Ascents of Damascus

Repeat. 2 Laps, P3 only. Even coming back to this a few years after the FA, this is still a genuinely great resistance pitch in a crazy position!

Clean repeat. Just the top pitch (during the approach) for a warmup. Gritstone-y goodness.

All pitches freed... Super-psyched to go for the 1-day push freeing every pitch in a day. P3 is DA MONEY, and is one of the coolest (and most unique) pitches I've climbed in the mountains: a giant, pumpy rising traverse that links features on strange pseudo-limestone rock (complete with crozzle). Would be Mega Classic if just a pitch on its own; P4 is just a doddly pitch to the ledge (saved from disgrace by the in situ fixed rope); P5 is a techo gritstone-style face/arête with a pumpy finish up a 45 degree roof-cap.

Unreal route!! Belayed Paul on the send of his ultra mega money pitch which was rad and then got to second it which I did with three rests through the longgggg crux section but with otherwise big links either side. Crazy pumping on mostly good holds that go forever. There was only one move I didn’t fully do which was because I couldn’t get back on to it after sitting on the rope. I then received the dubious honour of doing the FA of the fourth pitch which was fairly amusing but perhaps not as bad as I had been led to believe. Finished the day by sending the final ‘extra’ pitch off the ledge which was a bizarre and rad gritstone arete thing into crazy roof jugs. Great to have Ben out there for the day too, documenting the FA with his photographic expertise and contributing to the general banter. Altogether a super day out hanging around in my favourite spot and getting to be part of a route that I have known about and frothed over for ages!!

P1 only. First Ascent. Stoked, as good as I'd hoped! A moderate start leads to stacked powerful cruxes, and a pumpy, desperate, arête-slapping upper crux. The bridging moves to the anchors might spit some people off.

Sent P2 at 23 (or V100 if you're short), and had a lead lap on the MEGA P3 (with lots of falls). P3 is awesome, exposed, airy, rising traverse on improbable features, with so many hard moves. Can't wait to get back on it.