[Yossarian]

Years ago I spent a few days exploring around the North Devon coast and got nearly as scared by the climbing as I did by the locals.  Still, despite all the loose rock and "maybe this isn't such a great idea" vibes, I feel like something along those lines again. Possibly Cornwall rather than Devon this time.

Do any of you have any inspirational recommendations? I'm thinking obscure little sea cliffs with magnificent yet unsung gems, steeped in character and tradition, crystal waters lapping at the base, the early summer sun creeping out from behind cotton wool clouds, as lesbian mermaids take it in turns with the strap-on and the baby seals look on and wonder if they might get a go a bit later...

[SA Chris]

Quel Grades?

[Yossarian]

Anything up to about E4 / E5, though I think something a bit lower than that might be appropriate at the moment...

[Fiend]

You have style, Yossy.

The North Devon area is hard to beat for that. Do you have the new guide?? There's lots more in there....some of the "non-Culm" stuff down near, say, Tintagel or Pentire (considerably more than in the previous guide) could be appealing.

Otherwise, the Torbay area with it's plethora of mega-epic potentials only a coke can's throw from the sweating chavs and OAP caravanners of Torbay itself. Although Berry Head is currently bird-banned. There is also the Esoterica section of the same area....The Parson, Clerk, Bantham Hand etc etc.

Not sure of much in Cornwall. So your next best bet away from that area would be North Pembroke I think. Again the guide seems to have lots in it that sound pretty interesting, and in a North Cornwall "random rock type" vibe.

[Yossarian]

Ta very much - that all sounds interesting. I have been reading a bit about Pentire - must buy the guide. I used the Pat Littlejohn South West Climbs one when I was in Devon, and I think that may have been responsible for, erm, not fully preparing us for the, um, delights.

[Fiend]

Ah!!

Well the recent North Devon and Cornwall, and the older but quality South Devon and Dartmoor should be your new bibles then! The former in particular is in the bumper fun book vein.

[Idol eyes]

Chicken Head Wall, Nth Cornwall, 30-35 ft. think the name of the area is Pen Du,  its near Treen, Logan rock... 5a- 7a, about 25 routes....

[A Jooser]

...think the name of the area is Pen Du...

I think you mean Pedn-mên-an-mere (Cornish for rocky headland by the sea I believe) where Levan’s Wall is. ‘Pen Du’ would mean Black headland, and that wouldn’t really make much sense at all! Etymological quibbling aside, which pitches have you done there Idol?

As far as Cornwall is concerned almost all the crags in Sean Hawken’s Cheesewring Guide are firmly in the esoteric category. But if it’s north coast sea cliffs you’re after then Compass Point - on the good side of the border at Bude - is a delightful little crag. And although it’s not too obscure, and certainly not little, Carn Gowla definitely fills all other requirements… a lifetime of epics to be had there.

But if you’re going to go to Penwith, are not unnerved by flawless solid granite and are looking for something just a little off the beaten track then Carn Barra is the place. It’s beautiful, stacked full of quality routes and there is often no-one else there. I always see dolphins or seals when I visit so it’s a perfect place for the aquatic mammalian frolicking that you seek!

[Yossarian]

Cheers guys - this is all sounding brilliant. Now all I need is a straw hat...

[Fiend]

Yossy, when you're back on big numbers form, you need to get yourself to Sanctuary Wall at Torbay - it redefines steepness, hard to believe it's actually a trad crag.

P.S. Don't be fooled by A Jooser, he is recommending crags that are far too respectable. Carn Barra is like a hard man's Sennen.

P.P.S. Skimmed over your last lines in the first post and just re-read it - LOL!!

[A Jooser]

Oh! O.K. O.K. Fiend, Carn Barra is a bit mainstream for you – fair-nuff! Why not try Freedom Zawn near St. Just. I’ve only done a couple of the routes but they’re all pretty… ah… interesting. Mostly in the E1 – 4 range, the hardest being The Hood, which I’ve not done but know it’s had a few ascents so it would seem more than capable of supporting human body weight.

Freedom Zawn is just around the corner from the ruined Crowns Mine engine houses…   




This is the view back to the ruins from the edge of the zawn. There is also a handful of easier routes on the cliffs below these. The face in the photo (below the top building) is home to a V.S.

