Unlike Siobhan – HVS 4c – Lead Kernyk – HS 4b – Second Boysens Cracks – E2 5c – Lead (dnf)
Talk about the lull between storms. This was like climbing in the eye of the storm. Thursday was torrential, with full on gales and Saturday was a never ending downpour. Friday. Well Friday was dry and sunny as most Fridays have been this year. Its been very strange.
The highlight of the day was the pod of porpoise which roamed off the point and into the bay between Cribba Head and Logan Rock. The poor fisherman down below us didnt stand a chance. These critters really know how to catch fish and watching them ‘porpoise’ was wonderful.
Unlike Siobhan – The areteon the right of the chimney
In between this we got some top climbing in. I started on Unilke Siobhan an HVS which follows a set of overlaps up the arete on the left of the main face. Surprisingly I found this really enjoyable. I had to rely on the incredible grippy nature of the granite at Cribba (its very crystalline) as the route requires lots of smearing. Placing gear is tricky too, but its all there. Mind a fall into the gap might result in a few grazes.
OK. Now which way
Dave then got the chance to lead Kernyk. I remember from my own experience that its much harder than it first appears, especially in its upper reaches. Dave managed to contort himself into all the usual shapes the climb dictates, but as has been his forte over the past few months he climbed it in a contrlled and steady way.
Tom high on Kernyk
I dont think it will be long before he moves onto VS’s
Boysens Cracks
We finished on Boysens Cracks. I know I can lead this route, so why I f*#$k*d up so badly is beyond me. It was the crux move that undid me; I just didnt go for it and paid the price. I dont know why,. Pro’s good but my stamina was abit lacking. I’ll be back to do this and a number of the harder routes I’ve failed on recently. Time to get strong….
Gives an idea of how much Boysens Cracks leans out
Tom made a good fist of it making it to the top crack before tying his hands up in knots. A good route for a top rope and getting those fingers working.
Gives an idea of how much Boysens Cracks leans out
Dave on Boysens Cracks
Tom bridging up Kernyk. The only way.
Tom high on Kernyk
Ian beginning Boysens Cracks
Boysens Cracks
Kernyk
Dave moving up Kernyk
The crux of Kernyk
OK. Now which way
Dave contorting
jUST BEFORE THE AIRY MOVE OUT ONTO THE ARETE
Awkward gear placements on US
Nearing the massive chockstone on Unlike Siobhan
The crux on Boysens Cracks
Unlike Siobhan – The areteon the right of the chimney
Fly on the Wall – HS 4b – Lead Needle Arete – V Diff – Second
Toms firm belief that he would could to a bad end on his lead was founded in the good old Magpie superstition. Not that I’m immune from it; I too wave/salute Magpie’s when I see them, but Tom extended this a bit further than I normally do.
For all the fact a single Magpie signifies bad luck, it confined itself to our drive home where we ended up stuck in two road blockages due to accidents which made for a late day. The day itself was great, with The Dewerstone glowing gold in its autumn colours and the upper buttresses drying quickly making for good climbing.
View across to Fly on the Wall P2
I hadnt even heard of Fly on the Wall, but as we arrived at Raven Buttress it seemed the obvious route to pick. The first pitch is fine with a straight forward crack to negotiate, but for me its the second pitch which makes the route. Exposed with positive holds and reasonable pro it traverses under an overhang to a pumpy pull up into a finishing groove. Great fun!
Pitch 1 Needle Arete
Then it was Tom’s turn with all his superstitious baggage in tow. Needle Arete is a superb V Diff. We started on pitch two because of the damp, but this culminates in a strenuous pull up through a niche to a tree belay.
Damn Magpies!!
The next pitch initially looks unlikely at the grade. A right to left rising crack cuts across a steep and quite blank looking wall. For Tom this was the crux. However with good pro in, he cruised to the arete and the exposed finishing moves. Tom 1 – Magpie 0.
Tom completes the exposed top move on Needle Arete
As Fridays seem to be the best day for weather in 2012 we shouldnt have been suprised it held off right up to the point we left. Strange that. For such a wet year, Friday has proved as reliable as a clock for turning out dry. Lets hope it continues.
Tom completes the exposed top move on Needle Arete
Moaning Minnie – V Diff – Lead Strake – HS 4b – Top Rope Coiled Stick – HVS 5a – Lead Eternitys Few – VS 5a – Second
Stood on the gearing up platform shortly after our arrival it was hard to imagine we would be doing anything but heading for the Logan Rock Inn for a pint. Contrary to the forecast, there was drizzle and it was fairly persistant.
The traverse in.
I’ve never been one for giving up and so we decided to make our way over to the base of the lower tier climbs. This is a good warm up in its own right and in the wet with a bit of swell added, there was a bit of spice in the traverse.
Ian starts out on Moaning Minnie.
Erring on the side of caution Dave and I picked a Diff and V Diff respectively. Strangely, by time we got to the top the rain had stopped and the granite was drying fast. The rain didnt detract from Moaning Minnies qualities. Its a V Diff with good variety and it has a sting in the middle in the form of a narrow, skewed ramp. Climbing this with style is a major challenge as everything slopes the wrong way…. tricky.
Joe 'discovering' the narrow off balance ramp on Moaning Minnie
Dave meanwhile was making his way up Kellys Eye, the distinctive channel which bisects the main climbing area. So we all met at the middle tier platform. This gave Tom, Chris, Joe and Dave a chance to worm their way up Sloe Slab, the very different route with a crawl to finish. Having already done this I top rope Strake. I almost wish I hadnt. Its a bit grim, very overgrown and dirty. Without all the muck it might be a good route, but in this condition its best avoided.
The difficult start to Sloe Slab
Now Coiled Stick is very different. It has its moments with regard to dirt and moss, particularly on the middle crack, but overall its a great route. I cant deny that the middle section spooked me a bit. The pro would probably have been OK if the crack wasnt full of soil and weeds. Trying my best not to just rip everything out, I managed to eke out a few poor placements, but at no time did I think ‘That’s a bomber’. But the climbing is not hard at this point, just balancey.
The tricky middle crack
The top crack is a different proposition. Here the pro is good but the climbing much tougher as power starts to come into play. The damp conditions didnt help, but to be fair it was more a case of pushing on and getting established in the crack. Once I’d done this things became more manageable. Really pleased I did this one.
Ian on the tough top crack of Coiled Stick
Meanwhile Chris was on Porcupine. Given VS it is soft at the grade, but this doesnt detract from the quality of the climb. A great route which Dave and Tom thoroughly enjoyed as well.
Chris on the top section of Porcupine
We had time for another route (just) so Dave set off on the brilliant Iron Bells while Joe tackled the hard start on Eternitys Few. I knew Dave was in for a treat, but Joe’s route turned out to be good as well. The crux is a bold move about 6-7 metres up, probably why it is given 5a. It takes some working out and the slippy moss doesnt inspire you with confidence. A good lead by Joe.
Dave on Iron Bells.
Having to make our way back to the gearing up ledge, we ended up scattering across the crag. probably not a good idea as I spied Dave inching his way up what looked like hard territory. Joe needed a bit of help by Dave and Tom as he got stuck half way up a chimney. Maybe next time we’ll stick together. Chris and I traversed back on the lower slabs, back roping a dodgey wet decent crack and following the traverse back. main thing is we all arrived back safe just as we lost the light and trudged back to Penberth.
If you’d said the day would turn out this well at the start I wouldnt have believed you. Another stolen moment on Cornish granite.
Ian on the tough top crack of Coiled Stick
Dave on Iron Bells.
The traverse in.
Ian starts out on Moaning Minnie.
Dave on Kellys Eye
Joe ‘discovering’ the narrow off balance ramp on Moaning Minnie
Dave and Joe on the bottom tier
Joe completes Moaning Minnie
The difficult start to Sloe Slab
Chris on Sloe Slab
Chris contemplating the squeeze
Chris disappears into the ‘hole’ on Sloe Slab
The belay above Sloe Slab
Chris on the top section of Porcupine
The tricky middle crack
Chris high on Porcupine as Ian gets nervous on Coiled Stick
Chudleigh Rocks – South Face Inkerman Groove – VS 4c – Lead
Of the four people Tony and I spoke to at Chudleigh all mentioned the ‘polish’. I think this probably gave a good indication of what we could expect from the venue. Having said that all said how good the climbing was so there must be a balance somewhere.
Chudleigh Rocks isnt hard to find, but its nicely tucked away in the woods and feels quite isolated despite its proximity to the village. The climbs are fairly straight forward to identify, especially as Oesophagus, a destinctive crack E1 is one of the first you come across. The other climbers recommeded a couple of routes but the one that looked in best condition on what was a damp day was Inkerman Groove.
It was a good choice. The start was hideous, covering the same ground as the inappropriately named ‘Wogs’ and very wet and slippery. This was almost the crux for me, but I’ve never liked climbing in the wet. Once I reached the traverse everything became much more enjoyable. Its quite technical and exposed but just brilliant climbing. The groove continues the adventure capping off a very memorable climb.
I checked the comments in UKC later when I got home, and many consider this to be the best limestone VS in the country. As its the only one I’ve led I cant comment except to say I’d recommend it to anyone.
Clearly loads of climbing to be had
In a bid to avoid getting washed out on another climb (we’d ridden our luck a lot on this day) we decamped and headed up to Hound Tor for a mooch. This is a startling place, very moody in the late evening sun and packed full of good climbing. In the pub on our return Tony and I agreed we needed to return with the full crew for a days bouldering and to do the great looking suspension flake.
The suspension flake buttress
Speaking of the pub. What a starnge place. No power (you can hear the generator), full of youngsters (I mean twenty somethings, not just peole who are younger than me) and completely isolated in the middle of the moor. I wish I could remember its name….
Iron Bells – HS 4b – Lead Sloe Slab – V Diff – Lead Porcupine – VS 4c – Lead
Parking is a bit of a problem here although on this day we were lucky enough to be able to park on the campsite. Otherwise its a short walk from Penberth. I doubt that there is a lot in it really.
Our gearing up ledge after a thorny arrival
Pete and I rolled up not really knowing what to expect. I know that when you look at the crag it seems broken and disjointed, but after a couple of attempts we successfully managed to access the base of the cliffs via a very thorny and overgrown path. The next task was to get across to the main climbing area which is done by a series of traverses, a couple of which are quite airy, so you may want to rope up.
The bottom of Iron Bells
We started on Iron Bells, a climb very reminiscent of Anvil Chorus’s second pitch. In fact the crack is thinner, but its not as steep. However it’s a great pitch and loads of fun, especially the overhang which is taken directly on really positive holds. The granite feels grippy, probably a reflection of how little climbing this venue has seen over the years.
Eying up the squeeze on Sloe Slab
Pete and I were then faced with the next problem.To get back down to the lower tier involved some serious jungle bashing which we didnt fancy, so instead we decided to just keep going up. A great choice in fact as Sloe Slab turned out to be loads of fun. One for the rest of the group to have a go at and see if anyone can make the exit through the gap look elegant. Me and Pete failed big time.
Pete demonstrates the slug move
With the weather taking a turn for the worse (the sun had now disappeared and we were frozen) we launched for the top. Some poor route reading by me meant we did a sort of mixed route part of which at least was Porcupine, a VS. I had intended to tackle to enticing thin crack on the left of the upper slab, which would have been HVS but cold hands and impending hypothermia made me decide to just get up there as fast as I could.
Pete on the upper tier (Porcupine?)
So all in all a great venue. Each tier has a number of options all in the V Diff to HVS range and it should be a good return next week when we come back mob handed with a stay on Trevervan camp site thrown in.
