Reclimbing the Classics: Hubble, the world’s first 8c+

When "young hot shot" Ben Moon, just 23 years old, tried out the "Hubble" route for the first time in 1989, he didn't quite realise what he was in for. The route line existed already, but the first two bolts were conquered by hook-climbing. Climbing these first few metres freely was a great challenge. Two roofs, apparently without holds for hands or feet! There were sideholds and underclings, all of them tiny. Ben had shocked the French in 1989 with his first ascents of "Acincourt" (Buoux) and "Maginot Line" (Volx), then the most difficult climbing route of France – and not only there. Putting together the moves needed for "Hubble" was another thing! Ben managed the individual moves, but redpoint was far out of reach. He had to work at his maximum strength. He rebuilt the individual moves of the route in his basement and practised them over and over again with his friend Jerry Moffatt and a young Scottish climber named Malcolm Smith. This was the birth of the moonboard, an artificial climbing wall for boulderers with a very narrow screwing grid and adjustable inclination –one of the pillars of Ben Moon's company "Moonclimbing" today.

Ben needed eight days to manage the long-desired passage of "Hubble", his most difficult climb ever. The climbing world had its first 8c+! Ben remembers: "This route was much more difficult than anything I did before. I classified 'Hubble' as E9/7b. This was probably the first route in England that was classified with the technical grade of 7b.

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It took a year till Malcolm Smith, a 19-year-old Scot who worked and trained for the route with Ben Moon, re-climbed „Hubble“. Until today  only three other climbers - John Gaskins, Steve Dunning and Steve McClure, all of them Brits – have been able to put together the complex moves into a redpoint ascent of "Hubble". This proves that this route is one of the great milestones in the history of sports climbing.

Even more impressive, however, is the fact that people like Adam Ondra or Alexander Megos failed at conquering "Hubble". In retrospect, Ben Moon thinks that Güllich's "Action Directe" from 1991, the first route assessed at 9a and tried by Ben in 1992 until he injured himself just before making it, could be on a level with "Hubble". He's not alone there. Mammut athlete Sean McColl had troubles climbing "Hubble" as well. The situation wasn't perfect, though, and the time he had was limited. It is probably only a matter of time before Sean will again stand below the raven's rock to climb through "Hubble", this unique route with First Ascent.

Interview with climber Ben Moon:

1. Back in 1990, when you redpointed „Hubble“ and rated it E9/7b which corresponds with a 8c+ today , did you already realize what you had managed?
The year before, I had already redpointed a couple of 8c’s in France. I already knew that “Hubble” was more difficult than all my hardest lines like “Acincourt” or “Maginot Line”. That’s why I rated it E9/7b. It was the first route in Great Britain that was given a 7b as technical difficulty (Comment: The British E-grade system is an estimation of the overall difficulty while the technical difficulty refers to the most difficult sequence of moves). How difficult the route will be in fact, will be layed down with time and repetitions.

2. Today, „Action Directe“ is considered the first 9a; some people however would say that „Hubble“ maybe plays in the same league? You made some attemptst to climb “Action Directe” ...
Today, I would agree that „Hubble“ could well be in the same grade as “Action Directe” which I tried to climb in 1992. Although I was not able to redpoint “Action”,  I almost managed to climb it. At that time, it was very cold and I strained my fingers so hard in one of the ascents that I had problems with finger pocketsstill many years after; that’s also the reason why I did not return to try “Action” later. Maybe in my next life? (laughs)

3. You knew Wolfgang quite well; what would you say about him after 30 years?
Wolfgang was an amazingly talented climber, one of the best in the world who made ground-breaking ascents around the world: not only hard sport climbs but bold solos and long bold multi-pitch climbs in the big mountains. But he was also an incredibly generous and gentle person. I first met him back in 1984 in La Palud on a climbing trip with Jerry. He took one look at my worn out 9mm rope which I had been using as a single rope and gave me one of his new ones to use and keep. That was Wolfgang, not only a great climber but a kind and generous person too.

4. Back then, you trained specifically for „Hubble“and used to rebuild the individual moves on your so-called „woodies“; these “woodies”, have been the start for today’s Moon Boards?
The Moon Board is based on the simple wooden training boards which we built and trained in the 90s. The board has been designed and built in a systematic way so that the people who have a Moon Board can share training problems with other Moon Board users anywhere in the world. It’s pretty cool.