[Fiend]

Ahhh it's not me who's bothered about the respectability, but I get the impression that Yossy is after something fairly.....character building.

I went to Carn Barra, it's a good place. I failed on Grand Plage at the start which is disappointing. I did some nice arete over to the right though.

I'm not sure about granite. I used to climb it well when I was an HVS climber. Now I'm an E2 climber I find it more intimidating. Hmmm.

[duncan]

If you’ve not been to Pentire, it really is essential.  Not many routes, but one of the few English cliffs you might travel to from the south of France.  Wonderful climbing on perfect rock.

Eroica is very good.  I’ve only done this with the peg, at E2, it was scary enough pulling on it and I didn’t fancy falling on it at all.  Allegedly E3 6a free.

Reflections is E4 5c/6a.  Good climbing, pretty scary run-out.

Darkinbad and Black Magic are world-class of course.  The first is a soft E5, with lots of gear except for the start which is a shock-horror 5a above a gruesome landing.  The second is the other end of the E5 grade, sustained and hard to get convincing gear towards the top.


Pulses Unreal (E4), Sirens Cry (E5) and Urco's Revenge (gets E5, might be harder?) all look superb, but I’ve not done them.

Doyden Point
Could be your gem and a good choice if the big bad north facing cliffs are a bit intimidating: it’s sheltered and sunny in the afternoon and not tidal.  It’s got the same excellent rock as Pentire without the architecture.  Lotus is a lovely E1, Illegal Alien a tougher E3.
 
Blackchurch Rock
Not esoteric at all.  Most people will have heard of Sacre Coeur (E2 5b).  Jamaican Dub (E3 5c/6a) is also very good.  The rock is sound as you like.  Very tidal.




Lower Sharpnose  Everyone’s been here haven’t they?  Amazing rock walls, the climbing gets a bit same-y after two or three visits but still an essential venue.  Grades are soft if you’re fit as the routes were originally put up by non-sport climbing southerners and it’s a bit of an outdoor climbing wall. Wraith is a complete giveaway at E5.  The Devonian is a proper E5



Speke’s Mill Mouth
Pressure Drop is an excellent steady E3, easy if you are fit. There is a 5c move next to a peg low down, followed by steeper, sustained but well-protected 5a/b. The peg looked in decent shape eighteen months ago and is back-upable IIRC.


Compass Point is a very enjoyable bucket-and-spade venue near Bude; best routes are HVS-easy Extreme. 
Crimtyphon E1/2 5b/c is the classic.


Blackchurch (Main Cliff)
A lot flakier than Blackchurch Rock, far better climbing in my opinion, but his may be a minority view.
Loose Woman is a pleasant, very easy E1. 
The Verger is a superb E1 5a, but more specialist taste. 
Godspell is an excellent E4 6a, the hardest bit is well-protected, followed by a 25’ 5a/b run out. 

Archtempter is a 3 star E3, like a giant-sized Great North Road, quite loose but a really magnificent line.  Do it as one big pitch, it will take all the gear you can carry.

Dyer’s Lookout
Worth visiting just to gawp at Dyer Straights, Ian Vickers' amazing looking E8.  A large section of the crag is due to drop into the sea some day soon.  Assuming you miss the big day, Earth Rim Roamer II takes the arête at hard-ish E4.





For the full North Devon experience, you have to visit Morwenstow, for three reasons:

Henna Cliff, home of the gob-smacking Breakaway.  Just to look at.

The Rectory Tea Rooms

The Bush Inn, formerly awesome, sounds like it has just been Gastro’d, anyone visited recently?

[grimer]

good knowledge. i would totally agree with your opinions on all the things you have mentioned.

[AndiT]

Yes, and I would agree with you agreeing with him on all of his opinions too.

[SA Chris]

I concur with both of the above posts.

[BenF]

I think you might be right there Chris.

[Fiend]

I must disagree entirely with all the agreements. Pressure Drop is E2 really. Great route in an gorgeous location.

Okay....the rest of it sounds about right though 

[grimer]

another interesting route i did down there was one called hawaiian pipeline on baggy point. A two pitch trverse of one of those wriggly worms of solid quartzite that crosses crappy rock. It gets E1 5a, but i thought it was quite hard for that, maybe E2. Really amazing route all the same, in a Gogarth Yellow wall sort of way. In fact, better than anything i have done on yellow wall as the line is so good.

