UKC

Exmansworthy – Trip Report

We went to Exmansworthy on Saturday 8th July 2006. We were using the information from the excellent javu website, http://www.javu.co.uk/Climbing/NewRoutes/NorthDevonCornwall.shtml#exmanswor...


The directions from the parking were good. We found the “prominent small tree in the hedgerow” and set off into the jungle. This consisted of head-high bracken, and there was no evidence that anyone else had been that way for a long time. But underfoot, there were clear traces of a path. We didn’t see any of the “small white markers” attached to tree branches, but by using a bit of common sense and luck, we were able find the way. Our first objective was Shadow Walker and we managed to locate the first “flat area with a group of obvious trees” and then the second “flat area with more trees”. We found the “furthest rightmost tree looking out”, which had a rusty krab and wire nut hanging off a branch, presumably as a waymarker.

Unfortunately, I ignored common sense and the instructions, and decided that we were in the wrong place! This was partly because, peering over the edge, I couldn’t see anything that looked like the top of the Shadow Walkerwall, and secondly the tree seemed too big, and I couldn’t reconcile it with the instruction to equalise the belay to a smaller tree higher up – the tree seemed perfectly adequate on its own. So we went back about 50 yards (westward) and abseiled off a tree there. This took us down to a terrace, where we tied on another rope and continued down to the beach. We were actually abseiling down the line of Dog Burglar.

Once on the beach, it was easy to identify the routes. We set off up Shadow Walker and thoroughly enjoyed it. The prominent peg before the traverse left has snapped, but you can see where it used to be. I thought the traverse was the crux – thin and moving away from the gear. I couldn’t decide between E2 or E3, definitely nowhere 6a, and certainly 3*. I did it in one pitch, which seemed much the best plan, as the second is then well out of the way of any debris which might be dislodged at the finish.

My plan at the top of the route was to continue up to the terrace, and belay on the abseil rope. This wasn’t a very good plan, and wouldn’t have worked at all. Fortunately, there is a useful ledge at the top of the route, where I found some belays which I judged acceptable; a thread round some apparently solid blocks, and a wire and a big cam (Camalot 3) in a slot between some other blocks. This seemed OK-ish as a combination. M then lead up through some more overhanging blocks (heart in mouth, but it went OK) and traversed right for a good 100 feet to the abseil rope.

After lunch, we went down again and headed over to the Hand Job area. This wasn’t so successful. There was a lot of debris on the ground, and the crack line was very vegetated. I set up up the initial crack, gardening as I went. All the horizontal surfaces were covered in earth and gravel. The pull onto the narrow shelf seemed impossible – the shelf was banked up with about 12 inches of loose earth and gravel. Looking up, there seemed to be a patch of new rock scar maybe 6 feet high between the shelf and the start of the main crack. So I gave up, and downclimbed.

It looks to me as if something big has fallen off in the Hand Job area, probably in the last 6 months, judging from the state of the debris. There wasn’t much sign of the route Umbra Crack either. I took a photo and posted it in my gallery, so perhaps some expert can say whether it’s changed or not. Of course, it could just have been me chickening out… I would certainly recommend that you approach Hand Job or Iron Fist from above to check then out first, and take some cleaning equipment.

We had run out of time, options and weather, so we had some jumaring practice to regain our sacks, then a bracing walk back up the hill. It started raining as we reached the coast path. We didn’t mislay the car keys.

I'd highly recommend Shadow Walker to a competent party, and the whole day had the air of an Adventure.

In reply to Andy2: I should have added - while jumaring up to escape, I thought that Cat Burglar looked pretty clean, intact, and a very good route, but unfortunately a bit too hard for me at the moment.

In reply to Andy2:

Is Shadow Walker the main one up that slab on the left? If so I got rained off it in about 1999, and did Hand Job in the rain to escape. It was very nice back then, albeit a bit cabbagey.

jcm

In reply to johncoxmysteriously: John, you're right, Shadow Walker is the obvious line up the slab at the left end of the cliff. The route to its left, Culm Dancing also looks good.

I should thank Mark Kemball for supplying the access information, and to Stu Bradbury for cleaning up the routes, which is an impressive effort considering the amount of effort needed to get there.

In reply to Andy2: Glad you found your way in, the bracken is a sod - much easier to find your way in and out in winter - a pity it's so cold then! Sounds like there has been some very recent rockfall on Hadjob - Stu cleaned it (on the lead) about a year ago - he also cleaned Iron Fist - that is a really super route. If you come in down the handline, it brings you to a shaley ledge above Handjob. About 20' lower there is a good abseil stake, but it might take a bit of finding - you would be able to clean both routes easily from this. I failed to lead Cat Burglar, but Stu got up it, it was fine to second. We placed a stake and peg at the top to ab back on - the top is fairly unstable round there. (Note stakes etc were placed summer to autumn 2005 so should still be good.)

In reply to Andy2:
As you found, this brings you down a bit too far left. By equalising to the second tree, you end up directly above Shadow Walker. Stakes would seem a better solution, but the ground is too soft (loose dead bracken) so they don't hold.