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May
21
2008
|
Ricky Bell Climbs New E8 6c |
DUBLIN, IRELAND (Team Geared Up) - Si Moore broke the news of Ricky Bells impressive ascent last Thursday in Fairhead, giving Fairhead it’s second E8. An Bealach Eile (The Other Way), now gives Fairhead “its hardest route by a considerable margin” - Si Moore.
Si, no stranger to hard ascents himself, has described the route as hard E8 6c. This makes this route the hardest route in Ireland outside of The Mournes and right up there with Ireland’s hardest lines.
Ricky has the following to say about the ascent:
An Bealach Eile 30m***E8 (6c)
R.Bell, A.Marshall 15/5/08 (Headpoint)
A beautiful line up the steep blank wall above the big ledge on An Bealach Runda. Continually engaging and with the crux right where you don’t want it, this line has big blow it potential.From the left end of the big ledge make tricky moves up and right to a hard pull off two slopey side pulls. Small nut at 25feet. Move diagonally up and right to get established on the big pedestal. Climb the slight groove above past a huge juggy flake to a flat hold and a crucial blind nut placement out left. Finish up the horribly thin seam in the groove up and right.
This line is amazing. For me it’s been a bit of a step up. Hard and bold and very easy to blow it about 6 feet from the top. Been meaning to do it for a while now but never felt quite right. Thursday was perfect. Conditions were really good on the dark side. Slopey side pulls felt like jugs but the top still felt on off. So psyched to top it out.
As a side note anyone who hasn’t seen the trailer for Onsight, Posing Productions latest project, should check it out here. There are some great clips of Ricky attempting a 6 foot sidewards dyno on another new route in Fairhead and the 10m fall when he misses the hold.
Very impressive, early season climbing from Ricky. Looks like it could be a good summer ahead, now we just need good luck with the weather *fingers crossed*.
-Stephen Mc Gowan-
(Image Credit: Ricky Bell on Happiness That Hurts E7 6c, Ailladie by Craig Hiller - http://www.hillerscapes.co.uk )
Latest Comments (7):
…we just watch on in awe man! strong like bull
Dave I saw this via the Adventure Blog:
http://theadventureblog.blogspot.com/2008/05/all-climbing-links-youll-ever-need.html
It links to this:
http://dreaminvertical.blogspot.com/2008/05/blog-links.html
Wow…. now thats a list!
Noticed Nico’s blog in there too…. nice :)
I just read in climb magazine last night, in an article by Ricky that Andy Long put up a new E8 6c….onsight in Ailladie. I totaly missed that news, anyone know when that happened?
Was that not Ian Vickers? - not too sure man….as far as i know E8 has still to be onsighted - i read that too but as there was so little mentioned of it i reckoned it was E7 - sounds like one Sean climbed last summer when we were there aswell - does it talk about it having been an old Gibson route?
I can’t remember, I’ll check it out when I’m in Westwood again (thats where I read it).
Yeah thats one of the reasons I was surprised, E8 hasn’t had any confirmed onsights. There are 3 routes I know of that have been given the grade E8 that were onsighted but still await second ascents….two from Ian Vickers and one from Dave Birkett….only time will tell.
Well you might be able to give some thoughts on this one Dave since you’ve been looking at it.
Dave Birtkett has onsighted My Piano http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=302634
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