Footloose – VS 4c – Lead The Flake – VS 4c – Lead (Dogged) Mince Pie Problem – Diff – Solo
Everyones entitled to do something stupid once in a while. It helps if the consequences of that stupidity wont be fatal.
Relieved and scared
In hindsight and after reading an article on UKC titled ’10 ways to stay alive while climbing’ I wish I had done things differently. Maybe taken a bit more time thinking things through. The Flake turned out to be a bit of a nightmare really. A very hard (and wet) start with a nice 2ft square moving block finale. All of which added up to Tom not being able to second me because of the danger of the whole lot going. As dodgy as my abseil looked this was not really the danger point. It was backed up by two bomber nuts. The danger was the top blocks breaking loose while I was cleaning my gear and pulverising me.
My ab belay?????
Half of my rack was commited into the climb so the consequences of not retrieving it would be expensive. But gear is meant to save your life, not put it in danger. £200-£300 is a small amount in the scheme of things. Maybe next time I’ll just leave it and renew my rack.
View back to Dave and Chris on the initial buttress.
That adventure aside, the other climb we did was brilliant. Footlosse is balancy, edgy and technical. Pro is adequate but not abundent, but altogether it is a super climb. Setting up the belay can be tricky as Chris found out, having to down climb back to a safe spot. And its not comfortable, but its worth it.
The Main Face area
As is all of Bashers Harbour. A lovely (if loose place), with a remote feel to it and a real spirit of adventure. We had it all on this day; falling rocks, dodgey abseils and a tide that waits for no man and nearly claimed Dave and Chris’s rucksacks, except for the quick witted Tom who leapt across the bolder field to rescue them.
Tom watching Pete on Footloose
The day ended with the demise of my long suffering Lumix Camera as it finally gave it up after having been bashed around the cliffs for 3 years and a solo on Mince Pie Route. Quite enough excitement for one day.
View back to Dave and Chris on the initial buttress.
Tom watching Pete on Footloose
Not quite as bad as it seems as two nuts on the route would protect a failure. But still poor.
Luke Skywalker – Severe 4a – Lead Stone – VS 4c – Lead
The theory was that being early in the year we wouldnt get ourselves completely skagged trying to get into Tregiffian. That was the theory anyway. But it turned out Boscawen was the real villan in this piece and Alex who had joined us found this out when he became trapped in amoungst a dense patch of gorse and brambles.
Thorn Trouble
I’ve been to Boscawen twice before but could I remember the descent route? We ended up going way too left and having to track through some viscous thorn and gorse before finally finding the arch. This always marked the way in to me so we dropped our bags here and abbed into the main face.
Alex abbing into Boscawen
Boscawen clearly isnt getting much traffic at the moment. The cracks are very vegetated and placing pro is a bit of a mare. Luke Skywalker is strange for a Severe. A straight forward easy first two thirds followed by a very committing final section which feels very thin.
Alex on Luke Skywalker
Mind you, the hardest part for me was finding my way back up. I managed to get myself stuck in a corner and had to aid my way out. Not sure that was the correct way???
Tom on Leuc Lively
The walk to Tregiffian was stunning at this time of year. Its as if the cliff has burst into life shoing off its colours and plantlife. At times you could have thought it was planned but its just nature making the most of things.
Like a garden but actually the coast path.
Then it was on to tregiffian where we discovered my tide predictions were also lacking in judgement. With a bit of swell running and a pushing tide the main face was no longer an option. Dave and Tom set up for Exit which is out of reach of the tide for a while.
Group gathering
Alex and I went scouting around Union Star Cove and came across a real gem of a climb. It took some finding requiring a short abseil and some scrambling but Stone is a really step and exciting VS. Good pro but some tough moves and quite strenuous with only one real rest spot.
Alex starting on Stone
It made for a great climb and Alex who hasnt been for a while did really well cleaning this one. After my first selfie it was pack up for the long hard walk back out to Boskenna Cross. There are two more routes on the Stone face that I will return to. They both look brilliant and this spot is a real find.
Ok a bit over dramatic but as has been typical of 2014 the weather was iffy. We spent the day watching dark squalls slowly travelling cross the ocean passing to our left and right, but somehow missing us. Tennyson’s poem seemed apt. How we escaped the rain I dont know but we did and I’m grateful for that.
Moody Bosigran
Pete and I teamed up to have a go at Venusberg while Dave and Tom went off to do Ding. Chris had done Venusberg a while back with Nick and I’d always wanted to try it. Described as one of the more technical VS’s at Bosi it lived up to its reputation. The four pitches have a bit of everything. Pitch one deals out a tough mantleshelf, some abck and fronting up the back of the pinnacle, run out balancy climbing on pitch 3 and a very windy exit on pitch 4.
Happy Pete
I think that Pete may have enjoyed this one more than me judging by the massive grin he ws sporting. A real adventure on a day when we had no right to expect to be able to climb. Lucky us!
Silent Movie – VS 4c – Lead Quo Vadis – E1 5a -Lead Sirius – HS 4b – Second
After what has seemed to be forever the bright weather came back. Friday turned out to be clear skies and little wind. The south facing Coastguard Cliff provided the perfect warm, sunny venue for Dave, Tom and myself.
Moody Coastguard Cliff’s
Dave and I had had a couple of outings to Hawks Tor in the rain and fog, but on each occasion the weather limited our efforts. This time we could go for it with dry positive rock. I’d done Silent Movie with Chris and remembered how good it was. A committing climb where you need to hunt out pro. But the holds are excellent and the climbing thrilling and exposed.
Dave cruising Silent Movie
Having warmed up it was straight onto Quo Vadis. I figured with the bunch of crocks I was with I’d better pick a jug hauling route rather than a finger stretcher. QV provided this. It has two crux’s. The first is a thuggy haul over an overhang ontothe face. The second is a delicate rising crack which can be tackled in a number of ways.
Tom showing he’s got balls – Quo Vadis
Tom and I laid back and Dave went out onto the face to the crimpier holds. Both ways are great and the climb overall is worth doing. Typical of the venue. Strenuous start followed by face climbing. It also provided one of our best photos of Tom in the crack. Really exciting and reflects everything about the day.
Dave sat on the belay P1 Sirius
Dave wanted to get back into leading and took on both pitches of Sirius. This is also a really cool climb. Exposed with two contrasting pitches. A juggy but exposed traverse, followed by a more technical slab. It was a good lead as the climb is tricky throughout.
Dave leading P2 Sirius
It was a fitting end to a brilliant return to climbing ways. Cornwall as usual delivered on the ‘spectacular beauty’ front. The booming surf added to the atmosphere and provided lots of distraction when you heard a set thunder in sounding like it was going to engulf you. We are so lucky!
Tom P2 Sirius
Dave leading P2 Sirius
Dave sat on the belay P1 Sirius
P1 Sirius
The view towards Kynance Cove
A happy belay ledge
Tom showing he’s got balls – Quo Vadis
Tom about to traverse into the crack Quo Vadis
Dave cruising Silent Movie
Tom after the opening strenuous moves on Silent Movie
Raven Gulley – Severe 4a – Alt Lead Outward Bound – HVS 4C – Lead (P1 Only)
We left Newquay with great ambition for the day ahead. Chris and I had targeted a series of HVS and E1’s at Haytor and Low Man which we intended to bag. Unfortunately mother nature had very different ideas about what we were going to accomplish and it wasnt going to be 100%.
It all started so well. Raven Gulley was a really cool climb to start on and get warmed up, but unfortunately by time we had finished it the wind was up and storm clouds gathering. Outward Bound was an obvious choice for number two. Well protected but grunty. On this day though it gave Chris a good hiding. The main factor is the that once commited into the overhang there is no let up. Its all power. On this occasion Chris didnt find the thank god jug and he’ll have to wait for next time to get it. I spent a while trying to free and awkward nut, but having done this felt I should have a crack. It would be churlish not to….
