It's the time of the year again when I start to formulate lists of must do routes. I've put together a list of some of the better E6s I've climbed over the years in various areas. Scotland is sadly lacking in the list but Murdo, Ian Small, Blair and Tony Stone are all good candidates for info on the better ones to go for. Many are incomparable in terms of difficulty and seriousness, with routes like Hells Wall and Eye of the Tiger being technically hard but much easier leads than routes such as Other Realms or Stage Fright.
The routes on the Stigmata buttress should be handled with care. Some of the routes are well known and probably get as much traffic as any E6 does but there are a few more esoteric ones people might be keen to search out. The guidebook descriptions for many routes at around this grade should be taken with caution as often they're off the mark with the grade as some get repeated rarely. I've shaded green ones that are good tasters at the grade but they may still have some bite. The ones with a + sign may be at the upper remit of the grade. I've left out the highballs and the total clip ups although Grezelda and Ghost Train just scraped in. Many of the routes are by the same list of first ascentionists, the likes of Littlejohn, Gibson, Crocker and Fowler, Livesey, Fawcett being very prolific.
The routes on the Stigmata buttress should be handled with care. Some of the routes are well known and probably get as much traffic as any E6 does but there are a few more esoteric ones people might be keen to search out. The guidebook descriptions for many routes at around this grade should be taken with caution as often they're off the mark with the grade as some get repeated rarely. I've shaded green ones that are good tasters at the grade but they may still have some bite. The ones with a + sign may be at the upper remit of the grade. I've left out the highballs and the total clip ups although Grezelda and Ghost Train just scraped in. Many of the routes are by the same list of first ascentionists, the likes of Littlejohn, Gibson, Crocker and Fowler, Livesey, Fawcett being very prolific.
Paul Swail enjoying Above & Beyond, Fairhead
Wen Zawn, aptly named where Conan the Librarian and Mr Softy are found
Smoothlands. Hellbound and Creeping Flesh offer brilliant slab climbing
Strangers tackles the short but brilliant right arête found in north Pembroke, Craig Llong. A Crocker classic
Pasquil showing that although he struggles on brit 9a+s he has no problem on grit
Robins getting ready to race up Ghost Train
Two Wee Laddies, Rora Head, Hoy Great White, Blue Scar
Handren Effect, Glen Nevis Milky Way, Ilkley
Highlander, Kioch, Skye Conan the Librarian, Gogarth
Old El Pastits, Gairloch The Cad, Gogarth
Dead Calm, Gairloch
Bonxie, Pabbay Mr Softy, Gogarth
Sweet Disregard for the Truth, Glen Coe Skinhead Moonstomp, Gogarth
Faery Stories, Fairhead Barbarossa, Gogah
Above & Beyond, Fairhead Ludwig, Gogarth
Hells Kitchen Arete, Fairhead Crack Eats Man Alive, Gogarth
Taming the Tiger, Fairhead Jub Jub Bird, Rhoscolyn
Pressure Point, Mournes Dreams & Screams, Rhoscolyn
Footloose Crow, Borrowdale Tonight at Noon, Lleyn
Daylight Robbery, Borrowdale Terrorhawk, Lleyn
Camikazi, Borrowdale Gross Clinic, Lleyn
Ringwraith, Scafell Rust Never Sleeps, Lleyn
++Other Realms, Lleyn
Negative Equity, Lleyn
Western Union, Thirlemere Surreal, Tremadog
Internal Combustion, Raven Ullswater +No Holds Barred, Tremadog
Fingerlicker Direct, Tremadog
Liquid Engineering, Raven Ullswater A Midsummer Nights Dream
Sixpense, Langdale Unleashing the wild Physique, Pass
Das Kapital, Thirlmere Lord of the Flies, Pass
Bucket City, Dove crag The Wrath of Khan, Pass
Pail Face, Dove Crag New Era, Pass
Woodhouses Arete, Dow Crag Pretty Girls Make Graves, Pass
Alchemy, Pass
Potency, Cwm Silyn
The Silver Usurper, Bodlyn, Rhinogs
Paths of Victory, Dow Crag Rainbow of Recalcitrance, Dinorwic
Stage Fright, Hodge Close quarry Naked Before the Beast, Dinorwic
Hells Wall, Borrowdale Sombre Music, Dinorwic
