stickle tarn.

For winter climbing there was black crag icefall which was insanely good, with launchy gill and whornyside force close behind. 

In reply to Baron Weasel:

El Mancho (VII 7) in the winter was a great day out.

Meirionnydd (E7 6b) 2nd ascent in the summer, hanging out at a great crag with friends.

The Path to Rome (E3 5c) super fun day out, followed by ice cream.

In reply to Harrison_Connie:

The one that comes to mind is The Centaur (HVS 5a) on a day where rain threatened all the way up but never began.

Also Direct from Lord's Rake to Hopkinson's Cairn (S 4a) in the hot spell in July was superb.

Doing Hercules (HVS 5a) and The Hole (HVS 5b) made me feel like i was getting into pembroke a bit more than previously.

Unidentified Flying Object (E2 5c) was a real neglected gem too

In reply to Harrison_Connie:

Gillercombe buttress up in the lakes. Just a simple severe we did with a light rack and our boots in hot weather after a scramble up the waterfall. We'd never heard of it but find out after it's in that famous book of climbs that are all a bit climby. Sometimes it's not the big numbers that make a climb great.

Soloing the 3 tiers of fat ice on Wild Boar Clough in the Peak district last winter in Feb took some beating.

South Ridge Direct is a great route, probably the best in the year we did it too.

In reply to Harrison_Connie:

only one contender for one and it has to be from my trip up to Pabbay.

Prophecy of Drowning (E2 5c)

In reply to olddirtydoggy:

We did that this summer too and I thought it was outstanding.

My highlight though was Whinstone Churchill at Crag Lough. Not so much for the route itself but because it was the first time after a long layoff from climbing that I felt strong and confident on a challenging route.

Another highlight was a couple of days exploring the Galloway sea cliffs.

In reply to Harrison_Connie:

A very sparse climbing year for me. Only 13 routes in total, sad to report. Loved every one. Maybe this was the best Left Arete (VD). Made a great mini-adventure as the tide was coming in, making the descent fun.

Edited for typo.

In reply to DaveHK:

Gillercombe Buttress was probably the last mountain route D. and I did, back in 2018. I think this picture sums up the joys and satisfaction of that kind of route. Nice walk in, do the route, lunch in the sun at the top about 3 pm, wander back down. 

For interest, I'd just add that as we're both finding mountain walks and sacks of climbing gear a bit of a problem, we did this route with a minimal rack and two half ropes - half in both senses, being 8.5 mm cut down to 30 m length.  We used my 1968 guidebook (F&R by Nunn & Woolcock) which describes the route in 9 pitches, longest being 50ft. Glad we didn't need to ab off on those ropes.

In reply to Harrison_Connie:

A surprising amount of climbing done this year when looking back over. 

Lots of days in Swanage and Portland with friends.

Great Gully was memorable, but perhaps not best.

A great couple of days climbing at Reiff with Sip from the Wine of Youth Again sticking in my mind. 

Going to have to plump for the Old Man of Stoer as the best though, such a good route. 

In reply to Harrison_Connie:

Gormenghast. Been meaning to do it since getting Hard Rock for Christmas in 1981. (Incidentally one of the better Christmas gifts from my parents).

In reply to Harrison_Connie:

Has to be leading Abendmahl (VI) on the Papststein on a beautiful day in October, which was my first Saxon VIIb in about 20 years. A couple of good knotted slings in the right places made the initial overhangs on huge jugs exhilarating rather than scary and led to the only ring in 30m, which protects the delicate crux traverse left above the overhangs. The finish was a long, slow and and careful pad up steep but friendly warm slabs, again with a perfect small thread to calm the nerves. A great climb in great company - thank you Tony & Sarah for goading me into trying it!  

In reply to Harrison_Connie:

Centurion on Ben Nevis. What a fantastic route! Worth waiting for and despite the long drive! Torro and Minus One Direct this year. Anyone out there fancy either let me know.

