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Two New And Wild European Winter Routes

Every year, European climbers push the limit on ice and cold stone and this year is no different.

On Dec. 28, two cutting-edge routes in Europe were climbed. Neither of them are more than a rope length, but both require a skill only few posses.

Wide Open

The strong British climber Ian Parnell teamed up with Pete Harrison for a piton-free pitch on an unclimbed part of the North Wales’ Clogwyn Du.

Harrison once resided in the Canadian Rockies’ town of Canmore. Piolet d’Or winner, Ian Welsted, said, “Pete had a very British view of the role of bolts or gear of any kind, but seems to have gotten over his traditional views of publicizing climbing achievements after teaming up with the editor of Climb magazine, Ian Parnell.”

With no bolts or pitons, Harrison scratched his way up a line placing gear on lead. If he’d fallen, the result could have been dyer. The grade of the route was X, 9, which translates to about M8R/X.

The M8R/X grade is based on Ian Parnell’s grading of Canadian Rockies routes:
French Reality M6 WI6 =VII,7
Nightmare on Wolf Street M8 WI6+ = IX,9
Drama Queen M7 WI6 = VIII,8
Terminator (T2 start) M7R/X WI5+ = IX,8
Curtain Call WI6 = VII,7
Suffer Machine M7R WI5 = VIII,9
‘Monsieur Hulot M7 WI6 = VIII,9

Pete Harrison on Wide Open X, 9, 60 metres  Photo Geoff Bennett
Pete Harrison on Wide Open X, 9, 60 metres Photo Geoff Bennett

Low G Man

On the same day, at the drytooling crag in Italy called Quai Bus, Jeff Mercier made the first ascent of Low G Man D14. It is the hardest drytooling route in the country. Read the full story here.

Jeff Merçier on Low G Man D14 Photo M. Fogazzi
Jeff Merçier on Low G Man D14 Photo M. Fogazzi

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