UKH

Following on from the Little Brown Jug thread, I thought this was worth putting together.

All the VS climbs that get 2 stars somewhere. Position based on Logbook grades and votes (the climbs I've done seem roughly right).

Let me know if I've missed anything.

Top end:

Anvil Chorus (VS 4c) te+
Slippery Slab (VS 5a) te+
Dexter (VS 5a) te
Diocese (VS 5a) te
Weasle (VS 4c) te
Axis (VS 5a) te-
Martell Slab (VS 4c) te-
Little Brown Jug (VS 5a) te-
Ochre Slab Route I (HVS 5a) te-
South Face Direct (VS 4c) te-

Above average:

Africa Route (VS 5a) aa+
The Whisker (VS 4c) aa-

Midgrade:

Ding (VS 4c) m+
The Royal Forester (VS 4c) m+
Zig Zag (VS 4c) m+
Mascara (VS 4c) m
Nameless (VS 4c) m
Songs from a Gentle Man (VS 4b) m (wide range)
Venusberg (VS 4c) m
Double Overhang (VS 4c) m-

Below Average:

The Arête (VS 4b) ba+
Seal Slab (VS 4c) ba+
Monday Face (VS 4b) ba-
Sensible Shoes (VS 4c) ba-

Bottom End

Vertical Crack (VS 4c) be-

Also the VS 4b pitch on Bosigran Ridge I'd give HS (if you can reach being short 'n' safe)

In reply to Offwidth:

Dexter was HS when I did it. What a shock that was.

In reply to Offwidth:
That's a useful list. I can't see much to disagree with, having done most of them. But it's a rather neat proof, isn't it, of just how silly the Hard Severe is, because it has in effect taken away the bottom 'quintile' of the VS grade.

Ah. I see you've now added one route at the bottom.

In reply to EarlyBird:
Also two likely misgraded two star HS climbs:

Sunshine Cracks (HS 4b)
Reveille (HS 4b)

From logbooks they would both be towards the top of the bottom end group in the VS graded list

In reply to Gordon Stainforth:

Also explains why I found LBJ middling for the area. I seem to have climbed a lot more tough ones than easier ones.

In reply to Offwidth:

Vertical crack is hard severe. Dexter got severe in Cornwall vol2 as did Africa route. There really were some serious sandbags which have been largely righted over the years. Samson arête got HVS which must have been quite a surprise for the aspiring HVS leader.

James

In reply to james mann:

Its not HS in the logbooks!

In reply to Offwidth:


You seem to have put it in about the right place. But LBJ is not all about difficulty, but primarily about quality and great positions.

In reply to Gordon Stainforth:

I agree. The top pitch is amazing.

In reply to Offwidth:


It was Severe when I did it on 30 Mar 1975. The only comment I made in my logbook was 'Excellent open corner-crack pitch. V. steep.' There is no suggestion that I thought it undergraded.

In reply to Offwidth:

Is the general opinion of Diocese (VS 5a) that it's in the top end of VS? Felt about middling to me, possibly a nadge easier than South Face Direct (VS 4c) (although in fairness I did have a hangover when I did that route. The second pitch sorted that out for me though).

T.

In reply to Offwidth:

Ive done most of these and it looks about right. Would be interesting to add some benchmark climbs from other areas for comparison?

In reply to Pursued by a bear:


I think it might be a tall man's pitch. It's a long time since I climbed it, but my (better) partner backed off the second pitch, and I took the lead. when I climbed it, I loved it but didn't find it too hard.

In reply to stevieb:

The first pitch is harder probably. The second is delicate but safe and not to hard unless soaking when it certainly feels 5a.

James