In reply to Harrison_Connie:

For one of my climbing partners it was his first proper outdoor season, after retiring. He did manage to do all the Lakes Classic Rock routes, although it took us closer to 10 months than 10 hours. Highlight was probably doing Eliminate A after ticking off Murray's route. He had a grin on his face all the way up and for ages afterwards. It was one of those really hot days in the summer, but Goats Water was still freezing for a wimp like me. 

Tough to pick just one so I'll say:

Best sport route - Return of the Gunfighter (7c)

Best trad route - tough to pick as I've done so many incredible routes this year but probably Star Wars (E4 5c)

But probably the pick of the lot was Electric Blue (E4 5c). Absolutely incredible experience, just the right level of difficulty and fear to make it really memorable.

In reply to Harrison_Connie:

Cioch Nose while slightly hungover! Made all the better by doing it the day after the 2nd and 3rd best routes of the year - In The Groove (my first HVS lead in over 3 years; explains the plurality of drinks taken afterwards) and The Deerstalker on Seana Mheallan. 

Thanks to Lee for one of the great climbing trips!

In reply to Harrison_Connie:

Only did 3 routes this year, all very dissimilar in size and scope but all sunny solo days and all of equal, perfect quality:

South West Climb on Pillar Rock.

Eagle's Nest Ridge Direct on the Napes.

Jenny Lums Arete on Slackddu.

In reply to Harrison_Connie:

I've done very little climbing this year, but I really enjoyed Rib and Slab on Craig Ddu, especially as it was a wildcard option when we failed to find parking in Ogwen and unexpectedly drove past a perfect car-sized space opposite Craig Ddu in the Pass on the way elsewhere.

Broken Buttress at Stanage also gets an honourable mention as an unexpectedly excellent VD on a deserted bit of the busiest crag in the country, and Southern Arete on Laddow for being a good route on a great crag with an outstanding outlook and only one other team in the entire valley. Those moments feel rare on grit.

In reply to Harrison_Connie:

Satans slip done on a day trip with  the devils slide after. Just time for an ice cream at the shop then ran down the hill for a paddle before the boat ride home. 
happy summer madness after a shit year. 

In reply to Harrison_Connie:

A Dream of White Horses (HVS 4c)

We did all 4 pitches and I'm so glad I didn't wait until I was a better climber. I was absolutely cacking it for most of the route but it was some really special type 2 fun, perhaps enhanced by the amount of time I'd been planning to do it for.

In reply to Harrison_Connie:

Good question... another year of lots of climbing but mainly focused on local stuff.

The obvious choice would be Eliminate 'A' (VS 4c) on Dow in August - it was good, and running the two first pitches together into about 40 mtrs of committing climbing was pretty cool, but in some ways I was probably just as satisfied by doing stuff in my local crappy quarries along the road from Stoney Middleton. Sheffield Tape Archive (6a+) in Goddard's just keeps going and going and is the top of my onsight grade - doing that felt good. I flashed a 6b in Horse-thief, Rustler Brand (6b), that was great particularly because Joe's beta shouted up to me was all pretty hopeless as he is taller than me! And limestone in the warmth for trad can be surprisingly good too, Galening Crack (HVS 5a) in Horseshoe of all places was my first onsighted HVS in quite some time as well as being fun, and Jackdaw Grooves (VS 4b) at Wildcat as one pitch was great, that feeling of space walking up the top, and that you just keep climbing for ages...

In reply to Harrison_Connie:

I managed to get a good quantity of climbing done, though the quality was slightly down on pre-covid times. Tree-climbing and top-roping early in the year, bits and pieces in the summer, and Kalymnos in October.

One September day gave two favourite climbs, both DWS. Magical Mystery Tour with the Blue Grotto Finish, brilliant fun, and then Rainbow Bridge Diluted there and back, superb. Routes right at my limit, great company, only one of us got wet, and it wasn't me....

In reply to Harrison_Connie:

Maybe not the best climb as such but the best experience! Seastack 'Am Buchaille' - great stuff and  I made my son's day when I got puked on by a fulmar The trousers still stink!