The Armchair – HVS 5a – Lead Doorpost – HS 4b – Second
Pete, bless his cotton socks , had to be on his toe’s as I took to the air on Armchair. A silly mistake really. I missed the wet patch on what is a fairly polished route anyway. The result was unexpected flight time.
Ian on The Armchair
The start of Armchair is a real mental exercise. Ten years ago maybe the edges were a bit sharper and positive, but on this day everything seemed rounded and smooth. As it happened I negotiated the harder stuff and then fell off once things eased off. This though doesnt detract from the fact The Armchair is a top climb. It just get better and better the higher you go. Lots of tough exposed moves up the ramp add up to an exhilerating experience. One of my favorites.
Chris on the crux of P1 Paragon
Chris and Joe meanwhile tackled Zig Zag and Dave and Tom Doorpost. Because Pete and I took a little longer ( I had to strip some gear) by time we had finished lunch Chris and Joe has started off on Paragon. Shame they didnt take the guidebook, because they got lost on pitch three, missing the offwidth and ending up on Nameless. A lesson learned really in making sure a guide book is to hand on multi pitch routes. Still it means Chris and Joe have a target for the next time they go to Bosi.
Tom leading P1 Doorpost
I finished on Doorpost with Tom and Dave. Tom got his first experience of a Hard Severe on the lead. The big difference for him was placing gear on what is a tough traverse. Not sure Bosi had even heard of some of the language he used but Tom got there in the end for his first HS tick. Dave set off on P2. His confidence is brimming at the moment and it showed as he negotiated the crux move through the twin cracks on what must be one of the most exposed sections of bosi. Doorpost is remarkable in the exposure it delivers at the grade. Lots of adrenaline then.
The view down P2 Doorpost
So next time back at Bosi its going to be a full ascent of Paragon. Bring it on!
Right Hand Trinity – Severe 4b – Lead April Crack – HS 4b – Lead Hargreaves Original Route – VS 4c – Lead
I’d never been to Stanage. I’d read lots about it, but didnt really know what to expect. That and the almost religous way people talk about grit made it all the more anticipated.
The view out from Stanage
Finding the campsite proved to be a challenge. After my third circuit of Hathersage and the surrounding area I stumbled across it, but the wait was worth it as its a beautiful place nestled in the woods and a sheltered valley. At £7 a night its a bargain.
Barty's lonely tent at North Lees campsite
Greated by rain the signs were a bit ominous for the following day so Bart and I scouted the area and got our bearings with the climbing. We picked the April crack area which had a number of top 50’s at reasonable grades. It turned out to be a good idea.
The April Crack area - Hargreaves Original on the left, April Crack centre and Right Hand Trinity on the right (obviously)
Right Hand Trinity was a good starting point. The crux gave me a chance to see why people regard grit as so grippy. Its amazing how much friction you can generate on it and this proved useful when I got to Hargreaves Original. Whether the loose chockstone was broken already or if I did it didnt stop it suprising me when I tried to pull on it.
Bart on Hargreaves Original
All three climbs are great and for a first adventure on grit I am completely sold. Easy access, short technical routes and good camping facilities make this an obvious choice for a short climbing trip.
Bart finding out he hadnt charged up his camera. Doh!!!
The one factor which I was not used to is the crowds, but to be fair this just made the day more sociable. I still prefer the solitude of Penwith but Stanage has its merits.
Top of the lane leading to North Lees campsite
Barty’s lonely tent at North Lees campsite
The April Crack area – Hargreaves Original on the left, April Crack centre and Right Hand Trinity on the right (obviously)
Bart on Hargreaves Original
Bart finishing Right Hand Trinity
Bart about to start Right Hand Trinity
The view out from Stanage
Christmas Crack, the one we missed
Bart finding out he hadnt charged up his camera. Doh!!!
Friends – VS 5a – Lead Immaculate Groove – E1 5b – Second
A really foggy morning greeted us from our tents at Treen. Treen has a great campsite and was a good choice of venue for the BMC meet. Shame then that most of the BMC was at Treverven Farm campsite on the other side of the valley! It appears Treen hadnt been warned so we ended up on the wrong site.
