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Best route at Gogarth at each grade...

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I've been doing a fair bit of climbing at Gogarth recently. I love the place - where else in the UK can you get such absorbing adventures right next to the road? - and would love to tick all the classics there other next few year. If I get good enough/brave enough, that is.

So what's your favorite/best route at Gogarth at each grade?

I've started at HVS, which is the grade you need to be climbing to experience Gogarth properly. I'll finish at E2, because above that I don't have the experience to comment.

Feel free to shoot my down and add you favorites...

HVS - Whilst Dream of White Horses might be the most popular. I'd got with Concrete Chimney. Two stunning, steep independent chimneys that soar up the Wen Slab. Is there a more out there HVS in Britain? Don't skip the brutal off width on Pitch 1.

E1 - This seems to be a tricky one. E1 in my experience isn't Gogarth's best grade. Of the ones I've done Park Lane/Doomsville has the best climbing. Saying that Emulator and Anarchist are superb pitches, but just that. Gogarth is unbalanced and let down by it's middle pitch. Any suggestions, Night ride perhaps?

E2 - Mousetrap had some of the best and most entertaining climbing I've ever done on it. Cuddly in comparison to Red Walls, which left me a gibbering wreck after it's main pitch. The one I've done have all been brilliant.

E3, E4, E5... suggestions please.

I better get back to my essay otherwise I'll be dreaming of Big G all day.
In reply to the cassin ridge:
have only done one proper route at Big G and id say Mousetrap was awesome!

at the E1 grade swastika looks really good maybe we should do some research when ur fingers return to heterosexuality?

oh and by the way ripley u are a c**t haha banter when u back from the lakes?
 Leo Woodfelder 11 Nov 2009
In reply to the cassin ridge: Dreamin of white horses is the only route I have done there and I thought that was awesome. Did it as a second as one of my first outdoor climbs. Can't wait to go back next summer and lead it! Might do Comcrete chimney as well!
 centurion05 11 Nov 2009
In reply to the cassin ridge:

ah, Mr ripley, your back.

The Best routes at the grades in my oppinion are as follows.

VS - Rap
HVS - 1st Pitch of concrete chimney with the last pitch of The quartz Icicle (only 5a)
E1 - Merchant Man (its almost E2), Northwest Passage, Nightride, Mestizo
E2 - Red wall, True moments/Atlantis/Freebird, Resolution Direct
E3 - Gotta be T-Rex, although The Big Groove has to be good.
 mux 11 Nov 2009
In reply to the cassin ridge:

Hmmmm (taps finger on chin)

E1 -Emulator, hombre is good also, the savage

E2 - UFO, quartz icicel, the strand

E3 - Rat Race , the Assasin, Perygl, Super Crack (is this E2 now)

...everyone will say the Moon ..but I dont think its all that good and not worth E3 ..but thats just MHO

E4- Electric blue (not quite main cliff but a great pitch)

bugger cant comment any more not done enough..
 Tris 11 Nov 2009
In reply to mux:
> E4- Electric blue (not quite main cliff but a great pitch)

Ummm - not quite main cliff????
 mux 11 Nov 2009
In reply to Tris: well ok more of a drive than a walk ...but its still gogarth to me and the sun always shines there.
 Tris 11 Nov 2009
In reply to mux: It's about 5 miles away
 jon 11 Nov 2009
In reply to the cassin ridge:

Seems to be a lack of E5s there, so here are the big three for me, Hunger, Dinosaur and Positron...

No one has mentioned The Moon, either...
 Ed Booth 11 Nov 2009
In reply to the cassin ridge: Blue Peter at E4, amazing face climbing on an even more amazing wall.

I haven't done Winking Crack, but I reckon it looks pretty good.
If I do these four routes before I finish uni it will be worth the debt... the chances are slim to zero however.

E3 - The Moon
E4 - Pagan
E5 - Positron
E6 - Conan the Librarian

Out of interested, does anyone know the reasons behind any/all of the names?
 mr mills 11 Nov 2009
In reply to boothy:

I did Sarah Green by mistake :0 just an alternative start I guess, first 30ft of Wreath then join Blue Peter,agree with you Bothy an amazing climb, keeps you on your toes throughout
 robw007 11 Nov 2009
In reply to the cassin ridge:

HVS - Wen, Britomartis
E1 - Gogarth, Northwest Passage
E2 - Creeping Lemma, True Moments/Freebird, Red Wall
E3 - Big Groove, The Moon
E4 - Pagan*
E5 - Ordinary Route*

*so my more talented friends tell me
 Neil Foster Global Crag Moderator 11 Nov 2009
In reply to the cassin ridge:

E3 - Big Groove or T Rex

E4 - Graduation Ceremony or Pagan

E5 - Citadel or Mammoth (or Heart of Gold)

E6 - Alien or Barbarossa

You should enjoy all these!

