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Tom Randall is obsessed, not just with climbing which is fair enough, but with Millstone!!!! Ho loves the battered old lady of the Peak and has recently taken his love affair to a new level with another first ascent there, his hardest yet, and the solution to a long standing problem... Ed Hamer on a (very) foreshortened Balance It Is E7 6C, Burbage South, Peak UK Tom takes up the story: Millstone has been something of a long term obsession for me, ever since I moved to Sheffield 10 years ago as a student. I worked my way through the routes there at a fair pace, using the strategy of catching the bus out regularly to go on soloing missions and also dragging every possible partner out to get one more tick done! Over the years I've managed to get a couple of new routes done there (The Economist, E6 6b and Chelsea Pensioner, E5 6c), but for sometime I'd thought the crag was totally worked out. However a couple of years ago I'd been pointed a line by Neil Foster which takes the steep leaning arete above the bottom arete of Perplexity. I'd not really noticed it before, but suddenly it stuck out like a sore thumb! Initially I couldn't do one of the moves on the upper arete so I left it for a while. This recent couple of weeks I've been moping around the house after being ill and decided to go out and have another ab down the line. Before I knew it, I'd figured out a sequence (don't know how I missed it before!) and it was on. I decided to chop the old aid bolts that line the steep arete as I don't feel they have a place on free routes on grit. As well as getting me more psyched, it also massively increased the spice factor! A fall from the crux at the top would result in a full route length flyer, so nothing better to get the heart going....
Route details: The first half of the arete follows the incredible route of perplexity which has just one rock 7 in 12 metres. Mellow climbing, but you've got to be steady. At the overlap, you arrange a combination of small friends in sandy pockets and an excellent rock 3 before setting sail on the top arete. Slappy, but ok moves lead to a crux au cheval move on the last part of the arete (see pic on Alex Ekin's website) from which position a fall would be memorable. All in all, a good day out as I then went over to the main bay of Millstone to do London Wall for my 28th time..... Yes, I am obsessed!!
Route name: Apoplexy, Grade: E7 6b, Date: 3rd March, 2010 Read More about Tom Randall here... Ed 'The Future' Hamer enters The Grit Fray - Balance It Is E7 6C One of the strongest UK climbers and a real prospect in UK climbing it's great to see a guy so strong on limstone and bouldering widening his horizons and putting in some time of the scary stuff - and loving it too!!! Ed said: Got Balance it is second go. On first attempt I couldn't get foot on high placement, so took the whipper which was fun! Warmed up better, and then got it easily the next go. Great route.The Elite harness and Matador shoes help a lot on the route. Ed's lovin the new Matador shoe see more about the Matador here...
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