Even with an inauspicious start the day turned out to be a cracker. The previous evening in the Logan Rock I’d arranged with Nick to meet at Pordenack which would give me a chance to have another go at Friends, the VS that had bested me previously.
Hot. The weather that is... not me!
With everything heating up nicely Tony and Joe set up for the tricky Nothing Much. I set off hoping that things would be easier second time around. They werent. But Friends is such a good climb. Once you are past the overhang the pressure is on to get through it. There are no good rests so by time I reached the atmospheric top out I was fairly pumped, but well chuffed to have made it clean this time.
Tony on the final section of Nothing Much
For Tony, it was straight in at the deep end on Nothing Much but he made a good fist of it, making it clean and getting Joe’s pro out, including the bit he fell on doing the difficult traverse. I think after three HVS’s in a row Joe was pretty knackered.
Me and Nick after some strenuous climbing on Immaculate Groove
Nick had his eye on an E1 on the point across the bay called Carn Boel. Immaculate Groove turned out to be just that. A brilliant technical slab leads to a brutal overhang which needs to be dealt with through jamming. Nick made the slab look straight forward, but found the crack tough on the overhang. Fair play though, he made it even if it cost a little blood. I didnt fair so well, slipping on the slab and then just running out of energy and strength when I needed it most.
So a fair trade. One nemisis conquered in Friends and another created in Immaculate Groove. I will return…
The upper section of Carn Boel, called Terrace Cliff has some meandering routes. From the bottom they look poor, but actually they offer good climbing. I’ve done Kari before which turned out to be a tough V Diff. Tom led Bitter End, another challenging climb which goes up through the heart of the cliff.
Pordenack Point from Carn Boel
And so ended another great weekend. Lots of good routes and good company.
Pordenack Point from Carn Boel
Hot. The weather that is… not me!
Tony on the top section of Nothing Much
The final section of Nothing Much
Me and Nick after some strenuous climbing on Immaculate Groove
Sinister – VS 4c – Lead Pilgrims – HVS 4c – Second
View toward Carn Barra
The scramble onto Fox Promontory is almost as much fun as the climbing. It’s definitely a good warm up as you move along the narrow ridge to the far nose. Once again you are enveloped in the ruggedness and beauty of Cornwalls coast. The view out towards Carn Barra opens up with miles of Granite climbing on display.
A busy ab point
A few of us (6 to be exact) made our way here with the thought that when it heated up, which it was going to on this day, Fox would be fairly cool being a more north facing venue. Strange how durig the cooler months you look for warm venues and then as soon as it gets hot, the search is on for shady spots.
The ab in
Finding the ab point caused us the usual problems, but most of the edges are steep and we managed not to destroy Pete’s new rope in the process. We started again on the seaward nose with Joe and Pete on the Muzzle, me and Tom on Sinister and Chris and Dave having another go at the guano infested hairy monster that is the Whisker.
Pulling up into the groove of Sinister
The latter is given stars in the guide, but it would seem lack of traffic and nesting birds make what should be a great climb a little unpleasant in places. Still, Chris and Dave completed it this time, finishing up a tough and very dirty crack. No push over this one by all accounts.
Scouting out Pilgrims
Tom and I struggled to follow the described guidebook route, possibly because some of Sinister has fallen down. Either that or we were way of route. The mantleshelf described didnt appear to be there, but the moves around the corner and up over the flake are really good fun.
A busy belay as well
Fox Promontory is a stunning venue. Very secluded and a very different place when sunny to when its dark and grey. On this day it was brilliant, with water so clear that the seal watching us for most of the day could be seen in its entirety. Mind blowing.
Joe had been gunning for something with a bite all day and a venture up Pilgrim ticked all the boxes. After a short tantrum from me about not starting in the only damp niche on the south coast on this day, we set off up the bottom pitch of Mistaken Identity which links more obviously with the top pitch of Pilgrims. As a complete route it works well, but doesnt make the top pitch any easier. Joe did a brilliant job leading this one. Gear is OK but the balancey nature of the climb makes placing it difficult. Lots of small crimpy holds, careful footwork makes for a top route.
