Indian Face Onsighted

It´s not unusual for a foreigner climber to visit the UK and turn a few heads with hard or bold ascents. It is unusual when somebody sneaks a coveted hard and bold ascent. That´s exactly what Yussef Biinhad did this weekend when he made an on-sight ascent of Indian Face on Cloggy! The hallowed ground of Indian Face, E9 6b/c, has been trodden by a select few; established by the master Johnny Dawes in 1986 and repeated only by Nick Dixon and Neil Gresham it has never seen an ascent without prior practice. Yussef hails from Wadi Rum, Jordan, where he has a string of bold and hard routes to his name, but has barely climbed elsewhere. On a visit to North Wales for instructional reasons, the aspirant desert tower guide surprised locals with his knowledge of the historical and ethical stronghold of Llanberis and Cloggy. His ascent will rank among the great climbs of all time. We asked Yuseff what he thought of the delicate nature of the rock and the scarcity of gear. He said “it´s much more solid than the sandstone of Rum, and the runners are more secure than many!”. Makes you wonder about his routes on his home patch…

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