Stoked at Home: First Ascent of The Walk of Life 5.13cR

Editor’s note: During the coronavirus outbreak, we’ll be sharing videos and stories every morning from the past to keep the stoke up. 

The Walk of Life might be most famous for being initially graded E12 7a, the hardest grade ever given to a route in the U.K. James Pearson suggested the grade and then Dave MacLeod down-graded it to E9.

It follows a long and bold line on slightly friable rock, situated on Dyer’s Lookout, a big sea cliff on the north coast of Devon. The third ascent went to Dave Birkett, who said, “If you were to apply a sport grade to Walk of Life it would weigh in at about F8a+, or American 5.13cR.”

Walk of Life E9 / 5.13cR