Cossey Ground Up´s Masters Edge

You may remember the recent news report describing how Australian Ben Cossey climbed Parthion Shot by head torch? Yesterday he managed another impressive tick in the Peak by making a ground up ascent of Masters Edge at Millstone. The iconic E7 6c arête has seen a large number of the UK´s best climbers, with a smattering of international superstars thrown in for good measure, making on-sight attempts at its alluring line. Ben may well have come closest, jumping off from 10 feet because of a muddled foot sequence before then climbing it to the top. Most if not all previous ground up ascents resulted in falls from above the crucial mid-height shot holes before success. The legendary Wolfgang Gullich broke his back in a fall whilst ´testing´ the gear in the shot holes, whilst Nick Sellars came very close to a pure onsight with a fall from the last moves. According to John Winter who watched Ben climb the route “he looked a bit sketchy at the top – it was very exciting!”. The route was first climbed by Ron Fawcett in December 1983, the month and year in which Ben was born!

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