Wright makes fourth ascent of Lexicon (E11 7a)
- Sunday 22nd May 2022
Mathew Wright continues his trad mission with the fourth ascent of Lexicon (E11 7a) at Pavey Ark.
In the past, Mathew Wright’s name has been more associated with sport climbing. In autumn of 2020, he unlocked Hubble (F9a) making the ninth ascent of the uber power test-piece at Raven Tor. Somewhat controversially, his ascent involved the use of a knee pad; shortly afterwards, Buster Martin followed suit. Click here for our report on Wright’s ascent and his thoughts on the use of a knee pad.
Recently however Wright’s focus has switched up somewhat; alongside sport climbing and bouldering he’s been including more and more trad climbing. Wright has also charted his trad progress on his Instagram page. Not surprisingly, given the additional ‘head game’ involved in top-end trad, Wright’s progress up the grades hasn’t always been plain sailing and he’s been ‘denied’ success on some of the gnarly ‘crop routes’ routes he’s attempted.
As spring has progressed this year, however, Wright has moved up a gear with increasingly harder and harder trad routes. Putting earlier difficulties aside, Wright ticked off Disorderly Conduct (E8 6c F7b/+), Adam Hocking’s 1997 route at Recastle Crag, Borrowdale. “I’m glad that this one went down much more smoothly, recovering both my ego and will to live ?” Wright said afterwards clearly referring to earlier trad outings during which he’d not committed to. Summing up his success on Disorderly Conduct Wright said: “This climb sums up what I love most about climbing. Sustained crimpy holds, gently overhanging and runout for extra spice ?” Since then, Wright has gotten much more of that with his recent routes.
By mid-April Wright continued his journey notching up an impressive repeat of Dave MacLeod’s 2001 Dumbarton test-piece, Achemine (E9 6c/F8b). Despite difficulties on the crack climbing on Chemin de Fer (E5 6b) up which Achemine begins, Wright pressed on and by his third day was able to commit to a lead attempt. That didn’t quite work out however and Wright collected a 15m fall off the final crux on the headwall for his troubles! Undeterred, Wright returned to get the fifth ascent of Achemine on his next day on.
Last week, however, Wright projected his trad game to the highest levels making the fourth ascent of Lexicon (E11 7a). Wright’s ascent of Neil Gresham’s 2021 Pavey Ark test-piece is, by some margin, his hardest trad lead yet given it features both a massive run-out and F8b+ climbing.
Wright, like many top climbers it seems, was attracted to Lexicon the moment news of Neil Gresham’s first ascent hit: “From my first hearing of Lexicon through the legend Neil Gresham (@neil.Gresham), I have wanted to climb it. Suiting my strengths but also pushing hard at the walls around my comfort zone. A perfect exam of mental strength, commitment and physical ability. It would be the logical progression for my trad climbing.”
As reported, click here, Dave MacLeod utilised some micro-gear on the crucial headwall run-out. Wright, however, opted not to use this preferring instead to press ahead with the climbing and keep more in reserve rather than to expend energy placing what is considered marginal gear.
“Nerve endings on fire, fear eating away at every muscle; yesterday I pulled over the top. An experience I’ll remember for the rest of my life.” Wright said after his fourth ascent. Wright has now added his name to the list of all-rounders who have succeeded on both hard sport and trad climbs.
Follow Mathew Wright on Instagram here.