Fox Promontory | The Magik Rock

7th September 2012
Fox Promontory

Sinister – VS 4c – Lead
Pilgrims – HVS 4c – Second

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 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.

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.

DSCF0008 — 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.

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.

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.

DSCF0017 — 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.

Mooching while waiting for the belay to free up

Joe and Pete getting ready for the Muzzle

18th May 2012
Fox Promontory

Reveille – HS 4b – Second
The Muzzle – HVS 4c – Lead

I dont know how many times I looked at the photo of The Muzzle in the Rockfax guide and thought that I’d like to try it.

Fox-Promontory_May12-10 — Looking back up the promontory

So with cracking weather and the right tide plus no swell, the opportunity presented itself. Chris, Tom and Dave accompanied me on what was my first visit to the crag. I’ve walked past it plenty of times and it always looked spectacular. The north face is dark, but once you’re down there it looses some of it’s menace. The lines are obvious and there are plenty of the them.

Fox-Promontory_May12-1 — Dave and Tom on Vixens Crack

Fox-Promontory_May12-5 — Belay at the top of Vixen's Crack

With Tom and Dave getting on the steep and exposed Vixen’s Crack, Chris and I set up for Reveille. This climb rises leftwards across the main face to finish up a steep narrow slab next to a crack. There are a couple of tricky sections; the start is quite bold and needs thought on protection and then comes the best part, a very balancy traverse at about mid height. It’s great, but you need to keep your nerve when there are few holds. Brilliant fun and a top climb.

Fox-Promontory_May12-6 — Chris just after the tricky traverse on Reveille

Unfortunately the tide pushed up fairly quickly so we had to abandon the attempt on The Curtain Raiser, what looked like a top route following a vein of crystals. So it was onto the nose to have a go at the two classic routes there. Or so we thought.

Fox-Promontory_May12-2 — Ian at the base of The Mussle

There was one fly in the ointment. The Whisker, the VS on the right of the promontory facing in, turned out to be in the hands of the guls and cormorants. The slab round the arete looking like a snow field with the amount of guano on it.

Fox-Promontory_May12-9 — Chris and Dave after completing The Mussle

So we all had a go at the Muzzle with Chris clocking up his second HVS lead. The Muzzle is as good as it looks. The crack is strenuous but has positive holds and plenty of pro. The move out under the overhang is a bit more scary. It’s a case of move out and keep going into open fresh air. The holds are there but you have to look and keeping your feet on the rock is interesting. At one point I managed to leaver off my only grip just snatching another hold before I did some air time.

Fox-Promontory_May12-11 — Chris finishing off The Mussle

The day added up to another brilliant adventure on Cornish Rock, with Dave and Tom recording another route together. We spent a while snoozing in the sunshine before sauntering off back to the van. We will be back at FP shortly I am sure.