Author |
Angel of Pain, Castle Hill |
|
|
2-Nov-2007 11:30:41 AM
|
Derek Thatcher has finally made the 2nd ascent of this Eric Talmadge test piece from 1991.
|
2-Nov-2007 11:46:16 AM
|
congrats derek!
any photos?
|
2-Nov-2007 11:48:04 AM
|
Probably zillions as Daniel Jenkins has been chronicling it over the many many attempts by Derek.
|
2-Nov-2007 11:50:19 AM
|
Well that didnt take long hehe. I saw him working that this time last year, he was close coming off the move after the mantle.
Did he say if he thought it was 31 in the end? I heard third hand speculation it was harder than that.
Congrats Derek, an awesome achievement. Anyone whos looked at that line and gone "what line?" will know how impressive this is.
Cheers, Brad.
|
2-Nov-2007 12:11:28 PM
|
I haven't heard what he thought other than he was relieved.
As for the Grade .... its such an odd thing that it may be quite difficult to grade maybe it will get a V grade?
|
2-Nov-2007 12:19:02 PM
|
skip skip, where art thou ?
|
2-Nov-2007 12:31:42 PM
|
On 2/11/2007 kp wrote:
>skip skip, where art thou ?
haha! perhaps he's off packing for an urgent castle hill trip he just decided to go on....
|
2-Nov-2007 12:35:57 PM
|
Here is a pic of Eric on it....
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cragrat/492647724/in/photostream/
|
2-Nov-2007 12:56:10 PM
|
Thanks for the photo link cragrat. It clarifies the topic for those that haven't been there yet... like me ;-(
|
2-Nov-2007 1:05:40 PM
|
Excellent news.
Well done Derek Thatcher.
>Thanks for the photo link cragrat.
Looking at the picture I can now see why it has taken so long for a repeat ascent.
... looks blerrie ard!
|
2-Nov-2007 1:35:32 PM
|
is this chipped? (just asking because i know some of the routes are chipped at Castle Hill)
|
2-Nov-2007 1:52:41 PM
|
Was the repeat done in the same style as the FFA? If so no wonder its taken so long...... purple lycra leggins are hard to come by these days.
Unless you know these two dubious characters :)
Looks bloody hard, top effort!
|
2-Nov-2007 4:04:55 PM
|
Eric didn't chip it to the best of my knowledge but rumour is that the pockets have been enhanced (by someone) - possibly a subsequent attempter. Routes you refer to are not in fact chipped but full on drilled
|
2-Nov-2007 4:41:05 PM
|
That little b**ger!! No, good work from The Dispatcher, a route that should be on every sport climbers list as a super classic. In my opinion, one of the best hard routes around for beauty and uniqueness. The route is about 10 moves all up(including mantle) and two clips that count. Long cross-over locks between one finger pockets on a 40 degree overhanging wall and a Heinous finish that is vintage V10 Castle Hill mantle. You don't have to use a rubber knee-pad to do the mantle but it makes it a good part of the story and history.
I tried it a couple of times. Came close in '93 and then no closer back in '02. Still on my mind as a must do! In my opinion it is chipped and hasn't changed since it was first climbed. It is very hard to tell though, there definitely were features there that were probably enhanced. The back-three finger pocket is the most obvious and because the insides are always a bit sandy, this is a dead giveaway that it had a little tweaking!
Now, where is my passport...?!
|
2-Nov-2007 5:06:45 PM
|
Pete Smale would be one person who would know as he spent a bit of time there with Eric and was cranking the lower wall too. Where he is these days... dunno. I don't think it really matters. As Nic says its awesome. The mantle could have been easily modified if he had wanted to and didn't.
|
2-Nov-2007 5:10:07 PM
|
Oh, and I think 32 for sure. It's about 30 up to the mantle.
|
6-Nov-2007 5:14:59 AM
|
As Gomez pointed out to JP the other day, this ascent will likely overshadow Derek's more significant achievement in the last few months - his ascent of Kaz's Project at the Cave, now New Zealand's only 33!
|
6-Nov-2007 4:28:24 PM
|
How does Kaz feel about that?
|
6-Nov-2007 7:58:59 PM
|
|
6-Nov-2007 8:01:20 PM
|
Eric Talmadge on "Angel of Pain", 1991
|