In reply to Harrison_Connie:

Red Wall (E2 5b). Intimidating but straightforward climbing in an amazing position. Took the advice to climb straight past the Belay Of Sand and Death and on up to the top. Found the guidebook description unnecessarily complicated.

Honourable mention to Central buttress (Original) (E3 5c) (Not E3). Took a No 5. Cam which reduces the great flake pitch to about HVS 5b

In reply to Heike:

Inside and outside?

In reply to Harrison_Connie:

Very quiet year but thoroughly enjoyed Obsession on Cadair (VS) with an old mate I'd not seen for a while, in close to perfect conditions. 

In reply to Harrison_Connie:

The first ascent of Morgana’s Mead, XS, 5b (https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/willapark_cliff-18330/morganas_mea...)

A brilliant route - I’d love to see it repeated one day.

In reply to Harrison_Connie:

Happy New Year to you too!

I had a surprisingly good 2021 climbing-wise despite (or perhaps because of) being largely confined to the UK.

A couple of highlights were completing The "Triple" on  Shelterstone Crag https://rockaroundtheworld.co.uk/2021/07/20/shelter-stone-crag-the-needle-s...

... and a fantastic day on Lower Sharpnose capped by an ascent of Pacemaker (E5 6a) https://rockaroundtheworld.co.uk/2021/05/01/lower-sharpnose/

However, the standout route has to be Original Route (VS 5a) on  Old Man of Stoer - lucky weather window, the swim and the tyrollean, and a hugely memorable family adventure! https://rockaroundtheworld.co.uk/2021/09/16/old-man-of-stoer/

Bring on 2022 and fingers crossed for more of the same! 

In reply to Harrison_Connie:

A couple of stand-outs for me - Bowfell Buttress on a perfect summer's day without a cloud in the sky.  And climbing Indian Slab in Ardgour (on the second attempt of making that long slog up the glen) - the climbing and rock through the bulge on the long third pitch were just lovely.  

In reply to LJKing:

Torro is excellent. We did Torro, Centurion, Bat Route and King Kong over two days and thought that Torro was the best of the lot but they’re all very good!

My route of the year though would be Ordinary Route (E5 6a) - an exciting and sustained voyage across Gogarth Main Cliff. Traverses are always exciting! Speaking of which, Spaced Out Rockers On The Road To Oblivion (E4 5c) was also superb.

Always difficult and somewhat artificial to rank routes but I would say Shibboleth (E2 5c) as a runner up to Ordinary Route, followed by Torro (E2 5c). No doubt Great Wall (E4 6a) would be in with a shout for the top three but I’d done it before, great to revisit it though. Honorary mention to Angel Face (E2 5c) as well.

Pantomime (7c) would be top of the sport routes - very steep and fairly juggy, not my kind of thing and felt impossible at first but managed it fairly quickly with lots of heel hooks and toe jams, just goes to show the power of redpointing…

In reply to Harrison_Connie:

2021 was, fairly surprisingly, an awesome year for climbing and I've got three contenders for my route of the year.

Central Buttress (E1 5b) with the Nazgul Finish. Did this on the Sunday of a wonderful weekend camped up at Hollowstones in that glorious hot spell in July. Superb climbing in a spectacular position and made all the more amazing by being the only folk on the crag at the time. Our feet were battered (having done three routes the day before) so this was the only route we did that day but what a way to end the weekend!

Ardverikie Wall (HS 4b) - absolutely the best route of its grade that I've ever climbed, no doubt about it. The rock, the climbing, the situation and the approach are all excellent. We did this as a snatched rest day route during the Scottish 6 Days orienteering week. The forecast was good in the morning but dire for the afternoon so we thought it was worth a try, especially as we'd brought the MTBs up with us. We biked in, hiked up and climbed to the top in short order, running it out and moving quickly up the route, and were back at the car in under 3.5 hours. As is happened, the forecast rain never materialised so I regret not going to the summit but it was still a brilliant morning out, albeit not entirely the most restful rest day activity...

