Orme and the Old School

Have been hammering the cave since my last post trying to get back into shape. When you can't do the sections of your project you have to go back to basics: Rockatrocity, Lou Ferrino etc... It has been quite useful getting used to these again as they are integral parts of some of the links i want to do when i'm going well. Also managed to get into Broken Heart from The Wire and almost managed the magic hat trick the other day (RA/LF/TC). Today i was back up to speed and back on redpoint thank the lord! Had quite a few good go's, almost getting to the shot once or twice. Its full steam ahead now to good climbing form, i have a strong desire to experience that feeling of climbing well at your limit and ultimately ticking things at your limit. I can just about remember what that feels like. Belayed Pete on Masterclass, this Moffatt route on Mayfair Wall was graded 7c+ but is regarded as 8a these days. Pete had a bit of a tussle with the crux move describing it as 'hard'. It got me thinking, everything from the 80s and early 90s is fuckin nails and the grades are very stiff compared to modern grades. Pete had just come back from Kalymnos where he had onsighted 8a, he said the difference was significant. He also did an 8b in Greece on the quick, think he's had about 3/4 sessions on Youthanasia, Steve Mayers 8b which Pete descirbed as 'as intense as Melancholie but halfway up the crag'! And then there is Oyster, Jerry's 7c+ on Mayfair, Jesus for 7c+ this is something else. Makes Mussel Beach and Rodney God 8a on the Cutaway look like a 7b+. It seemed to me that out of the 3 hard routes on Mayfair it could be the case that Oyster 7c+ is the hardest and my route Masterplan the easiest. Dyer assured me thats this isn't the case but there is definetely two grading systems at work on the Ormes and probably in Britain.

pic of Gav on Pill Thrill 7a+: