UKC

I hear Mark Edwards has developed a new zawn in West Penwith with routes from E5 to E9, anyone know more about this?

In reply to DaisyClimbing:

Hi Daisy,

here are some of the route descriptions. I have not sent them to anybody yet, so hope you enjoy the routes. A great place!

Mark

New routes - Pellitras Point

Seal of Approval E5 6a 20m **
This climbs the striking crackline to the horizontal break just right of the obvious arête.
1. 20m 6a Pull up into the crack and follow it to the break. Traverse left 3 meters until a sequence of moves gains the easier ground above.
FA: Mark Edwards, Rowland Edwards
Note: A grey Atlantic seal witnessed the whole ascent.

Stamp of Approval E6 6b/c 20m *
A harder direct finish to Seal of Approval with thin hard moves above the crack, and finish up the slab above.
FA: Mark Edwards (solo)

The Elegant Universe E7 6c 20m **
Hard and technical climbing with small cam protection. This climb takes the series of thin crack/ flakes up the wall right of Seal of Approval.
1. 20m 6a Pull up to the first break and climb the bold wall via the sharp thin flakes/ cracks. Make bold moves to gain the upper slab.
FA: Mark Edwards (solo)

Simply Einstein E6 6b 20m *
This takes the obvious thin crackline just left of the Pollyvia start moves.
1. 20m 6b Make good moves to gain the horizontal break at 4 meters. Move up to the thin crack and follow it to the slab above. Move up unto the right headwall and follow this (no gear on this wall) to easier ground.
FA: Mark Edwards, Harriet Mason

New Routes - Pellitras Zawn

Watermark E7 6c 25m ***
This route is a classic line, many small protection sizes. Abseil in or from left ledges. Start: off the large boulder, at low tide and small swell size, at the mouth of the zawn.
1. 6c 25m Step off the boulder and follow the thin finger crack up the steep wall. Climb the crack to a ledge and continue up the arête (right side) to the top. Descent across the ridge.
FA: Mark Edwards, Rowland Edwards August 2006

Adrenalin Tide E9 6c/7a 25m ***
Outrageous climbing, bold and very technically powerful, with complex moves. Abseil in or traverse from left onto boulder as for Watermark. Start: off the boulder at low tide and small swell size.
1. 6c/ 7a 25m Step off the boulder and move across scoop ledges to the right to a vague crack. Pull up boldly (wet during my ascent) and make hard moves over a bulge to gain a thin horizontal break. Powerful moves up again reach a single pocket in the wall. Use this to reach the next break and climb direct to the start of a vein and follow on improving holds to the top.
FA: Mark Edwards, Rowland Edwards August 2006

Tide Master E4 5c 25m ***
This takes the obvious central groove line. A mixture of techniques and fine climbing.
1. 5c 25m Start from the boulder at low tide. Move up the cracks to enter the groove. Steepening climbing and restricted moves lead to an open corner. Follow to the top.
FA: Mark Edwards, Rowland Edwards August 2007

Temple of Darkness E6 6b 25m ***
Start: from the back of the boulder-filled zawn (abseil in).
1. 6b 25m Step off the boulder (bold)and traverse left along a horizontal break (exposed). To a point it is possible to pull up to a second break (hard). Pull up to a shallow pocket and pull up to another break (hard and bold). Move up left to enter an easy groove to reach the top of the ridge.
FA: Mark Edwards August 2006

Mist of Time E3 5b/c 25m ***
A classic line.
1. 5b/c 25m Start off the boulder as for Temple of Darkness and move up to follow the leftwards diagonal fault line and finish up the top groove.
FA: Mark Edwards, Robert Southall August 2006


Mist of Time (direct variation) E3 5b/c 25m *
Start as for Temple of Darkness and climb direct and then right to enter the vertical groove/ chimney line on the right.
FA: Mark Edwards, Robert Southall August 2006

The Lost Zawn E5 6a 25m *
This takes the obvious prow between the two chimney lines.
1. 6a 25m Start up the right hand chimney (Life in the Asylum) for one move and swing left onto the black face. Climb up slightly diagonally leftwards before moving back onto the centre of the pillar. Follow the centre moving from horizontal break to horizontal break, with some long reaches, and so to the top.
FA: Mark Edwards, Rowland Edwards September 2006

Life in the Asylum E5 6a 25m **
Start below the obvious deep chimney (needs dry conditions).
1. 6a 25m Climb up the off-width chimney to reach a good thread on the left at half height. Pull powerfully out of the chimney to climb the right facing groove above.
FA: Mark Edwards, Rowland Edwards

Mutant in a Desert of Armchair Heroes E6 6a 25m
Start within the large boulders at the back of the zawn and below a black wall right of the chimney of Life in the Asylum.
1. 6a 25m Step boldly onto the wall (mind the gap!) and climb the delicate wall to reach your first protection at a considerable height. Now move up and leftwards to reach the top via a short narrow groove.
FA: Mark Edwards, Robert Southall

This is not all the routes, about another 20 missing from this list.

In reply to M. Edwards: You may have heard that Iain Peters is producing a supplement for all the new routes in Devon and Cornwall (+Lundy?). It would be great if you could let him have any details.

In reply to Mark Kemball:

Thanks for this... I will look into it.

