On Thursday last, Drew Haigh pulled the crux of Mark Leach’s 1988 Malham test-piece, Cry Freedom (F8b+) to join the handful of climbers who have succeeded were all else have failed to get closure. Drew was understandably chuffed and happily shared his delight with those at the crag. In a quirk of faith, I was at Malham in 1988 when Leach ended his monumental 46 day siege and I recall that his were truly Cries of Freedom! Drew, by comparison, took a mere six redpoints over five days to nail the route.

The conditions at Malham on Thursday were, it has to be said, quite superb, though strangely the crag wasn’t busy. Gone were the hot, still conditions and midges so typical of late - replaced by a cool breeze which blasted the crag. Having dropped the crux on Tuesday, Drew arrived back for a re-match and was clearly in no mode for messing about. Warming up by putting the draws in looked like a statement of intent to me! His first blast was a solid piece of climbing – though the crux remained elusive and Drew got more air time for his efforts. His second burn was the one though; he looked totally solid all the way and nailed the crux like it didn’t exist. Result!

Cry Freedom draws plenty of attention from Malham devotees but few succeed. Indeed the list of those that have pulled onto the hallowed ground beyond the crux from the ground is reckoned to still be in single figures. Leach’s own ascent was an historic and brutal siege – a true tour de force and a testament to his tenacity. At the time it was one of the hardest routes in the country and one of the first of its grade (F8b+). And there remains amongst the activists, comments and rumours that Leach’s original sequence is brick-‘ard and knocking on the door of F8c! Early (and fast) repeats came from Malcolm Smith, Ben Moon and John Dunne but none were quite as memorable as that from Frenchman Jean Baptiste Tribout (a.k.a. JB) who according, to sport climbing folklore, famously dispatched Cry Freedom in four or five consecutive days amidst a monster multi-day climbing spree. Rumour has it that JB’s comments at time rocked those in the know when he dismissed Cry Freedom adding (by way of explaining his failure on Mecca – the UK’s other F8b+ climbed at that time by Martin Atkinson) ‘in the UK it is only Mecca that is hard’ or words to that effect!

Whatever, JB said or did, or whatever anyone else has said or done, ticking Cry Freedom is a major repeat so good effort Drew. Drew btw, make chalk bags for a living - and damm fine chalk bags they are too! Get them from him direct at http://www.chalk-bags.com/index.html.

Drew on the lower and middle wall of Cry Freedom…