Climbers do V8, E8, 8a, D8 and 8 Peaks in a Day
Anak Verhoeven and Neil Gresham spent less than 24 hours linking some test-piece climbs
Anak Verhoeven and Neil Gresham recently took up the challenge of the Lake District 8s Project, which is to climb an 8a (5.13b) sport route, V8 boulder, D8 drytool route, E8 gear climb and to hike eight of the Wainwright hills in less than 24 hours.
The routes they focused on were Picnic Sarcastic V8, Way Out West E8 6c, Straight 8 8a (5.13b), The Fang D8 and the Coniston Route. They spent three days getting ready by dialling in the approaches and sussing out the climbs. In total they needed 23 hours and 45 minutes.
Gresham is one of the U.K.’s most accomplished trad climbers and Verhoeven is one of the world’s best sport climbers, this spring she climbed La Planta de Shiva 5.15b twice in a day. “The hiking part was pretty epic, said Verhoeven. “Eight hours of hill hiking through the night (11:30 p.m. to 7:30 a.m.) in rough, windy conditions while being sleep-deprived.”
And about the one-day push, Gresham said, “This ranks as one of the best experiences I’ve ever had in the outdoors and if you’re ever thinking of planning a similar excursion then don’t hesitate. In conclusion, this challenge wasn’t so much about hard climbing (especially for Anak) it was about the pure love of it.”
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