Thirlmere Eliminate

Bloody hell – that top pitch is a sandbag! We’ve backed off Thirlmere Eliminate before (see this link) when we found the sloping ledge below the final crux pitch running with water. So, to put things straight we went back…

The first two pitches are no push over. The first is easy climbing with poor protection, I used just three slings over various spikes – two of which fell off as I climbed above them, but thankfully I’d reached big holds. The second is much harder (in my humble opinion) than the suggested 4c, more like 5a.

As for the final crux pitch. Desperate! First I climbed past the only protection (a hard to place – certainly for the short – Rock 3 in an open sided slot) and it fell out! A careful down-climb, using much of my waning strength, saw me back at the belay cursing and thankful to be alive. With the Rock replaced (and better seated) off I went again. Not expecting to find myself in a desperate layback position, only just hanging onto the greasy holds and struggling to regain balance above a single piece of protection that I hardly trusted…

A good route, but perhaps a little undergraded? Yesterday’s E3 was easier!