Tom Briggs and Ed Brown – An Evening On The Grit

by Jack Geldard – Editor – UKC Sheffield based climber Tom Briggs has made what is thought to be the sixth headpoint ascent of Parthian Shot (E9) at Burbage, but not before taking a ground fall on his first lead attempt. Tom describes last weekend´s activities: “It was my first attempt on lead. Everything had been going smoothly, I managed to hold the split pocket on the crux, but powered out reaching the sloping dish on the slab above. I had been mindful not to catch the rope under my leg if I did fall, but sure enough, as I came off I realised it was caught under my leg.” “I tried to untangle from it as I shot through the air sideways, but the next thing I knew I had landed on my bouldering pad! We had placed this as an after thought over the sharp boulder at the base of the route. We foolishly hadn´t tied my belayer, Ed Brown down and the force of the fall pulled him 10 feet up in the air.” Luckily conditions came good on Wednesday and taking an afternoon off from his job at Jagged Globe, Tomreturned to Burbage, again with Ed Brown. Tom climbed the route on his first try of the day.He placed all gear on lead (four pieces in the flake) and this time Edstayed firmly on the floor. To top off the evening, Ed Brown then soloed the nearby Simba´s Pride (E8) after a brief top rope. Tom commented: “It was one of those evenings!”

QuelleUKClimbing