UKC

Neil Gresham recently teamed up with Belgian 9b-climber Anak Verhoeven to complete a 'Lakeland 8s' project in sub-24 hours, climbing a V8 boulder, an 8a sport route, a D8 dry-tool line, an E8 trad route and eight Wainwright hills in under 24 hours.

Read more

V8?

"V8?"

Well, if you add 3 to 8 you get V11 which equals 8A. I'd have thought that would be obvious.

That's the most unobvious piece of algebra I've ever seen!

The V8 bit does seem a bit awry to me.  Still sounds impressive, but looks like a little bit of a shortcut compared to Dave's.

(OK, two shortcuts.)

Now that would be newsworthy, a proper 8,s in the lakes round. It sounded unlikely enough in Scotland, but if it was ever done in the lakes that would be an insane lining up of the stars 

Neil's pretty openly described it as an "easier variant" of what Dave did. And as you've acknowledged, something directly comparable to the original probably isn't even possible in the Lakes anyway.

Challenges in this style are ultimately about picking pretty arbitrary targets that have some vague numerical pattern and are just about in reach of the individual in order to inspire an impressive all-round day in the hills. V8 ticks the "has an 8 in it" box and is still way harder than most climbers will ever boulder. I think it sounds like a pretty epic day and entirely newsworthy. Looking forward to seeing the film.

There were all kinds of arguments after Dave's challenge about how balanced or unbalanced the different 8s were as well.

Yes, the 8 Munros would be a real challenge.

From England by foot or bike, just a bit 😁

But if you widened it to 3000' entries in the DoBIH then there are 11 and I think the 3 subsidiary "summits" of Skiddaw could be quietly ignored - that would leave 8 - 4 summits, 4 tops

I'm not seeing 8 Wainwrights in the Coniston fells, only 7, or does the 8 include Holme Fell before/after messing around in The Works?

Regardless, sounds like a fun achievement.

Ha ! that's nothing, I arrived at work at 8 o'clock, I sat at my office desk for 8 hours, drank 8 cups of coffee, ate 8 packets of biscuits, put on 8 pounds, made 8 telephone calls, added another 8 things to my to-do list, did about 8 minutes of actual work, considered going to the wall (it was pissing down) for about 8 seconds before heading home where I 8 my dinner and fell asleep in front of the TV at 8 o'clock. That's 'real' commitment not just a nice day in the countryside ! 

Best post I've seen on UKC in a long while

I'm now considering the possibility of a Lakeland 6's day?

Any recs?

I'd need to cut out he dry tooling because that's silly. 

Dan Turner has done it. E8, 8A and 8a+ in a day. Given Dan has done a Bob Graham I dont think the 8 wainwrights would be a problem, The M8 might be though! 

If you can do 8a and 8A then you could warm up on M8 with your eyes closed at The Works! 

What no After 8’s

The beauty of these challenges is you can make them up yourself. Good to hear that Neil had an 8A in mind if the stars had aligned properly, but since they didn't quite, V8 seems a good easier alternative. Sounds like a great day out!

So he hasn't done it?  That is what was so magical and insane about Dave's effort. The fact that he got a grade 8 winter route in condition on the same day as the 3 bits of rock climbing

Dan’s predates Dave Mac 8’s by a few years and was very much a summer affair. 

Looxury! I used t'dreeeeeam of arriving at work at 8 o'clock [etc. etc.]

Admirably bonkers!

Brilliant.

Shame you dont work in Glasgow, commuted in on the M8.