Great Portland StreetRoute Grade Votings
Total votes cast 220
Adjacent Routes
20m. A fierce 'stopper' mantelshelf is required to reach the elegant hanging groove. It then gives sustained steep bridging. USER COMMENTS
One hard move on a bomber nut, then its 5a all the way... unrelenting 5a maybe
Once you have made that first move (delicate feet are available for the mantleshelf) it is fine safe climbing. Don't be tempted to thug it - precise bridging on the right and face climbing on the left will have you feeling like a pro.
Quality
Oh man, just great.
Cut my teeth (ouch) on this route 10 years ago. Still a bitch to start for ickle people like me but after that - wow. Mark Fletcher (above) has got it right.
Really nice route, good all round 3 star HVS.
The meat of the route is the awkward start. From then on, its pretty straightforward bridgeing. Probably a heresy to suggest that its not really sustained enough to be worth ***
I guess the HVS is for technique rather than for sustained climbing. Anyway, by the looks of the old peg at the top, the final climbing is on a pseudo 6-7m run out so the HVS is well deserved . . .
Frigged the mantle first go, smoothed it cleanly second attempt so claiming the on-sight! I've never had pumped hips before, the bridging put me in all sorts of funny positions. A couple of biggish cams came in handy just at the right time ;-)
Just brilliant. The beginning is undoubtably the 5b section but the bridging is ace. Quality route. |