DOSEDcoUK's video: Crescent Climb Pavey Ark POV Freesolo

16th July 2016 ~ 6pm Ascent of Crescent Climb, Pavey Ark (Langdale, Lake District). Grade M / 3(S) Perhaps the 'easiest' route on Pavey Ark wall aside from Easy Gulley and Jacks Rake.. but for all it is a grade less than Tower Ridge on Ben Nevis (D), this short ~200ft route entails a lot more risk and demands protection to a greater extent. My first ascent of Crescent Climb, unprotected and in approach shoes... hence the time spent carefully (and sometimes profanely) deciding if continuing is acceptable and which of generally one or two potential moves to make. My GoPro doesn't pick up audio well with the full back cover on, most the talking was for my own benefit, I was going to try to avoid speaking altogether as it sounds strange muffled through the GoPro casing. As for the route - the first 140ft feet ascends steep up the rib aside the gulley to the left, and the treacherous Crescent Slabs to the right. Once up on the rib, the slabs are absolutely not an escape option, and the gully is heavily vegetated with large steps in rock behind... possibly a riskier option for escape than downclimbing the ascent route on the rib (this will be extremely difficult and you can feel that after the first 5 mins of ascending it). Basically, the route is extremely committing with both escape and retreat perilous options. The first 140ft of the rib has basically no ledges or steps that offer any comfort to the exposure... after that, you get an uncomfortable glance at the traverse above Crescent Slabs - the imposing overhang adding to the drama, as well as the drenched slabs which roll off the edge to what you've witnessed all the way up as a 150ft effectively vertical drop. The final 50ft or so to the traverse has patches of vegetation, and you can decide whether you wish to remain about your own body height below the overhang, or go right up to it then descend a few steps to access the slabs traverse. The start of the traverse allows for the few flakes of rock between the slabs and the overhang to be held with hands (checking they are entirely solid), taking a good part of your body weight with your arms as the footholds, mostly only accommodating of the toes, are small, smoothed and wet and releasing whole body weight on them may just result in slipping off. The next couple of moves are just very committing, getting solid purchase from the next handhold, checking it is stable, then doubling up and either switching or crossing over with the footholds. Past that, a welcome shelf big enough to sit on lets you lean against the overhang and dangle your feet, in my case I shuffled across that for a foot or two, and then the slabs have more footholds, less slope and it is pretty much straight forward up to meet Jacks Rake at the tree.