Avernus (HVS 4c) - very little actual rock climbing, this was just a fun adventure and a big day out. We were sitting in the car in North Wales, somewhat uninspiredly flicking through the select guide, when one of us (my partner claims it was me, I thought it was the other way round) suggested Avernus. This was the weekend after the Scafell trip and everything was still bone dry, a necessary condition for 9 pitches of semi loose rock and grass pulling, so we decided to go for it. The route had everything - a long approach, complicated route finding, vegetated scrambling and even plenty of actual rock, accompanied by the glorious trinity of sun, sea and seals. Even the hike back to the car (down paths surrounded by coastal goats) is long and knackering. Finished up sunburnt, dehydrated, footsore and exhausted but grinning from ear to ear!

In reply to planetmarshall:

I love Red Wall, it's one of my all time favourite routes in one of my favourite climbing areas. Dunno why but for some reason I find the complex biscuity 3D style of South Stack climbing totally compelling. Agree that the mid point 'belay' is hilarious - definitely best to climb straight past it! If you enjoy this sort of thing I'd also recommend Fantasia (E3 5c), just to the right, which has a similarly exciting start and end with some conventionally hard (but solid and protected) climbing in the middle.

In reply to Harrison_Connie:

Two that stick out are: 

Lucky Strike (E1 5b), my first every climb at Pembroke. Amazing experience all round. 

Also, more recently, but a great, intense and high problem: Dry Wit in a Wet Country (f7A). I wasn't at all sure I could do it, so it was extra satisfying when it went.

In reply to Harrison_Connie:

Me and my little brother went to Austria in early July and I got to introduce him to alpine climbing. My route of the year therefore is the  Zuckerhütl normal route. A fairly easy route for me but a good challenge for him. We did it in near perfect conditions from the Hildesheimer Hütte at the end of a great week crossing glaciers and ticking off some lower peaks in the Stubai Alps. Even better, it was just before the weather took a decidedly bad turn after we descended to the valley. 

Otherwise my climbing has been mostly indoors. Overall I'm pretty happy with 2021 as a climbing year. My level has been slowly improving even though climbing was sometimes nearly impossible due to lockdowns, and restricted gym opening hours making it harder to climb with partners on week days. 

2022 has started off worse, gyms are closed here currently and my ice climbing course has been cancelled due to travel restrictions. It can only get better going forward...

In reply to Harrison_Connie:

Acheron (HVS 5a) in Cwm cywarch was a stonker.

In reply to Harrison_Connie:

Probably Traverse of the Perrons (AD 4a) - we only did it as routes on 4000ers weren't in good condition, but it was a brilliant day out.

Green Gully (IV 4) was excellent too - just managed to snatch a great route at the end of a covid restricted winter.

In reply to pancakeandchips:

What state was it in ? We never got past the pitch 1 vegetation and lichen when we tried earlier this year.  Good looking line.

In reply to Harrison_Connie:

Eight Days a Week (E1 5b). Nice day, good company, glad to get it done.

In reply to GrahamD:

Pretty clean after the first half of the first pitch, with the exception of a band of vertical grass right at the top which caused some mild concern. Brilliant route but like most in the area could do with more traffic.

In reply to mikefergy:

Did that a few years ago, great route. The multi pitch 6a that leads up to it isn’t bad either.

In reply to Harrison_Connie:

Probably Scabbard (Summer) (VS 4c) as the most memorable. The 2nd pitch is just so good.

Although Illusion (HVS 5a) was very good too. Who says the lakes are busy, crag to ourselves.

In reply to Mark Bannan:

Yes, all the way through!

In reply to Harrison_Connie:

Finally managed to drag myself away from the peak in August and did Lavaredo (VS 5a). 2nd pitch feels very committing but is absolutely great, lovely setting as well.

In reply to Harrison_Connie:

First trip to Skye so knocked off the classics of the ridge. But did Shangri-La in Coire Laggan on the last day to round off an amazing trip

In reply to Mike-W-99:

It is fantastic isn't it?

