It is a rare event that i go out and push against the limits of my climbing ability. Today i had two hours of climbing with llion today and for some reason felt that i should try a project i mentioned on here a long while ago after i top roped the line.
The line is somewhat of an eliminate on the dervish slab. It was going to be bold and i was somewhat silenced by the serious nature of the route on the approach.
Setting off up last tango i arrange several good runner that would take an outward force, as llion would need to run backwards like one Mr Bolt to stop me hitting the ground if i was to fall off the top.
Stepping up into flashdance the line looks utterly blank, but i knew from my top rope of the line about att year ago there were holds up there somewhere. I arrange the good runners in the first crack on that route and down climb to the ground.
I shake out on the ground centre my breathing and start my mantra keep calm, keep calm. The initial jitters are over, and i step back onto the slab.
I am either going to make att coveted first ascent on this iconic slate slab or take att legendary fall. I focus on the later, as i reach the high wires, and as i mantel onto the crack i am now focused on going up.
As tenuous rock over follows tenuous rock over, the distance to the lonely runners increases and the chance of a ground swooping fall becomes more and more a distinct possibility.
Keep calm, i tell myself as i boldly cross that line and carry on up the slab to reach a crack just below the hand traverse of last tango in paris where i reach a jug and step right onto the ledge. Where the hard climbing is over.
I then head up the hand traverse to the overlap, where i make a bold step right over it to gain the right arete of the slab and follow it easily but boldly to the top.
The route was an amazing experience. It probably warrants E6 6b, although i would be happy to be corrected by anyone who wants to try the line. I could find my skyhooks, so it may feel less bold with one or two of them.
The name is a reflection of the dancing theme on the slab.
Strictly Come Pole Dancing E6 6b
Follow last tango in paris to where Flashdance move boldly left up up the slab. Follow this to the first crack and arrange good runners, mantel the crackn and make a tenuous sequence of moves striaght up to two flat edges. From here start trending up amd right to a crack below the right end of the last tango hand traverse, from a jug in the bottom of the crack step right onto att ledge on the arete. Follow the last tango crack to where it ends at the overlap and make a hard rock over rightwards to reach the arete follow this to the top.
Sorry no internet so had to do this on the blackberry!