Lake District
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Shepherds Crag
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Roadside crag.
Absolutely heaving on Bank Holiday weekends. |
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Little Chamonix |
V Diff |
Shepherds Crag Cracking
route with the best saved till last. Don't bother with the guide
book, just follow the polish. With the benefit of 20:20 hindsight I
wouldn't advise soloing it in walking boots, its a little bit exposed at
the top shall we say. Easily possible to do the route moving
together, but not at a weekend as overtaking opportunities are limited. |
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Kransik Crack direct |
HVS 5a |
Shepherds Crag Nice.
The crux is short lived. |
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Black Crag, Borrowdale
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Holly Tree Corner |
VS, -,4b, -, - , 4a, |
Not a
particularly good route and in my opinion is a soft touch for a VS.
The entertainment comes from popping up half way along Troutdale Pinnacle
which the route then follows for half a pitch. This causes chaos
with the orderly queues on every belay station on Troutdale Pinacle. |
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Lining Crag, Borrowdale
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About 1:40 walk from the
campsite in Stonehwaite (don't believe the guide book time unless you're a
fell runner!). Unlike Shepherds Crag, its a fair bet that you will
have the crag to yourself. Rock is pretty sound with the exception
of around the half height ledge on Gogoroath. All routes could do
with a little more traffic. Gear is adequate but light gardening may
be required on some. I suspect the crag is unclimbable if its wet,
on the plus side it appears to take little drainage. Easy to find routes
from the guide book description even without a topo. |
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Gogoroath |
VS 4a. 4c |
Nice first pitch. Backed
off 2nd pitch due to suspect status of overhangs and too much lichen. |
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Crucifix |
S |
Can be done as a single long
pitch on 50m ropes. More like a diff with a couple of harder moves
added in. |
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Sunny Side Up |
S |
Could definitely do with more
traffic. Had to garden on 2nd pitch. The 1st pitch looks
bereft of gear but it is adequately protected. You go up, think
there's nothing at all then you find a good Friend and then a good hex
placement. |
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Stanage
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Heather Wall |
VS 4c |
There's lots of routes I've
done at Stanage but this is the one that sticks in the memory. The
grading is correct, its steep but well protected. |
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Inverted V |
VS 4b |
Very good, well protected,
earns its stars |
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Bobsnob |
E1 5a |
No gear on it at all so don't
waste time looking for any |
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Agony Crack |
HVS 5a |
Another cracking route.
The start is the hardest bit. When you get to the overhangs, there's
gear, a bit thugish but fine.
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Thrombosis |
VS 4c |
Hard. Very hard.
Me and Rich had been cruising up HVS's then we both go and fall off this.
Fortunately the gear is good.
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Froggatt
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Broken Crack |
VS 4c |
Towards the top end of the
grade. If you can't jam AND layback then look for something else
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Long Johns Slab |
E3 5c |
Impossible for 5'8" short
arses like me. If you're 5'10" or above then you can reach for the
move
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Downhill Racer |
E4 6a |
Hard but impeccable slab
climbing. A good test of footwork.
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Baggy Point
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This is the only crag on the N Devon coast with lots of easy and mid-grade
climbs. It can get popular. There's a car park (£1) at Croyd
next to a couple of tea shops, from there is a 20 minute walk along the
excellent cliff top path. There is confusion as to the names of the
slabs as several guide books got it wrong, the latest (Climbers Club)
guide has corrected it but expect confusion. The first slab you come
to is Promontory Slab which is open all year round. Its also the
most popular. You can scramble down the left edge (looking out to
sea) or abb down. There's stakes at the top for belays. A lid
is a good idea as there's lots of loose rock at the top, fortunately, most
of it is in the "little" size category. The bottom of the slab
is tidal with access about two hours either side of low tide. Abbing
in to a hanging belay is quite easy though. Guide book grades are
all pretty much correct. As with most sea cliffs the gear runs out
about 20' before the top but the climbing eases to compensate.
   
Long Rock slab is a bit further round and is subject to a seasonal
nesting restriction. I haven't climbed on this due to either the
nesting restriction or too many people already there.
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Marrion |
HS 4b |
Good route, good gear for all
but the last 20 feet.
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In Marrion's Eyes |
VS 5a |
Just to the right of Marrion.
The 5a move(s) are the first 10-15 feet, after that its solid VS.
Gear is good.
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Kinky Boots |
VS 4c, 4c |
THE route to do. Non
tidal. You'll never do another route with a start like this. You
get to the start by scrambling down a ramp between the two main slabs
until you get to a good ledge and a zawn on your left. Its a really
good idea if the belayer anchors in. You now stand on the ledge,
raise your hands above your head and fall forwards across the zawn.
Don't worry, you'll make it, I'm only 5'8" and I made it. Now get a #2
friend, put it into a slot, clip the ropes and step across. Traverse
right through the overlaps. The in situ peg has long since rusted
away but there's good wire placements. The crux (well protected) is
getting up the final overlap onto the main slab.
The guide book says to keep traversing right, belay, then go back left
and up. Its better to go straight up as soon as you're on the slab
and belay off some very good nut placements about 30' further up, just
below a flake. You won't get too much rope drag and more
importantly, the second is then protected by a rope from above.
There's some threads on the flake as well which is reassuringly hollow but
I've been assured that it was like that 20 years ago.
The second pitch (from here anyway) is straightforward. From the
side of the slab it looks like vertical grass and choss but there's
actually a clean line through it. Stake belays at the top.
  
  
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Swanage
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Avernus |
S 4a |
Subliminal The infamous cave
route. You'll either love it or hate it, in either case you'll need
someone to show you where it is. You ab down onto a block (not
possible in rough seas), boulder hop into the cave, say "****ing hell"
then climb up the back wall on slippery but very good holds. Bridge
as you traverse the roof, then exit through the key hole (not for fat
bastards). There's plenty of gear in the roof and make sure you put
plenty in as the 2nd will take a huge swing otherwise. The problem
with the gear is seeing where to put it if you haven't got a head torch.
Like all routes at Subliminal its under graded by one grade. |
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1st Corner |
S 4b |
Subliminal Good, plenty of
gear. Need to jam. Should be a HS. |
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Isis |
VS 4c |
Cattle Troughs These are the
comments I put in my log book at the time. "hard, sustained, hung
off gear, exposed, scary". Try it! |
Symmond's Yat
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Funky Gibbon |
HS 4b |
Debateable whether it's a HS.
The Route is a one move wonder, but it's a 5a move. You pull up with
considerable difficulty through the roof of the sentry box. There's
a bomber thread in the roof so you can fall off at will.
Entertaining. |
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The Russian |
HVS 5a |
Cracker |
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Offspring |
VS 4c |
Steep and sustained |
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Exchange |
VS 4b |
Need to lay back. Would
be a really good route but a couple of wobbly blocks remove the stars. |
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Derek the flightless hedgehog |
E1 5a |
My first ever E1 lead (well
the first one I actually managed to get up) |
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Snoozin' Suzie |
V Diff |
Superb route. Steep and
exposed in places. Good gear and sound rock. Run pitches 1 and
2 together. This is the only v diff I've ever done where you feel
you can take a lead fall without hitting anything.
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