A great day out climbing in Cheddar Gorge with Kirsten.
UKC
100m, 7 pitches. As described in the MCrocker guide this is restricted and is a Winter Route, (WW) only permitted from Oct 1st through to 15th March, so is out of bounds at all other times!
Diverse and mostly amenable climbing on a direct line that ascends the full height of the Pinnacle Bay. The climb is well bolted throughout. It is possible to abseil from rim to floor - 70m rope required (note: first abseil is exactly 35m so be careful). Shoot Gully is the scramble descent recommended in the guidebook: while it is okay at first it quickly becomes treacherous - very loose and slippery and there are two notices warning people of trees that might give way. Trying to scramble down could easily be fatal. There are some good trees to ab from, and a 60m rope gets you down in two abseils, or three if you want to go all the way to the rock catch fence.
(1) 20m. F6a+
Ascend an initial easy slab then make a stiff pull diagonally leftwards through the bulge. Follow the easy corner above to a good ledge and belay at a double ring abseil station on wider ledge just above. Eight bolt runners.
(2) 20m. F6b+
Climb the elegant technical groove before continuing more easily up rightwards on large holds to a semi-hanging stance at a three bolt abseil station (with two rings). Seven bolt runners.
(3) 7m. -
Pull up onto the slope above and scramble up to a tree belay (with a belay bolt just above)
(4) 16m. F6b.
Move up onto a raised ledge (peg runner) then step up and swing around onto the left side of the arête. Follow the arête to a pleasant mid-height resting ledge. Clip a high bolt runner on the right before continuing up the left side of the arête and finishing leftwards to a ledge and double ring abseil station in a short corner. Seven bolt runners.
(5) 7m. -
Make a final move up the short corner to gain a narrow ledge above, then step across to the right and scramble carefully up the grass slope to reach the walkway and bolt belays on the left of a clean corner. One bolt runner.
(6) 30m. F6a. Surmount an initial bulge to gain a slight groove and continue straight up on the wall on continually surprising holds to reach a slight upper groove. At the top of this step across to the right on a wide ledge and finish up an awkward scoop to a hanging stance at a double ring abseil station. Thirteen bolt runners.
(7) Pull over onto the summit and walk up the slope to belay in the welcome sunshine at a convenient tree.
8 сен 2024