Maybe I should have checked what I’d been doing with the ropes because having lauched cavalier into the overhang I was stopped dead by twisted ropes so it was back down and start agian from the bottom. This time I managed it just in time for the heavens to open and kill the day.
170 mile round trip for a Severe. It was worth it!
Despite the loss of an old and faithful piece of Kit, I coudnt help but feel it was a fitting end for my No 3 CAM. As the third owner of the unit in what has obviously been a hard lifetime, I would have hated to see it rotting away in my shed for fear of use.
As it happened it was sacrificed in rather scary circumstances. Clawtrack is the lessor neighbor of the fabulous Lunakhod, although it does a good job of trying to match it. Described as requiring lots of big gear it probably wasnt the best choice for this day as we only had a limited amount. Still, with a wacking great pebble in my pocket I set off up what looks like a great line.
The line of Clawtrack
It didnt disappoint. As it happens you dont need masses of big gear. There are smaller placements to be found, just not in the obvious places. This resulted in me hanging onto my No 4 Camalot for the entire route and never using it. However the pebble proved to be invaluable for the top crack. The crux of the route is actually low down imo. Although the upper reaches are exposed they are not so technical or balancey.
Chris abbing off
Chris, on his first vist to Sharpnose, loved it right up to the point I told him we had to ab off the old tat at the top of Lunakhod. The ab is always a scary bit and having safely got to the bottom we decided to take the safe option and climb out on the high tide escape route.
Bad move… I missed the left turn and ended up in a big pile of loose, moving and steep shit. Some of the most scary moments of my climbing to date especially as bits rained down on Chris and large sections moved off their own accord. The yellow No 3 was sacrificed in a crappy crack which stood more cahnce of killing both me and chris if any weight was applied (it was for mental reassurance as by then I was about 40ft above my last piece of gear). Having got to safe ground I pulled the ropes and abandoned the gear, only saving the lower pieces by traversing back in on the correct route. Never again I say. Next time I’ll take the bold E2. Much safer.
Martell Slab – VS 4c/E1 5a – Alt Lead Pericles – HVS 5a – Lead
It was nice to be back climbing with Joe again after what has been a fairly long break. Martell Slab provided the stunning entertainment for the day.
Martell Slab is one of those climbs you always promise yourself, but never get around to doing. Probably because Tater Du is not the easiest crag in the world to get access to. It’s also not helped by the exorbitant charges levied at Lamorna Car Park. £7.00!!! £7.00 for gods sake….. The alternative is a longer walk in from Boskenna Cross. Next time this is what I will be doing cos its the last penny I put in their grubby, middle class, money grabbing hands.
Rant over and back to the important stuff. Martell Slab is great technical climbing with some tricky moves and so so gear on the first pitch. Finding the start isnt easy, but trend right of the slab and take the groove before moving out onto the slab proper. The move onto the slab is memorable and the remainder of P1 provides some nice technical climbing.
PI of Martell Slab
Joe was straight onto the E1 direct finish for P2. It keeps going straight up, through the groove. Well protected but strenuous it is pretty steep but classy climbing. The huge nest you pass full of bones and bits of dead things is a little un nerving though. Joe made easy work of this to cap off what was a really good climb.
E1 top pitch of Martell Slab
Meanwhile Dave and Tom were on their way up Crows Nest Ordinary, a route Joe and I did many years back. The top pitch of this one is always a test.
Nico coming onto the steep finishing face of Crows Nest Ordinary
Lichen covered and very steep it is quite daunting as Tom found out. It’s also very photogenic, with Joe and myself providing the audience for Toms epic.
Up there???
I had always wanted to do Pericles, a good looking route on Knights Pillar. It turned out to be harder than it looks, with fiddly gear and small crimpy holds. By time I finished my arms were screaming. I could tell I hadnt been out for a while.
