Central Buttress.  5.9

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Type:  Trad, 6 pitches, 405 feet Consensus:  5.9 [details] FA:  S.W.Herford, G.S.Sanson, C.F.Holland. April 20th 1914 Submitted By:  USBRIT on Dec 22, 2009 You & This Route  |  Other Opinions (1) Your todo list: Your stars: Your rating: -none- [change] Your ticklist: [add new tick]

Henry Barber on the Great Flake ,Central Buttress,...

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Description 

One of the Lake Districts most famous climbs,well ahead of its time . It was not until 1956 with the ascent of Post Mortem in Borrowdale that a new era in grades was seen in the Lake District. Located on Scafell Crag.Starts right of a short rocky step in the path below the crag,about 30' left of the chimney of Moss Gill. P1)Ascend a narrow ramp leftwards to a belay.50'5.6.P2)Climb up and traverse to a crack which leads to the left end of a large ledge. Move right to a belay below the obvious flake. 80'5.6.P3)Easily up to the foot of the Great Flake ,continue to a sloping ledge on the left.Traverse left using an horizontal crack onto the face of the flake ,continue to the crest of the flake . Follow flake left to a good ledge. (Jeffcoats ledge).80'5.9.P4) Walk along the ledge and climb an easy ramp to block belays.60' 5.5.P5).Descend slightly and traverse delicately right past a pinnacle into a corner .Up the corner and traverse right to the V-ledge. 50'5.7.P6)Climb thin crack and gangway on the left for about 15' and then traverse right into a corner.Climb the corner to the top ,exit leftwards.

Location 

Scawfell Crag .see FRCC guide to Scawfell,Wasdale and Eskdale.

Protection 

Normal rack ,stoppers and cams

Photos of Central Buttress. Slideshow

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The Flake on the First Ascent 1914

Climbers on the Central Buttress route 5.9 in 1920...