The Wade Stevens guide names one Paul Griffiths killed on the first pitch in 1962. Is it a warning? A
commemoration? or merely a fact? Its hard to know what to think when guide books have this sort of
information. In the case of Walhalla, I am filled with fear and self doubt when contemplating an ascent.
However I know that dozens more people have died on routes such as Obituary. I am not filled with
much fear and only the usual levels of general self doubt when leading that route.
I think my point is that Walhalla could be a mega classic that nobody has repeated because it gets a
hand and a death in the guide book. Lots of routes get hands for little more than having suss rock for a
few metres, or one loose block. or perhaps by mistake where there should be star. War of the roses
gets a jolly roger in the SRC book, and a hand in Wade's, but apart from some giant well keyed in
blocks the only major danger there is if your belayer doesnt deem it necessary to back up the original
sling and peg anchor.
So I think my actual point is that we should climb Walhalla because it's reputation as a sandy
horrorshow is obviously inaccurate. and we should burn all the guidebooks
In Fact I just looked it up in the SRC book, not only does it get neither a skull or a hand hand nor any
other part of the body but it reads like a walk in the park.