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General Climbing Discussion

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What's the scariest lead that you've ever done? 19-Feb-2018 At 6:08:45 PM JimmyS

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Pebble Mill E5/6b at Burbage.

The start is a precarious layback above very point rocks, which my belayer looked hopeless against if I was to swing off! Then the first gear was two .1 at the halfway point in a horizontal. I thought this was alright, I then preceded to mantle past them and kick them out! (They were shallow placements!).
Stuck in a position of irreversible climbing I couldn’t get the gear back in.

I was then confronted with the crux, which was a balance step and press to a mega jug and a .75 cam placement. But shit, my knees were not really helping... I was basically frozen to my stance... it was either stick the crux, or fall and break my legs (at least..). My belayer asked if I wanted to call for a top rope, but I didn’t think I could really wait in my small little stance for that long! So I took 5 breathes, stepped high and pressed.. and managed to latch the jug, I’ve never placed a cam and clip it as quick as that!

Absolutely terrifying!!