30 Sep The hardest trad route of the world?
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Pearson, the 22-year-old has climbed The Walk of Life. The slab is at Dyer’s Lookout, North Devon coast, England. It is one of the most difficult and committing traditionally protected climbs in the world
Pearson’s own description: "Imagine the longest sport route you have ever done. Now imagine that it is pretty hard, not at your absolute limit of endurance, but fairly close—so there is a good chance you may fall off. Now make the bolts pretty spaced so you will take a bit of a whipper. And then take out a few bolts in the crux section so you will take a BIG whipper if you fall here. Replace all the bolts with micro wires, sliders and other tiny gear, and pray to god that you have placed them in just the right spot or they will be as much use as a chocolate fireguard. Then just for kicks, imagine that the first bolt (or micro wire) is at 12m, above a terrible bouldery landing, and you have to do the crux of the entire route to get there."
info Alpinist.com
The opening 15 meters is this virtually unprotectable slab, which Pearson considers the most difficult and serious section; above, the line connects into Dyer Straits (E8 6b [5.12- R/X]). The lower slab’s lack of decent protection means that any fall would probably result in a deck onto the seaside boulders below. The upper section, first climbed by Ian Vickers, is serious in its own right. Finding the route a bit wet and himself drained of energy on an earlier attempt, Pearson took a 60-foot fall on the upper section and luckily walked away unscathed.