In reply to Harrison_Connie:

A modest upward movement on nondescript boulders on Wembury Beach. Inconsequential in the grand scheme of things, but powerful in reminding me of what I've been missing and I want to get back to. I hope my answer to your 2022 question will be more adventurous...

In reply to ro8x:

That's a really awe-inspiring line! I saw it in the new Scottish Sea Cliffs book and immediately wanted to climb it. Hopefully one day before long!

In reply to Harrison_Connie:

Good topic, thanks. Made me look back at an interesting year of climbing derailed a little by Covid, injuries and a baby. Some highlights include: 

Bouldering:

Undercooke (f7A) - awesome moves and a beautiful place to hang out. 

The Arête (f6C+) - the line of the stone? Maybe. 

Gimme Shelter (f7A) - FA, an awesome line and awesome moves. Happy to put my name to something decent for a change. Go check it out. 

Trad:

Cuillin Ridge Traverse (Summer) (VD) - there is not enough space to write fully about this here but simply I completely underestimated it and we had an outstanding day out.

Ardverikie Wall (HS 4b) - best easy trad route in the UK! Honestly I don't think anything else comes close, maybe Tophet Wall but it's still not as good.

Goliath (HVS 5a) - F*cking hell - HVS! Wild!

In reply to Harrison_Connie:

My rather patchy climbing year came to an abrupt halt in September due a combination of Covid, work and weather but the stand-out route for me was back in May when camping in Pembroke became possible:

The Pear (HVS 5b)

A great pitch on a crag I'd never visited before for some reason.  The atmospheric very early morning start to catch low tide was well worth it.

Lovely day out on Gillercombe Buttress (a popular choice already, I see) in great company was also very memorable.  

In reply to Harrison_Connie:

Golden Slipper (HVS 5a)

In reply to Harrison_Connie:

Another vote for Lucky Strike in Pembroke. A desert Island climb.

In reply to Harrison_Connie:

Bosigran Ridge a.k.a Commando Ridge (VD) on an uninspiring wet drizzly morning. Weather changed completely once we were on the route and became sunny and very windy. Excellent, even though we missed the first couple of pitches.

In reply to Rog Wilko:

Here's a similar picture of us in the same place!

In reply to Harrison_Connie:

Haven’t really climbed much with a rope on rock. Ticket a few nice lines, but nothing ground breaking. Smooth operator (7a) was fun as always, which was a nice casual repeat, but just like I remembered it has a sort of sting near the end.

Also ticket a couple of new harder boulders, and even opened a few new ones.

But the be honest, the two most memorable thing involved two icetools, ice,  rock, and all that mixed climbing malarkey. Both were FA, not too hard but interesting none the less.

In reply to DaveHK:

It is indeed. We were going to do another route on the slab but they all looked a bit vegetated so wandered round and repeated The Talisman instead.

In reply to Harrison_Connie:

this for me: King Rat (E1 5c)

never been up to the dubh loch before and it didn't fail to impress. The combination of a breezy sunny day to keep the midgies at bay, cycling in to reduce the walking and climbing it with two great friends made for memorable day out. Great to see lots of other teams on the crag too.

In reply to Harrison_Connie:

It's hard to pick particular climbs out of exciting trips to Shiegra and Reiff, Ogwen and Anglesey, and many great days in the Lakes.

Early in the year, I was pleased to finally lead Cracked Actor (E2 5c) at Trowbarrow - a route I've wanted to lead for a long time, which I was happy to put to bed.

I also got to the Lakes early in the year for a great mix of classics: NW Arete, Whit's End Direct and C Route; The Buttonhook Route and Tophet Wall; Raindrop and The Coffin all spring to mind. Two days at Bell Stand were also very sweet and saw me happy to lead up The Puzzle Book and Anniversary Waltz .

The NW Scottish coast was very beautiful and the gneiss and sandstone were fantastic to climb on. Thinking of it still brings back the bright colours of sea thrift and lichen. But, I didn't climb particularly confidently.

