Repeat Goes to a U.K. Climber, Not American

The Groove is a striking line in the Peaks District that until now didn't have a second ascent, though many believed it did after an ascent in 2008

Gripped March 13, 2024

U.K. climber Alex Moore recently made the second ascent of The Groove, an E9 7b at Cratcliffe Tor in U.K.’s Peak District. This is considered the true second ascent, which comes 16 years after the supposed second ascent.

The story goes that the climb was attempted by strong climbers in the 1980s, including by Mark Edwards and Johnny Dawes, and it was climbed on top rope but never led. And then James Pearson made the first lead ascent, but overgraded it. Shortly after the FA, American Kevin Jorgeson, who was visiting with Alex Honnold and Matt Segal, climbed The Groove and was credited (by some) with the second ascent. However, Jorgeson had only climbed the lower section of The Groove and not the difficult top section.

“The holds on The Groove are small and far apart but in the traditional sense of the word, they are not really holds,” said Pearson after his FA. “Perhaps a better way to describe it is the groove feature is one big hold and to climb it you have to move your body, into different positions, using different parts of the one hold, almost like climbing a whole problem on nothing but ‘intermediate’ holds.”

About why it hadn’t seen a second ascent until now, Moore told Climber, “Well, for one thing, it’s very difficult but more than that I think its reputation was somewhat marred by the controversy of its two previous ascents. First with James and the matter of the grade, then with Kevin and not doing the top. Also, the top is escapable (evidenced by Kevin meandering up an E2 for 15 or 20 metres) and that’s often a thorn in the side of hard routes,Well, for one thing, it’s very difficult but more than that I think its reputation was somewhat marred by the controversy of its two previous ascents. First with James and the matter of the grade, then with Kevin and not doing the top. Also, the top is escapable (evidenced by Kevin meandering up an E2 for 15 or 20 metres) and that’s often a thorn in the side of hard routes…”