Brown's Eliminate, Froggatt Edge, Peak District
E2 5b
Brown's Eliminate is a classic frightener from the 1940s which takes an
uncompromising line up a very clean and steep wall at the right-hand end
of Froggatt Edge. There's limited gear on the route and it's a popular
solo for the very confident. Joe Brown left his mark on Froggatt with a
number of classic routes including Brown's Eliminate, Valkyrie (HVS),
Pedestal Crack (HVS) and the awesome Great Slab (E3 5b). Whillans
contributed other classics like Chequers Crack (HVS 5c) and Cave Crack (E2
5c). Between them, the Rock and Ice pair made the first ascents of some of
the best routes on the crag.
Brown's Eliminate begins with a few moves up the
classic Hard Severe corner of Green Gut before an obvious leftwards
traverse line is reached. Place some gear in the corner and balance
carefully along the traverse heading for the left-hand arete of the face.
On a windy day this traverse can be quite exciting and the climbing
is about 5a standard. Once at the arete, place some gear down by your feet
and take a minute to relax before starting the upper half of the route.
Brown's Eliminate is as much about your head as your ability to crank and
you want to be tackling the upper section in a relaxed frame of mind. Many
people feel that the crux moves are the ones off the ledge and there is
one particularly thin move here. The holds are positive and you've just
got to crimp hard and stay in balance. Slowly pull up and spot the next set of crimps on the
wall. Think about your sequence and try to use your feet properly. Slowly
you're making progress up the wall and the gear's getting further away.
Just keep focused and think about your balance and hanging those small
edges. The holds are positive
all the way to the top as you drift slightly left towards the arete. Some
of the holds at the very top are slightly friable so it's worth treating
them with a lot of care. Pull over the top with your heart in your mouth
and celebrate a great lead!
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