I always enjoy going to Tater Du. It is a beautiful location and great place to climb with your mates. Makes you realise why we all love climbing in Cornwall so much.
Crithmum – VS 5a – Lead Joyous Gard – HVS 5a – Second Rock Idol – E1 5a – Lead
Mother Scaries as Nick told me it is sometimes called is just that. Scary. You pitch up at the top of what looks like a shear cliff (it is) and abseil into nothing.
It helped that Nick knew the area because I would image it is hard work getting your bearings on a first trip. Today was to be a day of real highs and sort of lows. But mostly highs!
Getting the ab ready
We started off on Crithmum, which proved to be a puzzling beginning. However hard we tried we couldnt match the guide book description with wht we were looking at. In the end I followed what I thought was the closest to the line described. The top turned out to be a real liability with loose rock and insecure holds. It turns out from online comments that Crithmum fell down around 2010 and the remains are graded at HVS not VS. I think this is more due to the precarious nature of the rock though.
Nick on the brilliant Joyous Gard after emerging from the cave.
Nicks lead on Joyous Guard was one of the most impressive of the trip. Strenuous with a really technical section high up, it was fantastic climbing. One of my favorite climbs of the trip to be honest. Moving out of the cave at the bottom gave a real sense of adventure and the suddenly appearing on a shear face gives this climb amazing exposure.
During the course of climbing Crismum I managed to chuck a whole set of nuts, krab included into the sea. My usual form in recent times. This seemed to cause me to completely lose my mind and led to an surreal moment back on the low tide platform where I frantically searched my body for the blue rope with the growing realisation that it was still at the top of the crag. In most places this would be a problem. In Mother Careys Kitchen it seemed a disaster.
The mercy swim
Fortunately ‘Marine Boy’ Nick thought nothing of swimming across the bay to ascend and retrieve it, thus saving my bacon. This was after he had also found my drowned nuts. All he needed was a cape!
What Nick did sort out by his actions was my opportunity to climb Rock Idol – thank God he did. It’s an amazing climb which contains everything. From the bottom I was seriously thinking that I was out of my depth as the route soared up through the corner and overhangs.
Didnt know I could bridge that far!!!
But once on the route I found some rhythm and was progressing well until I arrived at the overhang. A crisis of confidence ensued which I finally overcame launching upwards and finding that the holds just kept on coming. It is a special climb and one I will not forget for a long time.
Moving up to the scary stuff
The day was capped off with fajita’s and ginger beer ( and a bit of Italian wine). All’s well that ends well despite my attempts to sabotage the day.
Such good climbing on Rock Idol
Getting ready to tackle the overlap
Moving up to the scary stuff
Didnt know I could bridge that far!!!
The line of Rock Idol
There are some pretty spectacular caves at Mother Ivys
The mercy swim
The steep Joyous Gard
Nick on the brilliant Joyous Gard after emerging from the cave.
Army Dreamers – HVS 5a – Lead But Incest is Best – E1 5b – Second Bomb Bay – VS 4c – Lead The Loosener – HVS 5a – Second The Arrow – E1 5b – Second
Pembroke is surprisingly further than you think. Looking at the map it shouldnt be so far, but a small matter of the bristol Channel gets in the way. Having said that Nick and I made remarkably good time getting up there on Thursday night turning up at St Petrocs campsite full of curry ( a re-occurring theme of this trip) and ready to get a good nights sleep in before hitting the crags the next day.
View back towards the Bristol Channel
I had no idea what to expect from Pembroke except from Nicks comments on how good it was. In fact I didnt even realise it was limestone and not granite. So after a short walk in to St Governs Head we duly abseiled onto the high tide platform in Army Dreamers area.
View down the Coast towards Stennis Head
At this point I probably experienced what many new climbers do in an area of such steep rock. Awe. The whole cliff is vertical (it sounds obvious, but so much of what we climb in Cornwall is not) and when you look down the coast each way it goes on for mile after mile. I’ve never seen so much climbing packed into one part of the coast.
