Charlie Woodburn adds Something's Burning to Pembroke

Another E9 has been added to the famous trad haven Pembroke in Wales where at the wild Stennis Ford close to the famous Huntsman's Leap English climber Charlie Woodburn recently made the first ascent of Something's Burning E9 7a. The new line climbs the large gab between two existing routes, Mercia Wall (E8) and Internationale (E7) and while the lower section is well protected, the upper section takes tiny wires where a fall is best avoided. This explains why Woodburn, in an attempt to describe the route in different terms, stated it's a "F8a+/8b pulse racer"

Woodburn had spied the line in spring last year and managed to top rope it clean in October, but work commitments, route conditions and high tides dashed all hopes until last June.

Woodburn's success is all the more relevant and worth celebrating because the 38-year-old suffers from Ankylosing Spondylitis, a chronic inflammatory disease which affects the joints between the spinal bones. For those wishing to find out more check out www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ankylosing_spondylitis


Charlie Woodburn's select climbs
2012 - Something's Burning E9 (1st ascent) (Pembroke)
2011 - Once Upon A Time In The South West E9 (2nd ascent) (Dyers Lookout)
2011 - Apophenia E8 (2nd ascent) (Glen Finnan, Scotland)
2011 - Do You Know Where Your Children Are? E8 (3rd ascent) (Pembroke)
2010 - The Walk Of Life E9 (4th ascent) (Dyers Lookout)
2008 - Daddy Cool E8 (2nd ascent) (Pembroke)
2007 - Ariel Song E8 (1st ascent) (Lundy)
2004 - San Simian E8 (1st ascent) (Pembroke)
2003 - Meshuga  E9 (Black Rocks)
2002 - Grey Area E8 (1st ascent) (Curbar)
2001 - Obsession Fatale E8 (Roaches)
2000 - Harder Faster E9 (1st ascent) (Black Rocks)
1998 - Gaia E8 (Black Rocks)
1998 - End Of The Affair E8 (Curbar)

Thanks to: DMM and Sterling Rope