Matthew Wright repeats the lexicon, E11 for commercial climbing in England

Interview with 23-year-old British climber Matthew Wright after the fourth ascent in the lexicon, the E11 commercial climb at Pavey Ark in the Lake District, launched by Neil Gresham in the summer of 2021.

On May 19, 23-year-old Matthew Wright repeated the lexicon at Pavey Ark in the Lake District. First climbed by Neil Gresham in the summer of 2021, this slightly graded track is rated E11 7a and therefore one of the toughest commercial climbs in the UK. This was repeated by Steve McClure and Dave MacLeod who have an excellent history of commercial climbing, unlike Wright who managed to reach the top in no time. thus.

Meanwhile, Matthew told us about it dictionary
dictionary It is a method that gives nothing. I was attracted by his hearing and I wanted to see what was going on around him. I’ve always admired Neil Grisham, and since he’s so praised this way, I knew one day I’d give it a try. After I moved to the Lake District recently, I knew I had to do it!

First impressions?
During my first streak landing, my initial reaction was “This is not safe!”. The path ends with an impossible wall, free of cracks, with the smallest of chambers, and consists of small cracks and shallow holes without the possibility of placing commercial protection. My gut feeling was that it was going to be a massive challenge and I was completely dreaded by the massive 25-30m drop to the core. Such a fall from the top is likely to lead to a fall to the ground, since the cliff is about 30 meters high.

But have you started working on it?
I spent about 6 sessions trying dictionary5 of which were upper sling sessions, and during the 6th session I climbed the lower path on my first real attempt.

In the past, I would have scaled up to 8c+, and maybe even 9a, with repetition Hubble At Raven Tor in 2020. Tell us about your business background
Trad is the whole experience for me, it includes all the great points that make climbing so good for me. Exposure, complexity, and beauty, all in one great experience. I climbed my first real E8 in March, then climbed my first E8 in April, Akimen At Dumbarton Rock in Scotland. and now dictionary, which is much more difficult and much more dangerous. both ways, dictionary And Akimenmeans a lot because it is completely new to me and the experience felt completely raw and stimulating.

Frequently asked question: What safety measures are in place while climbing?
Yes, I put in all climbing protections for both Achemine and dictionary. Ethics and honesty are fundamental to our beautiful sport. Personally, I don’t think pre-positioned guards should be allowed on commercial climbs. I know a lot of people who have previously put sky hooks on trade routes and I personally don’t think that should be allowed.

Back to iteration: How close is it to your limit?
I think that dictionary It was the perfect level for me. It was hard enough to force myself to be fully focused, I could do it almost every time with the top rope, and it was just a matter of keeping my nerve while climbing from the bottom.

It’s easier said than done!
It offers an 8b+ climb, with a very serious fall from the core right at the top. The last methods of protection are a little over the middle of the road, so it is absolutely not recommended to fall into the last movements of the cross! So you need to be able to smoothly climb 8b+ and make sure you don’t fall off the core. This is made more difficult by the unsafe climbing and small struts in the final section.

Any other ideas?
Great respect to Neal, for recording such a line at the age of fifty! dictionary It’s a perfect way!