Two particularly good days of  climbing were had on an annual trip with friends to Wales. The first day we linked our way up the Idwal Slabs: Tennis Shoe was a pleasant romp, before a confident and satisfying lead on Rampart Corner (E1 5c) that left me elated for the rest of the trip, finishing with my friend up Groove Above.

I was really pleased to return to Wales with my partner who doesn't climb much and have some happy easy days of climbing in Ogwen and puffin spotting near the South Stack.

The best single pitch I led was probably Castration Crack (E3 6a) - albeit, after a little bit of practice. Brilliant and fun, on crimps, finger cracks, layaways and a final big slap for a jug, where I took a big whip on my first lead attempt. Great after-work fun! Don't be put off it by tales of lichen.

In reply to Harrison_Connie:  I had a lot of good days out this year but am struggling to think of a particular stand out route.  Maybe this https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/nova-9125/96-370185 as it had been wet on other trips to this crag, it climbed really well and I recall I'd been climbing horribly on that day but suddenly this felt very easy

In reply to Harrison_Connie:

Had a great long weekend up at Esk Buttress wild camping for a couple nights and doing some of the classics. My favourite there was definitely Central Pillar (E2 5b)

The other has got to be Magic in the Air (Original) (E5 6b) where me and two other friends went up for the evening and all got the back to back leads done. Its got to be the best route ive done on the Moors by a long shot.

In reply to C Witter:

was a megaday out really. Got the Priest done as-well which is just as good really.

Deffo worth the trip out there, just getting there is an adventure in itself. 10/10 trip would recommend. 

In reply to Dave Garnett:

Yes, like us you didn’t take long to make a mess! But you had more stuff to make a mess with.

In reply to Mike-W-99:

It's worth going back there again. Maybe a bit of vege low down but some excellent second pitches. Thought pitch 2 of Dagger was one of the best corner pitches around (just don't expect it to be easy).

In reply to Harrison_Connie:

I think like many this year, not traveling abroad and loads of UK trips made me remember how good UK trad can be (when the weather isn't rubbish).  Best experience may well be Incy Wincy Spider (E2 5b), my first weekend away after last springs lockdown, a lovely camp below Dungeon Hill and I expected this to be a bit of a meh esoteric dirty horror show but it was actually a totally quality line, with an amazing committing sequence that looked totally improbably from below, a wild swing with just enough gear, to finish on proper thank god jugs. Honorable mention to Solo in Soho (E3 6a) for a similar surprisingly good experience on a neglected crag.

interesting Ardverikie Wall (HS 4b) gets mentioned a few times - I was disappointed by this one which I thought was quite rambling and lacking in line, absolutely not a patch on The Clean Sweep (VS 4c) which I did the next day and I think is by far the best classic rock route I have done and total class from top to bottom.

In reply to ebdon:

If you enjoyed Ardverikie Wall and The Clean Sweap, check out Salamander (HVS 5a) if you haven’t done it. I’d argue a better quality per pitch, really good fun! 

In reply to ebdon:

That's interesting. Like the others above I think Ardverikie is really class, easily the best HS in Scotland. Felt like a big undertaking regardless of grade. Clean Sweep is great but IMO not quite in the same league.

In reply to mike barnard:

Agreed, Ardverikie is special. I was sad when it ended. 

In reply to Harrison_Connie:

That one has been on my radar a while, glad to hear its good, Looks like a fun mountain adventure. I will need to sandbag my wife though, she normally refuses to go above VS.

In reply to mike barnard:

Dont get me wrong I'm not saying it's a bad route (far from it) It may be that as it was bigged up so much it could only ever disappoint (unlike clean sweep, which I hadn't really thought about). I remember feeling the same on The Pillar (E2 5b) a few years ago. 

It may also be due to the fact we were absolutely savaged by deer keds on the descent!

In reply to ebdon:

Possibly controversial, I found it to be sustained VS 4c. Grade aside, it’s a super wee adventure up a remote feeing Glen. Take a bike!! 

In reply to Rog Wilko:

Yes, although there were three of us!