Neil

 Al Evans 11 Nov 2009
In reply to robw007:
Thanks Rob At least one of mine there er actually two now I relook.
But I would include a few more of ours

Horrowshow is worth more than its one star E5
Barbarrosa is easily the best E6 on the upper tier
Aardvark at E2 is worth 3 stars of anybodys money.
This years Model is excellent at E3
Green Slab requite black blobs rather than stara
The Best HVS Route on South Stack is Where Puffins Daren't
In reply to the cassin ridge:


get yourself on The Hollowman mate, all your shinny gear will be loads of use....

x
 Rich Kirby 11 Nov 2009
In reply to the cassin ridge:

A Gogarth thread.....Get in!!

I'd agree with you Tom. Nothing stands out at E1, nevertheless lots of good routes.

Some good E2's on the upper Tier;

Eternal Optimist and Failsafe are excellent and close to each other.

From E3 onward you really are spoilt for choice.

E3 - The Moon or Sex Lobster (more E4) perhaps.

E4 - Gradutaion Ceremony is ace but Pagan is simply one of the best days climbing I've had!

E5 - Ordinary Route - like a greatest hits of the Main Cliff E5's.

E6...not done any but its gotta be Skinhead Moonstomp



 Rory Shaw 11 Nov 2009
In reply to Rich Kirby:
> (In reply to the cassin ridge)
>
> A Gogarth thread.....Get in!!
>
> I'd agree with you Tom. Nothing stands out at E1, nevertheless lots of good routes.

er have you not climbed mestizo or northwest passage?
 mux 12 Nov 2009
In reply to Tris:
> (In reply to mux) It's about 5 miles away

picky aren't you.

its in the guide ..that'l do.
 mux 12 Nov 2009
In reply to robw007:

I thought Gogarth was pants I was so disapointed.

glad I left it until I had done everything else I could do in that area.

TMFB is worth a punt thhough I enjoyed that

I would like to add T rex also ...but as I have not completed it I cant comment on the top pitches.
 AJM 12 Nov 2009
In reply to the cassin ridge:

Haven't done anywhere near enough there to be able to comment. I'd throw in North West Passage as an excellent E1 that (combined with Gogarth) gave me one of my best days out last year. Similarly Red Walls gave me one of my best days out this year, once the terror subsided

You're right though - is there anywhere with a better climbing experince than Gogarth?

Looking at the other recommendations with interest here - I've set myself the goal of 50 routes there (maybe from the graded lists, maybe not, we'll see how hard it is) over the next few years so that I'm continually reminded of the need to make the long drive up.....

AJM
 ksjs 12 Nov 2009
In reply to boothy: ive been wanting to do this for ages - never climbed on that wall and would be honour to follow (sort of) in the steps of Mr Redhead et al. plus, aspirations, as many do, of The Cad one day (must continue efforts to grow cojones before then) so need to start getting a feel for the wall.

just wondering whats this like as a winter venue? is it toasty tops-off climbing on sunny days or biting wind regardless?
 A Crook 12 Nov 2009
In reply to mux:
> (In reply to robw007)
>
> I thought Gogarth was pants I was so disapointed.
>
>

Lol didn't help that you failed to do the top pitch. instead doing some crappy E2 variation
 A Crook 12 Nov 2009
In reply to the cassin ridge:

Not n main cliff but very good

True Momments and freebird. Takes the best 3 pitches of three routes it very very good.

The Savage

Scavenger Classic gogarth HVS brillant fun

The Strand nuff said

Cordon Blue very easy ith only one crux move but a great traverse of all the routes that you have or want to do. To quote my mate 'F*** me its exposed up here' said after secondng the fisrt pitch! and hios fisrt GG experince
 mux 12 Nov 2009
In reply to balti boy:

not did not Fail to do the top pitch ...But chose to do the not so crappy E2 finish as the previous pitches of poop needed some spice.

the devotee was alright too

:P



 lurcher 12 Nov 2009
In reply to the cassin ridge:

My favourites

HVS: Britomartis
E1: Nightride
E2: Resolution direct
E3: Fantasia/Big Groove/T rex
E4: Pagan
E5: Citadel
 martin heywood 12 Nov 2009
In reply to the cassin ridge:


I never really got onto any of the classics there but have memories of harrowing moments on most of the routes I did.
Fail Safe was scary at E2 and I think I must have missed some gear.
The Ramp seemed to be desperate at the grade
Also had a few moments on an E2 near to the needle, any one know what it's called? (not a popular route)
 robw007 12 Nov 2009
In reply to Al Evans:
No probs Al.