Me on Army Dreamers after the traverse
I kicked off initially on Army Dreamers mistaking it for a VS instead of an HVS. It didnt matter, The climbing is completely absorbing. A nervy traverse turns into some full on crack climbing. The whole route is excellent and was a brilliant intro to Welsh limestone. By time I finished my arms were suitably pumped. Nick said this would be good training for stamina and I was starting to understand why.
Nick on the steep But Incest is Best
But Incest is Best is much harder. More sustained and overhanging it has a really difficult section at mid height which takes some working out and a bit of nerve if you are on the lead like Nick. Although shorter it too eats into your stamina. I was realising that one aspect of climbing here was to keep moving if possible.
I never go anywhere without having at least one mare. Looking down from BIIB I saw a crack running up the opposite wall. Believing myself to have suddenly turned into a crack climbing maestro I decided this would be a good challenge. It stopped me dead in my tracks. Saty hands and a lack of technique did for me and I had to hand over to Nick to show me how it should be done. I have a way to go before I get the hang of this ‘jamming’ thing.
The amazing The Arrow – Nick near the rising flake.
Bomb Bay flattered to deceive. It looks brilliant from the ground, but a very loose top section detracts from it. I enjoyed it, but there were some worrying moments.
Nick just before the hard moves onto the upper slab. The Arrow
Now The Arrow is in a class of its own. Nick, not satisfied with picking a cracker of a route also wanted to see his belayer drown as entertainment. With the sun setting and the tide rising Nick set off up a great climb. A bold start leads to a rising flake. This in turn gives way to a thin section leading to the upper slab. A final traverse gets you to the top. It is a classic climb which takes advantage of all the features in that area. I loved it and managed to jump up onto a large rock to escape a soaking which looked inevitable earlier.
Tired we both returned to the campsite for a plateful of Rogan Riddell (minus the tomatoes which gave it a very un appetising grey colour). St Petrocs is a really nice site. Not too busy on this weekend, but with good facilities and a flat pitch. Definitely a good base when in the area.
Nick just before the hard moves onto the upper slab. The Arrow
The amazing The Arrow – Nick near the rising flake.
Zip – VS 4c – Lead Panos – HS 4b – Second Bandwagon – E1 5b – Lead Midnight Express – E1 5b – Lead (dog)
A brilliant day marred by my nemesis which as usual bit me on the arse.
Sheltered from the wing St Levans Wall was the perfect venue. With a good low tide we had plenty of time to play on the climbs on the lower tier as well.
To start though I had a go at Zip a VS with a tough start. I keep forgetting that VS are not there to warm up on and this one as usual reminded me of that as I struggled up the initial crack to be halted at a slightly bold mantleshelf. I actually enjoyed it though, the same of which can be said for Chris.
Tom on the latter hard moves of Panos
He started on Panos, an HS with a bite. The opening V goove isnt easy but the top move onto the pillar is made spicy if you stay right which seems to take you away from anything useful to pull over on. Tom and Dave intelligently went left which seemed a far more amenable finish. Still, one to get the heart going.
Chris flaking before Bandwagon
Bandwagon looks good from below and it didn’t disappoint. Good delicate climbing which requires good footwork and a steady head through the crux. Just our type of route really and we both loved it.
Chris at the crux on Bandwagon
And so to the finale. What could go wrong after such a good start. Midnight Express beckoned me, and proceeded to teach me a lesson in humility and trash my bank account at the same time as 5 of my Nuts cascaded into the deep water filled trough below. Thats my third attempt. Its got to be fourth time lucky?
The view across to Porthgwarra
Still, it didnt detract from a great day out although it took a little while for the red mist to clear. One to get on again soon methinks.
The view across to Porthgwarra
Lazy walk out.
Tom on the latter hard moves of Panos
Chris clearly enjoying himself on Bandwagon E1 5b
Dave finishes off Panos
Ab In
Tom on Buttons
Chris flaking before Bandwagon
Chris at the crux on Bandwagon
Why it never rains on a Friday!
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