Oops. Looks like I used an invalid hold! When I came off the route I doubted the grade, not my ascent. I didn’t put myself down as a person that had on-sighted an 8c. News gets carried away and out of hand. Turns out I climbed the route using an invalid hold so the ascent is invalid. That’s fine and makes sense, it’s good to find out. I’m just pissed off that I was led a certain way and didn’t get the chance to on-sight this properly.

However, I climbed the route following my nose and the chalk. There was a shrub less than a metre to my right with a well chalked branch and well chalked holds above it. It seemed natural to use it. I guess the only ethic is ‘are trees in or not’. It’s so rare to find them I usually say use what you can, use what nature gives. But that’s funny really considering half the holds there are made of SIKA. There was only one branch that could hold my weight, its not a massive tree. After a shake out I pressed on moving through a bouldery section to the top. I’d been on-sighting 8b’s and up to 8b+ that week and it felt similar to them.

The forums make out that I basically climbed up a tree to the belay. I’m not a complete idiot, I’d have known if I’d bypassed the entire route! Though I didn’t see another method I am happy to admit that I might have missed a move, but it couldn’t have been much more than this. But whatever, the rule for this route is the tree is out. The net is good for stuff like this. And where would we all be without 8a to govern us all and tell us right from wrong?

Oh – and somewhere it was reported I’d onsighted a bunch of 8a+ and 8a routes. Well the 8a and one of the 8a+’s were flash ascents. Better get that in before I get branded a total liar. And also I used a tree on a VS once.”

- Steve McClure

http://jlphoto.exposuremanager.com/g/2009_24hhh