[SA Chris]

I always fancied that, but could never figure out where it went, or entice a partner away from Long Rock.

[A Jooser]

I would like to express my congruence with the above posts of grimer, AndiT, SA Chris and BenF. Some fine suggestions there duncan, I acquiesce with almost all your post.

Just one thing I take issue with…

For the full North Devon experience, you have to visit Morwenstow, for three reasons:

Morwenstow is in Cornwall! I don’t know, ever since that Nick White chap stole Downderry to put in his South Devon guide more and more Cornish places are getting pinched. These fools even seem to think Sharpnose is in Devon!
 

[luckyjez]

I can also thoroughly recommend Cow and Calf for a slightly softer rock experience. Tsunami (E3) and Over the Moon (E4) are quality exciting outings. Oldwalls Point is also great and more solid. Matchless is a stunning HVS and More than a Match (E3) has some brilliant climbing with a tough start.

[SA Chris]

And for a more laid back day our I recommend Hartland Point.

I also recommend checking tide tables before bouldering at Sandy Mouth to prevent having to wade out with mat above head in chest high waves.

[Yossarian]

Well, blow me. I leave this thread for a couple of days and now I find a finely tailored ticklist for the next decade. Ta very much everyone, and I'm very happy that you've all found so much to agree about. Well done.

I have just received Fiend's guide recommendations in the post.  Despite the fact that it probably doesn't deserve full-blown esoteric status I quite like the sound of Pordenack Point.  Any confirmed mermaid sightings there?  I think I need some stuff to ease myself back into trad chuffing before venturing anywhere near Pentire.  I was examining my rack last night for the first time in, well, some time, and quite a lot of it looked like something out of a museum. (I wonder if I should seize this wonderful opportunity to promote some kind of anti-fashion climbing philosophy in which hi-tech and gaily-coloured modern climbing hardware is eschewed in favour of a more rugged and utilitarian aesthetic which, when combined with furry, neutrally pigmented ropes and the tough no-nonsense appeal of the Whillans harness would make it very clear that my attitude to climbing is one very much rooted in a deep respect for the long and wondrous history of this glorious pursuit and not some kind of frivolous pink anodised  “I read Mens Health” pseudo-eco-adventure Audi Allroad-driving excuse for a perspective.)*

The Great Zawn is not particularly esoteric either, but it does sound bloody good fun. I think it might shit me up a bit at the moment though.  I wonder if I used some earplugs and blinkers they might take my mind off the crashing waves and exposure and keep the insides of my trousers nice and clean…

*I should point out that I’ve just returned from a very long and thirst-quenching lunch.

[Paz]

I think I saw a Seal a Pordenack. 

[A Jooser]

Yossarian: The Great Zawn is awesome and the climbs in the back - Desolation Row, Candy Man, etc. – are tucked away from the sea and not as committing as the Main Face. They’d be good as a reasonably mellow introduction. There’s a fine collection of single pitch routes at the base of Commando Ridge: Kohima (E3), Imphal (E2), Gallipoli and Anzac Day (both E1). So if you choose not to ab into the Zawn these ones are a good option.

Pordenack’s a nice spot too, once when I was climbing there I saw a pod of dolphins jumping clear out of the water, doing back flips. Maybe they were prudish dolphins trying to give your mermaids a wee bit of privacy! The only confirmed mermaid sighting I know of is in Zennor but alas, that merrymaid is heterosexual and seems to have a thing for choirboys! The story has been immortalised in a carving on and old wooden pew and of course you’ll know that anything commemorated in effigy in a church must be true.

I did find this website with some excellent examples of underwater love but unfortunately the maids pictured seem to have feet not flippers and I guess you’re more of a breasts and fish-tails rather than a legs and arse man. 

[Yossarian]

excellent, excellent... i will look those routes up tonight.

re the mermaids - the thing i find fascinating about them is the fact that they can survive so long without coming up for air. which scores very highly in my book.

[A Jooser]

re the mermaids - the thing i find fascinating about them is the fact that they can survive so long without coming up for air. which scores very highly in my book.

You mean in a ‘Keep on sippin’ on the ol’ Rootjoose’ kinda way!

[andy_e]

Should have seen the eyes poppin outta my head, they told me that ther band was simply red!

‘Keep on sippin’ on the ol’ Rootjoose’