Defying Destiny, Stanage Leafstorm, Nesscliffe
Crypt Trip, Stanage Strangers, Craig Llong, Pemboke
Salmon Left, Bamford All or Nothing, Barcud, Pembroke
Block & Tackle, Higgar Tor
Crème de la Crème, Yarncliffe Fear no Evil, Range West
Adam Smiths Invisible Hand, Millstone Grezelda Grezelda, Pembroke
Perplexity, Millstone Obsession Box, Pembroke
Messiah, Burbage south Big in America, Pembroke
Mickey Finn, Gardoms Hunter Killer, Pembroke
Make it Slappy, Gardoms Souls, Pemboke
Barriers in Time, Roaches
Master of Reality, Hen Cloud White Hotel, Pembroke
Linden, Curbar Little Hunt, Pembroke
Eye of the Tiger, Dovedale +Free Masonry, Pembroke
Coronary Country, Sharpnose Orange Robe Burning, Pembroke
Hellbound, Smoothlands Oranges & Lemons, Pembroke
Absolution, Bosigran +Great White, Pembroke
Morgawr, Bosigran Ghost Train, Pembroke
Demolition, Sennen Crimes of Passion, Pembroke
Caveman, Berry Head The Empire Strikes Back, Pembroke
Emergency Ward Ten,Lundy Chasing Shade, Pembroke
+Watching the Ocean, Lundy
Voyage of the Acolyte, Lundy
Chase the Ace, Lundy
Ex-Cathedra, Lundy
The Price of Admission, Lundy
Handren Effect, Glen Nevis Milky Way, Ilkley
Highlander, Kioch, Skye Conan the Librarian, Gogarth
Old El Pastits, Gairloch The Cad, Gogarth
Dead Calm, Gairloch
Bonxie, Pabbay Mr Softy, Gogarth
Sweet Disregard for the Truth, Glen Coe Skinhead Moonstomp, Gogarth
Faery Stories, Fairhead Barbarossa, Gogah
Above & Beyond, Fairhead Ludwig, Gogarth
Hells Kitchen Arete, Fairhead Crack Eats Man Alive, Gogarth
Taming the Tiger, Fairhead Jub Jub Bird, Rhoscolyn
Pressure Point, Mournes Dreams & Screams, Rhoscolyn
Footloose Crow, Borrowdale Tonight at Noon, Lleyn
Daylight Robbery, Borrowdale Terrorhawk, Lleyn
Camikazi, Borrowdale Gross Clinic, Lleyn
Ringwraith, Scafell Rust Never Sleeps, Lleyn
++Other Realms, Lleyn
Negative Equity, Lleyn
Western Union, Thirlemere Surreal, Tremadog
Internal Combustion, Raven Ullswater +No Holds Barred, Tremadog
Fingerlicker Direct, Tremadog
Liquid Engineering, Raven Ullswater A Midsummer Nights Dream
Sixpense, Langdale Unleashing the wild Physique, Pass
Das Kapital, Thirlmere Lord of the Flies, Pass
Bucket City, Dove crag The Wrath of Khan, Pass
Pail Face, Dove Crag New Era, Pass
Woodhouses Arete, Dow Crag Pretty Girls Make Graves, Pass
Alchemy, Pass
Potency, Cwm Silyn
The Silver Usurper, Bodlyn, Rhinogs
Paths of Victory, Dow Crag Rainbow of Recalcitrance, Dinorwic
Stage Fright, Hodge Close quarry Naked Before the Beast, Dinorwic
Hells Wall, Borrowdale Sombre Music, Dinorwic
Defying Destiny, Stanage Leafstorm, Nesscliffe
Crypt Trip, Stanage Strangers, Craig Llong, Pemboke
Salmon Left, Bamford All or Nothing, Barcud, Pembroke
Block & Tackle, Higgar Tor
Crème de la Crème, Yarncliffe Fear no Evil, Range West
Adam Smiths Invisible Hand, Millstone Grezelda Grezelda, Pembroke
Perplexity, Millstone Obsession Box, Pembroke
Messiah, Burbage south Big in America, Pembroke
Mickey Finn, Gardoms Hunter Killer, Pembroke
Make it Slappy, Gardoms Souls, Pemboke
Barriers in Time, Roaches
Master of Reality, Hen Cloud White Hotel, Pembroke
Linden, Curbar Little Hunt, Pembroke
Eye of the Tiger, Dovedale +Free Masonry, Pembroke
Coronary Country, Sharpnose Orange Robe Burning, Pembroke
Hellbound, Smoothlands Oranges & Lemons, Pembroke
Absolution, Bosigran +Great White, Pembroke
Morgawr, Bosigran Ghost Train, Pembroke
Demolition, Sennen Crimes of Passion, Pembroke
Caveman, Berry Head The Empire Strikes Back, Pembroke
Emergency Ward Ten,Lundy Chasing Shade, Pembroke
+Watching the Ocean, Lundy
Voyage of the Acolyte, Lundy
Chase the Ace, Lundy
Ex-Cathedra, Lundy
The Price of Admission, Lundy
Ryan on the brilliant Free Masonry, possibly the best on this list
Robins wanting Ryan to hurry up on pitch 2 of Conan
The Rainbow slab, home to some of the best
2 idiots on the belay of hellbound. This is best done in one pitch as the belay consists of 2 old pegs you can back up with skyhooks. First pitch has loads of good wires
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