Disinformation | New Routes by Crag
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New Routes by Crag ~ Blackers Hole
| Route Name | Grade | First Ascentionist | Description | Date Climbed |
| The Aquatic Ape | E6 6b | Bob Hickish & Dave Pickford | The awesome undercut pillar and roof left of Schwarzchild Radius provides one of the most outrageous trad routes at Swanage: a Polaris for the twenty-first century. The line cannot be realistically approached by abseil due to its extreme steepness (it overhangs around 18 metres) nor by traversing in - even at low tide the base of the pillar is cut off by a deep trench. The first ascensionists approached the pillar by inflatable boat at high tide, which means a hanging belay in the obvious deep chimney at its base is easily reached. A pre-placed rope at the second belay may be a preferable exit to the route rather than climbing pitch 3 (pitch 4 of Laughing Arthur). 1: 6b, 25 metres Contort up the chimney (Friend 4/5 useful at the top) and make wild moves out to good holds on the wall above. Move up and right across straightforward terrain (thread) to gain an overhung guano-coated ledge (peg). Make steep moves up on guano and slime-covered holds to gain a severely overhanging diagonal crack which leads directly to the roof (thread). Take a hanging belay here on the thread and a selection of cams in one of the wildest positions at Swanage. 2: 6b, 15 metres Hand traverse out left from the belay (good small and medium cams) until level with the in-situ thread hanging from the lip of the 2-metre ceiling. Make an ape-like span (crux) out to jugs on the lip, then cut loose and fly up the overhanging wall above (2 more threads) to gain a ledge. Belay here on a pre-placed rope and two threads, or traverse right to the third belay of Laughing Arthur. 3: 5b, 20 metres Climb Pitch 4 of Laughing Arthur, or jumar up the chossy slab on the pre-placed rope. | September 2nd 2011 |
| Endeavour | F8c | Bob Hickish | Start up Infinite Gravity to level with the 10th bolt, swing out left past a large hanging spike and underneath the big roof to deposit you at the bottom of the hanging 30 degree orange wall that makes the other side of the huge ships prow. Climb this with hard moves on pockets to join the Laughing Arthur roof crack half way along. Finish rightwards along this to the belay at the end of Laughing Arthur pitch 2. | September 15th 2011 |
