Hell's Gate, Kenya - Olympian
Olympian, HVS and A1 or A2 if you have big oversized fists, 175m, **, Ian Howell, Iain Allen, Phil Snyder and Roger Harper, 1972. Iain Allen started climbing quite young and was attracted to Hell's Gate and to the unclimbed central main wall. But the big cracks were difficult to protect and it was a several years before he managed to make the ascent. He was heard to say soon after the ascent - we did not climb it earlier as we did not have big nuts then! The climber is on the crux off-width hand jam - big hands or big nuts is the answer. Above can be seen the bulge behind which the finishing chimney is located. |
