South African Ex-Pat Mary Jenner, now based in Cumbria, has climbed the brutally fingery Bleed in Hell (E8 6c) at the Bowderstone Crag in Borrowdale in the Lake District.The route was first climbed by Mary's husband and Lakeland legend Dave Birkett back in 1992.The overhanging arete is in part protected by pegs and is just left of the classic E6 Hell's Wall. Birkett reportedly named the route Bleed in Hell due to a razor sharp crystal-filled pocket that ripped open his finger tips when he was trying the line.
Mary Jenner is no stranger to hard Lakeland trad routes, especially at the Bowderstone Crag, having repeated Inferno (E7) back in 2006.Her repeat of Bleed in Hell is right up at the top of the pile of women's trad ascents in the UK. Lisa Rands, the visiting American super-boulderer made an impressive headpoint ascent of Gaia (E8) at Black Rocks, Peak District, and our very own Lucy Creamer climbed Crack and Slab (Or was it Slab and Crack?!) E7/8 at Curbar, also in the Peak.You can read a report on Mary's ascent of Bleed in Hell on Steve Crowe's Website: climbonline.co.ukWe hope to have more details on this ascent soon. Watch this space.
