Article Category Results

Moonrise Kingdom (E9 6b, 6c, 6a/b) rises up

15 May, 2017

James McHaffie and Dan Varian establish a major new multi-pitch route on Skye’s Coir’-Uisg Buttress. Initially attempted onsight, Moonrise Kingdom (E9 6b, 6c, 6a/b), turned out to be a far more difficult proposition than anticipated.

James McHaffie's Nightmare Inauguration (E8 6b)

23 January, 2017

On his return from a month sport climbing in Spain, McHaffie wasted no time in switching to adventurous trad mode, with the first ascent of Nightmare Inauguration (E8 6b), at Porth Dafarch South on Anglesey.

Stellar new Ogwen highball 8A/+

24 September, 2016

James McHaffie has climbed a striking highball arete, that is up there with the best of north Wales’ boulder problems. The Devil’s Blade (8A/+), is situated in a fine mountain setting, on an isolated block at the back of Cwm Idwal.

The Great Escape (E8) onsight

23 May, 2016

James McHaffie and Ryan Pasquill's first route on the Isle of Arran is one they'll be sure to remember, with an onsight of The Great Escape (E8 6b, 6c, 6b) on The Bastion, just below the summit of Cioch na h-Oighe.

McHaffie new route spree continues

16 May, 2016

James McHaffie has made the first ascent of the well-eyed line up the slabby face between the top pitch of Direct Route and Crosstie, on The Nose of Dinas Mot, to give what is likely to be the hardest pitch of climbing in the Llanberis Pass.

McHaffie adds E9 to Llanberis Pass

25 April, 2016

McHaffie continues his new route spree in north Wales with House of Talons (E9 6c) on Dinas Cromlech in the Llanberis Pass. Aside from the big grade the protection is also notable in that 12 skyhooks were used to protect the insecure climbing.

New Pass and Tremadog E7's by McHaffie

25 March, 2016

James 'Caff' McHaffie clearly has new routes on his mind at the moment. Following on from his recent first ascent of The Gravity Wave (E8 6c) at Trearddur Bay, he has established two more hard trad routes.

New Anglesey E8 for McHaffie

15 February, 2016

James McHaffie climbs a striking new line, The Gravity Wave (E8 6c), at Trearddur Bay, Anglesey. A counter diagonal to Chicama on the 'Face of Adversity'.

More Mournes hard trad action

27 June, 2015

James McHaffie's week in the Mournes has finished on a high with a no-falls ground-up second ascent of Ricky Bell's The Peace Line (E8 6c) at the Buzzard's Roost. Plus Ricky has updated us with details of his new E8 at the crag from a few days earlier.

Divided Years (E8 7a) ground-up

23 June, 2015

James McHaffie and Ryan Pasquill have repeated Divided Years (E8 7a) ground-up. Established by John Dunne in 1995 the route is one of the UK's most striking and famous hard trad routes.

Dawes' Coeur de Lion repeated 28 years later

10 April, 2015

James McHaffie and Pete Robins, have made the second ascent of the remarkable Coeur de Lion E8 7a on the Quarryman Wall, 28 years after it was established by Johnny Dawes.

Early season success for McHaffie on Megalopa

31 March, 2015

Having made the third ascent of Megalopa (8c+), at Lower Pen Trwyn, James McHaffie can cross off one of his goals for 2015. Megalopa breaks out right of The Walking Mussel (8b+). The new North Wales Limestone guidebook describes the 2011 route as turning: "…an already brilliant tussle into another stratosphere of quality and difficulty."

McHaffie solos 100 Lakeland extremes in a day

24 June, 2014

In an extraordinary effort, James McHaffie, has soloed 100 Lakeland extreme routes, up to E4, in a day. Starting with Central Buttress (E1) by headtorch at 3.40 a.m. he finished his hundredth route less than 20 hours later at Castle Rock.

A month in Patagonia

25 January, 2014

Tim Neill and James McHaffie are back after a little over a month spent enjoying (?) the southern summer in Patagonia.

First ascent of Satan's Scream (E8 6c)

15 November, 2013

Two pegs in an obvious thin crack on The Promontory below Red Walls, marked an old Gogarth project that hadn't seen much attention for over twenty years, until James McHaffie's successful ascent of Satan's Scream (E8 6c).

Caff gives The Ambassador (E8 7a) short shrift

02 October, 2013

Also in the Ogwen and a couple of days before Emma Twyford's ascent of Rare Lichen hit the news, James McHaffie climbed the three-star Milestone Buttress project on the Central Block. Caff went back with Pete Robins a few days later who gave it a flash attempt with the gear pre-placed.

Indian Face repeated three times in three days

12 July, 2013

The iconic and dangerous Indian Face (E9 6b/c) on Clogwyn Du'r Arddu gets three ascents in as many days. First up was James McHaffie on Tuesday and then Calum Muskett and George Ullrich in quick succession two days later. "There's not a runner on it I would trust to lower-off from," says McHaffie. 

McHaffie makes historic repeat

31 July, 2011

James McHaffie has written his name into British sport climbing history by making the first repeat of Carson's The Big Bang F9a at Lower Pen Trwyn, nearly fifteen years since it was established.