In the spring of 1914, Herford, with three companions, climbed the Central Buttress of Scafell, negotiating the crux—the notorious Flake Pitch—after reconnoitering the difficulties from above, as well as below. (Herford was an advocate of downclimbing, and wrote an article—The Doctrine of Descent—published in the 1913 Fell & Rock Climbing Club Journal.) Although some combined tactics were employed, the climb was a substantial benchmark in British rock climbing, coming in at HVS (5.9).