5. You and Jerry Moffatt, the two of you are often mentioned in the same context; do you remember when you first met him?
I do remember very well! This was in North Wales; as a kid I had read a lot of stories about Jerry and Ron Fawcett; Ron used to be my hero when I was a kid, Jerry was this young hot shot who was able to climb everything. Well, it was in Pen Trwyn, a climbing centre at that time. I had been walking up this country lane when I saw this bloke up there in the rope, shouting. The story was that his friend, Andy Pollitt, had decently sand bagged him by sending him in a route with sharp holds although Jerry had asked for a route with smooth holds that would not hurt his torn finger skin. Yes, this was the first time we met and our long lasting training and climbing friendship started

6. Did you try the „Hubble“ moves together?
Yes, of course! And we motivated each other. Jerry had been quite close to redpoint the route but when I managed to do it first, he seemingly lost his motivation and stopped trying further.

7. Have the two of you been competitors?
I’ve known Jerry for 30 years and we are good friends. We climbed and trained together a lot when we were young but we also did our own thing. I think it’s great to have a training partner or »sparring« partner as they say in boxing because it helps to drive you on to try harder. However we are both very competitive and over the years we’ve had our fights but we have always made up. At the end of the day good friendships are more important than climbing, I think!

8. Jerry was quite successful in the climbing competitions then; what was your approach to competitions?
Well, I kind of enjoyed the competitions but I was never really able to focus on them. I had much more fun climbing on natural rock, both redpointing and bouldering, just spending time outdoors.

9. In 2006, you left another scent mark with „Voyager + sit start“ (FB 8b+); till now this boulder, seemingly the most difficult boulder in Gritstone, has not been repeated; was this the first 8b+ boulder?
I don’t think it was the first 8b+ boulder because »Hubble« could well be 8b+ and I also did another hard boulder in the Peak District back in the 90’s which is also unrepeated and  probably 8b+. However »Voyager« is very hard and took me many tries over two or three years. The holds are very small, it’s not possible to have many tries in a session and you also need tob e in a very good condition to climb it. I think a few good climbers have tried it but maybe they haven’t found the focus to do it yet.

10. For some time you took climbing easier; how come you showed up later again?
After redpointing „Voyager“, I kind of lost my motivation for climbing. This had been the hardest climb I ever did in my whole life. In fact, I spent less time climbing. But then, last year, when I was out for a walk around Malham Cove and saw a young climber there, trying to climb Steve McClure’s E9, I thought: “That’s mad!” So the motivation came back. Last year, I spend a lot of time climbing, but today work takes up quite a bit of my time. But it’s fine!

11. What would you like to say to novice climbers?
Oh my god that’s a big question because it seems like there is so much you could say. Looking back I can tell you that life passes by very quickly and even though it might be a cliché, you really must »seize the day«. It’s not really important how hard you climb but how hard you try. Follow your heart and give everything you have because you don’t want to look back and regret that you didn’t give more.

Interview with Mammut Pro Team Athlete Sean McColl:

1. How would you characterize »Hubble« as a climb; especially in comparison with the modern hard climbs?
Hubble is harder than most modern climbs because it revolves around such physically hard moves. Lots of routes nowadays are longer, involve fitness and recovery. Hubble is merely a boulder problem on a rope. 

2. Ben rated »Hubble« as 8c+;what would you say?
Back in 1990 when he did it, he was pushing climbing to the new limits so the 8c+ grade was appropriate. Now the moves are a bit harder but the 8c+ grade is still iconic.

3. You couldn’t redpoint the route; isn’t it a challenge for you to come back and do this as the first non-Brit?
I’d love to go back and try to redpoint this route. I wouldn’t do it to become the first non-Brit but rather just to redpoint such a big piece of climbing history.

4. What is so special about »Hubble« that there are just four successful reclimbs of it?
The moves on »Hubble« are hard to work; your body must be close to the rock which is why it’s hard to start from a hang. The conditions are also hard to cope with; it must be cold, not wet but rather sticky. All of those things combined are hard to come by with the UK weather.

5. Have you had heard about »Hubble« before the Mammut-action »Reclimbing the Classics«?Was it a goal for you to climb this legendary route?
Coming from a North America background, I had not heard of the route »Hubble« before it was presented to me. After I was given the task, I immediately researched it and was very happy with what I found. The route is hard, straight forward, easy access and of course the iconic first 8c+ of the planet.

6. You met Ben the first time; what do you think about him? How would you characterize him?
It was great finally getting to meet a climbing legend. I remember when I was a kid growing up hearing stories of him but because he was mostly in Europe I never had the opportunity to meet him. Ben has a relaxed, humble and focused character. What impressed me the most was that after watching a few videos of him from the past, when I met him it felt like I was talking to that same person.