Joe on the top belay of Pilgrims
Dave and Chris were on Sunshine cracks, by all accounts a slightly run out HS with some tough moves and Tom found his usual degenerating pile of choss called Foxblood which led to Pete ageing a few years prematurely as Tom ran it out.
Once again, completely knackered we trudged back to Porthgwarra. For Tom myself and Joe it would be more of the same the following day as we were staying at Treen for the BMC meet.
Socket Wall – Severe 4b – Lead Crack in the Sky – E1 5b – Lead Exodus – VS 5a – Lead
Carn Barra was our second choice of venue, from the ‘cant make a decision crew’ in the van (Tom, Dave, Chris and Pete) but as it turned out it was the right one. With a quickly dropping tide and a small swell the main platform of CB was dry and we had access to some classic routes.
Socket Wall
Socket Wall was dry and we paired up to tackle two quite tough routes, Socket Wall and Cumbelloe. Both have physical starts and although the pro is decent neither are pushovers at the grade. They turned out to be good warm up routes for what was to come.
Chris moving up Cumbeloe HS 4b
The main event for me was an attempt at Crack in the Sky. I’d been meaning to have a go at another E1 and this was a route I’d had my eye on for some time. A difficult corner leads to a ledge and then comes the strenuous stuff. At first you cant see the holds, but once you’ve committed up onto the face the holds are there.
Pete finds the wobbly chock stoneThank god for arm bars!
When you reach the crack the jamming starts. Arm bars and fist jams help and there are some hidden edges in the crack but ultimately it is a power struggle and you need to keep going and use your feet as much as possible. I just made it with nothing left in the tank and a real sick feeling from the adrenaline rush. Amazing! One of the best climbs I’ve ever done just because of the effort it took to get to the top. Pete, after a little hesitation got stuck into CITS. The look on his face and Chris’s for that matter rivalled my own when they topped out. That top crack is great, matched equally by their smiles.
Pete fighting with the upper crack on Crack in the Sky
Meanwhile Dave and Tom were knocking off a few routes of their own. Peel Crack and Sleazy Corner to be precise. Two good V Diffs, especially Peel Crack which is atmospheric in its upper section. Both of them are growing in confidence each trip out.
Dave and Tom on Sleazy Corner a hard Difficult or V Diff in other words
A well earned lunch left just enough time for a quick assault on Axis and Exodus two VS’s on the higher Eastern platform. I went for Exodus which takes a line similar to Axis but branches off rightwards along a horizontal break. The traverse is great fun but there is a really tricky move up into the steep niche/crack and then another to reach the steeper ground. But its a really good climb as long as you avoid the rope drag and keep in touch with your belayer. Tom did a good job listening out for my jittery shouts, especially when my left hand cramped up due to a distinct lack of salt in my system.
Tom belaying on the Axis ledge
This whole event was capped off when Dave came up on his own because of time. Tom shimmied up Axis and Dave kept asking me to take in on blue. Typical of Sea cliffs, comms are not easy with the roar of the sea and wind. This would explain Daves suprise when I gleefully informed him that he was only on Yellow so what was the point of taking in Blue. Fortunately Dave had tied in on yellow and was past the unprotected traverse by then (all the pro was on blue). He would’nt have decked, but the swing would have been a long one!
God I love climbing.
The point where Axis and Exodus part company
Tom belaying on the Axis ledge
Socket Wall
Ian starting up Socket Wall
The first pumpy moves on Socket Wall
Chris moving up Cumbeloe HS 4b
The tricky middle section of Cumbeloe
Dave topping out on Socket Wall
The abb in
Ian on the opening corner of Crack in the Sky
Thank god for arm bars!
So pumped I was nearly sick
Pete finds the wobbly chock stone
Pete fighting with the upper crack on Crack in the Sky
Dave and Tom on Sleazy Corner a hard Difficult or V Diff in other words
Why it never rains on a Friday!
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