If 6 Was 9

‘One man’s E9 might well be another man’s E11’ was the controversial quote from Bill Birkett in last year's climbing film ‘Set In Stone’. I can't imagine which two men he was refering to.

[a lot of people would have assumed that this comment questions whether the first E11 was really that hard - particularly when Dave Birkett himself in a recently broadcast interview is questioning whether E10 really exists. The film maker Alastair Lee points out to me though, that this comment was in an interview shot way before the E11 movie came out, and is speculaton about whether Dave Birkett's routes might harder]

There has been plenty of speculation about how hard Dave Birkett's major routes in the Lake District really are. Inevitable speculation considering that they have remained unrepeated, some from as long ago as 1992. Just why that is the case is something of a mystery. Fashion? Convenience?

Dave MacLeod. If 6 Was 9. Video Still (Committed Volume 2)

I imagine though, that the claim that Dave MacLeod had ['tried'] Birkett's hardest route, 'If 6 Was 9' must have irked somewhat [because most people do interpret 'tried' - as therefore 'failed'.] The truth was that Dave called in and played on the route briefly on the way home after climbing Breathless earlier that day.

So perhaps it will come as no surprise to people that when the time came for Dave to think about visiting the Lake District, If 6 Was 9 was top of his list. In fact, the Hot Aches Team were on standby in early summer to go and shoot Dave there, but the weather window never materialised. But in the last week we all finally made it down there.

Dave MacLeod. If 6 Was 9. Photo Claire MacLeod

After a trying time on our last shoot in the Cairngorms, it was nice for normal service to be resumed. Although the route is extremely dangerous, the level of climbing, 8a+, was well within MacLeod’s comfort zone and so we got to film a really enjoyable ascent. The verdict on the grade; ‘solid E9’. As always, MacLeod’s writing provides a fascinating insight. You can read his perspective on his blog. For A great route to film too; we rigged a rope system taking the cameras way out from the crag into space. We also had the luxury of 4 cameramen on the shoot, so expect some killer footage.

Dave Brown moving up to filming position out from If 6 Was 9. Photo Claire MacLeod

This scene is just too late to make it into Committed Volume 1. That movie is now finished and away to be manufactured (watch this space). So now the filming for Committed Volume 2 is underway. More filming is lined up in the next few days. Maybe some time soon we’ll give ourselves a break huh?

Thanks to Matt Sharman and Nadja Stracey for coming out and filming... they have the honour of been the first people to earn a credit on Committed Volume 2.