Alex Moore makes coveted second ascent of Smiling Buttress (Font 8B)

• Wednesday 8th January 2025

Alex Moore has secured the coveted second ascent of Smiling Buttress, Curbar in the Peak District – over a decade after the first ascent.

Alex began his 2024/25 Peak grit campaign with an ascent of Robin Barker’s Stanage classic testpiece Unfamiliar (E7 6c/F7c) back in October. A trip to Font followed and then in November Alex repeated Ned Feehally’s modern bouldering classic, The Boss (Font 8B+) at Yarncliffe. Shortly after, and despite the first dump of snow for the winter, Alex ticked off a highball repeat of Screaming Dream (Font 8B) at Froggatt.

Taking advantage of a half-decent run of better days, Alex – having been working on Smiling Buttress at Curbar – successfully topped out securing the coveted second ascent. The long-standing problem had been tried by many top climbers – Ben Moon, Steve McClure and Ned Feehally amongst them - but was eventually solved by Tyler Landman in the winter of 2013.

Whilst Ben Moon speculated that it would be worth Font 8B/+ Tyler Landman declined to grade it saying:

"The climbing is an amazing blend of power and technique, revolving around two very slopey holds on a gently overhanging wall. It is a gritstone classic."

Like those before him, Alex Moore didn’t comment on the grade. However, grade notwithstanding, Smiling Buttress has assumed near legendary status as one of the hardest gritstone problems requiring highball skills as well as a very determined approach, a stack of pads and a suitably “belayed” spotter!

Previously, in spring 2024, Alex repeated James Pearson’s The Groove (E9 7b) at Cratcliffe. You can read about that here.