In reply to DaisyClimbing: Some of these routes sound very similar to routes we climbed on Pellitras Point in 2001. Full details of the first ascents are recorded on the new routes section of javu.co.uk. Others claimed here by Mark are far too hard for us to have done them however!

In reply to Rik:

Just had a look at your routes on Pellitras Point. None seem similar, except for Seal of Approval, which is a more direct line than your route. Also, Las Meninas seems to have fallen down, and possibly your route near here too? The routes in the zawn seem clear of your claim too. I have also done many routes running along Pellitras Buttress. These are from E1 to E9, and do not seem to be previously claimed. Thanks for letting me know. Mark

In reply to M Edwards: No, you're right. We climbed no routes in the zawn, and only one on Pellitras buttress itself - it would be a shame if it has fallen down. We thought the crag was excellent. Lots more routes in the area also detailed on Javu, too.

In reply to DaisyClimbing:

I hear daisyclimbing is Mark Edwards' press officer

In reply to Anonymous:

I did think that too.

Mark, I am sure that the mods on here will let you post new route information without you getting someone to post a question to you!

Its all good information at the end of the day and you are not making any money from it so no need for a Premier Post.

Regards Sam

In reply to Anonymous: Yep! Been rumbled... Got my arse kicked to send out my new routes by Daisy. I'm a bit lazy sending them out, once the routes are done, the fun seems to be over for me. Still, thanks to all for the info, and I promise to get my routes sent out. Sorry if it has upset anybody out there... Mark

In reply to M. Edwards:

Hi Mark
I’m pretty sure that two or three of your four reported routes at Pellitras Point were climbed by me and friends some time ago, as reported on Javu. We climbed pretty much all of the obvious lines on this then largely undeveloped part of the crag. Our ascent of Cold War was recorded on Javu as follows:

‘…climb to the vertical crack and follow this to a break. Make a strenuous hand traverse left for 8 - 10 feet, before a difficult move up onto a very faint rib allows easier climbing, and then the top to be reached.’

Your description of Seal of Approval is:

'Pull up into the crack and follow it to the break. Traverse left 3 meters until a sequence of moves gains the easier ground above.’

I can’t distinguish between the two at all.

In addition I can’t see how the line followed on your ascent of The Elegant Universe differs from that on our ascent of Rapscallion, which climbs the line of thin flakes between the vertical cracks on Cold War and Lardus. This is the obvious line here and there isn’t room for another independent route on this section of rock.

Finally, your route Simply Einstein may climb at least some of our route Red Snapper – it isn’t particularly clear from your description.

We certainly didn’t climb Stamp of Approval though, ie your direct finish to Cold War.

We were down at Pellitras yesterday and repeated Cold War and Lardus. We thought Lardus should probably be graded E3 rather than E2 and Cold War felt more like E4 than the E3 we originally gave it – safe but the gear is very pumpy to place. I suspect Rapscallion should be E4 as well.

By the way, you reported that Las Meninas (and Facsimile, Rik Meek and Pete O’Sullivan’s new route next to it) ‘seems to have fallen down’. This is incorrect as we climbed them both yesterday.

Brian Hannon

In reply to Brian H:
Hi Brian,
You have me at a disadvantage here; I am now over here in Spain for our winter season, so I cannot check the routes in question. So, as you have recently visited the Pellitras Point I have to bow to your claims of the routes. Although I still don't recall finding Las Meninas on Pellitras Buttress, and we are not the only team, because there was no "fine looking lay-back crack at 15m that curves from right to left." to the right of The Greek's Knees (?) All we found was a series of large rocky steps,and what looked like possibly newly exposed granite, before the arete of Portth Loe Buttress was turned into. Certainly nothing of VS 5a standard either. But, maybe we got this wrong too? I will have to wait until next summer before I can have another look at this cliff.
Mark

In reply to no one in particular:

I don’t want to speak out of turn as it’s been a long time since I last visited Pellitras Buttress but if I remember correctly ‘Las Meninas’ is somewhere to the left of ‘The Greek’s Knees’ not to the right. Although I haven’t climbed ‘Las Meninas’ I did identify the line it took and I climbed the other three routes described in the guide. If I recall correctly the current guide includes ‘Las Meninas’ in the wrong order which I guess would account for some of the confusion. I may well be wrong so perhaps someone who has been more recently could confirm this.

I’ve found it a bit of a fault of the current West Cornwall guide that post 1992 routes often seem to have been listed in the wrong order in relation to the older routes which makes it tricky to identify the correct location of the newer lines.

- Barney C.

Hi Guys and Gals!

I'm looking for a willing photography volunteers (you don't have to be pretty!!) to do a bit of climbing in Cornwall for me. I am taking photos for an exhibition in Easter that will be displayed in St Ives.

The exhibition will be to do with the Redruth and Camborne area, will explain more when you contact me!

Would be great if someone could help me out!

Cheers, Nick

trurosurfer26@hotmail.co.uk

In reply to TruroSurfer:

Hello TruroSurfer.

You might want to start a thread of your own for your request as it's unlikely to be noticed here.

Are you doing photography at Truro College by chance? If so, say hello to Marcus and Pete for me.
Cheers,
Tom

In reply to Anonymous: If the routes are in the wrong order here, then its no surprise we did not find the route as described in the CC guide. So I guess this whole area could do with a clear sort out. Photo-topos are so much easier... although combined with the descriptions too. Thanks for clearing this one up for us ... Cheers, Mark