I forgot to mention Resolution - lots of whining that there are few good E1s - well Resolution is the business.

First did it fresh from getting fit and frustrated down the Foundry during one February half-term. It was minus that day in the Peak - we were in t-shirts on Main Cliff - mega!
 Ed Booth 12 Nov 2009
In reply to ksjs: Yeh great wall. Even the no start escape route Green Gilbert is worth doing potentially a good first E1.
The Cad is awesome, totally commiting and bold and runnout. Great route.
I can't wait to get on Wreath and The Clown . . . and maybe even The Bells The Bells(brown pants)!
 Rich Kirby 12 Nov 2009
In reply to martin heywood:
> (In reply to the cassin ridge)
>
> Also had a few moments on an E2 near to the needle, any one know what it's called? (not a popular route)

Hypodermic.

 Toby Dunn 12 Nov 2009
In reply to the cassin ridge:
HVS: Britomartis
E1: True Moments/Freebird
E2: The Strand
E3: T rex
E4: The Cow
E5: Hunger
E6: The Cad
 Dave Ferguson 12 Nov 2009
In reply to the cassin ridge:
some lesser known gems
HVS - Mistaken Identity (Flytrap zawn)
E1 - The prisoner (Thunderbird Zawn)
E2 - The bluebottle
E3 - This years model
E4 - Blue remembered hills
 Mike Owen 13 Nov 2009
In reply to Rich Kirby: I agree with Rich for Skinhead Moonstomp at E6. Climbing at Gogarth is all about the experience, ie. route finding, some dodgey pro, strong feelings of being pushed to the limit and, at times, really feeling scared and of course the outcome is never guaranteed. Skinhead has all of these. You'd have to add The Bells (as the best route at Gogarth) and The Hollow Man in the E7 category.
 mux 13 Nov 2009
In reply to Dave Ferguson: This years model ...great I had forgoten about that one..

Pumpy !

 kevin stephens 13 Nov 2009
In reply to the cassin ridge:

HVS Concrete Chimney
E1 True Moments/Frebird
E2 Resolution Direct
E3 Assasin
E4 Blue Peter
E5 - ask me next year hopefully
 martin heywood 13 Nov 2009
In reply to Rich Kirby:
> (In reply to martin heywood)
> [...]
>
> Hypodermic.



Thanks but no.
It is less well known than Hypodermic.
 Rich Kirby 13 Nov 2009
In reply to martin heywood:
> (In reply to Rich Kirby)
> [...]

> Thanks but no.
> It is less well known than Hypodermic.

Mmm, Morphine or jaborandi. Third Man perhaps but thats down Easter Island way.

 martin heywood 13 Nov 2009
In reply to Rich Kirby:

Jaborandi, that's the one. Adventure climbing at it's best.
Thanks.
 ksjs 13 Nov 2009
In reply to boothy: how did you find The Cad versus other E6 (if thats what you took for it)? would it feel significantly more E5 with wire on bolt? theres certainly some very appealing higher Es on that wall...
 Tyler 13 Nov 2009
In reply to the cassin ridge:

HVS - Concrete Chimney
E1 - Anarchist, although I agree nothing stands out (3 stars for Barriers in Time???)
E2 - Resolution Direct or Creeping Lemma
E3 - Fantasia
E4 - This is one for which there is a definitive answer and that is Pagan. Unfortunatly I've never done it and can't think of much else although I really enjoyed Trail of Tears
E5 - I hate to agree with Rich again so I'll skip Ordinary Route in favour of the Cad
E6 - Only done one and that was down graded in North Wales select, I'm anxiously awaiting the new Gogarth South guide to find out if I can hang up my rack forever.
 ksjs 13 Nov 2009
In reply to the cassin ridge: i havent done much there but:

HVS - Britomartis and King Bee Crack (assuming im allowed Holyhead). not sure if you can get a better position on an HVS than you do with Britomartis, one of my first HVS leads and i can remember so clearly traversing away from the belay with the sea to my back and an expanse of wall above waiting for me...
E1 - Emulator and Breaking the Barrier. Emulator is high quality E1 with great variety, it keeps coming
E2 - think it has to be The Strand though again if we think about Holyhead, Bran Flake is ace
E3 - i start to run out of experience here as the only E3s ive done have been on Holyhead. if however you give Strike E3 i think this is brilliant but it really suits my style, arguably just worth E4. Sai Dancing is superb as is The Final Solution (previously Penny), think Sai Dancing's crux could be 6b. ive been looking keenly at the crack line left of The Cruise on recent visits, havent done it but it looks really good: Who was HB?
E4 - Katana (now Penny) is class - sustained but never desperate with good gear and, though not an amazing line or anything, Snakebite Wall is cool if you like that sort of thing: crimpy, open wall climbing. this was E5 but has gone down, correctly i think, to E4 in new Gogarth North
E5 - Run Fast Run Free. this was to be my first E5 but i got to the pod and decided it was too damp so came down anyway, what i did was quality and the top section looks brilliant. maybe this winter if we get some sunny days...
 Rich Kirby 13 Nov 2009
In reply to Tyler:
> (In reply to the cassin ridge)
>

> E5 - I hate to agree with Rich again so I'll skip Ordinary Route in favour of the Cad

Now thats just stubborn & if your going down that route then at least choose an E5 rather than broadening the already chock-a-bloc Gogarth E5 spectrum. Cad is E6 despite, rusty bolt stump along with Eraserhead, Blackleg, Ramadan............


> E6 - Only done one and that was down graded in North Wales select, I'm anxiously awaiting the new Gogarth South guide to find out if I can hang up my rack forever.

Nice, but best at grade?

 ksjs 13 Nov 2009
In reply to Rich Kirby: Blackleg looks great. youre saying E6, Gogarth North gives it high E5 - i assume its not one to mess around on?
 Ed Booth 13 Nov 2009
In reply to ksjs: Only comparable route I have done is Supersonic. They feel about the same technical difficulty but on the Cad the moves feel less reversable and less positive, and you don't want to fall off them. I didn't clip the bolt, and instead had a skyhook somewhere near it. This was great as a mental boost, so I reckon putting a wire over the bolt would make it feel less scary. Don't clip it though, you still wouldn't want to take the fall, and if you're doing it at all, just pretend there was never a bolt in it. I can't really comment on the grade much as I haven't done any other E6's onsight(if you take it as E6). But at the same time it felt just as hard as any E5 I've done and way more runnout and dodgy so going on that I reckon E5 might be a bit unfair. You could f*ck yourself on it
 Rich Kirby 13 Nov 2009
In reply to ksjs:
> (In reply to Rich Kirby) Blackleg looks great. youre saying E6, Gogarth North gives it high E5 - i assume its not one to mess around on?

We did RFRF the other week & my mate had a brief foray on Blackleg and backed off. Checked out gear when lowering down Strike & it looks hard techy climbing with sketchy gear. There's an essential, hard to place, possible to miss runner in suspect rock. You'd deck if you missed it or it failed.

I suspect many check it out when lowering off Strike, then piss it, thus the new grade. For an O/S attempt it defo looked more E6.


 WB 13 Nov 2009
In reply to the cassin ridge:
I don't think I have done a bad route at Gogarth... And one of the most amazing pitches I have done anywhere, is the first pitch of Primate. Brilliant.
 Neil Foster Global Crag Moderator 13 Nov 2009
In reply to Mike Owen:

Do you miss Gogarth Mike?

Neil
 ksjs 13 Nov 2009
In reply to Rich Kirby: good knowledge - thanks. from the ground it looks like theres some big jugs up there which makes it quite appealing, almost slightly sport in style. the reality sounds a bit different...
 ksjs 13 Nov 2009
In reply to boothy: cheers - think Jordan fell onto the good gear (behind suspect flake?) on the 2007 international meet and was fine but dont know where from, i think it was pretty high. like many others no doubt im confident i could handle the physical / technical side of The Cad but id need to be climbing super well to handle the mental side.

still not sure if i'll ever be bold enough to handle run out hard stuff but then a few years ago, i wouldnt have contemplated some of the recent things ive done (nothing hard or really dangerous, just situations where you couldnt afford to fall) so who knows. i guess its all relative i.e. what you'll do / consider risky changes with experience...
 Bulls Crack 13 Nov 2009
In reply to the cassin ridge:

E3 The Moon - better than Big groove
 Mike Owen 13 Nov 2009
In reply to Neil Foster: Hi Neil. Yes, I do miss Gogarth when I'm thinking of climbing back in Wales, especially as we have nothing like it down here. But I'm not complaining. Infact, the last time I climbed there was during the BMC International Meet in 1992, which seems absolutely ages ago now. All the best, Mike.
 Mike Owen 13 Nov 2009
In reply to Rich Kirby:Hi Rich. I belayed (and seconded) a very calm Andy Pollit after he led a very early onsight ascent of Blackleg in 1993. There was a tricky move rightwards, on suspect rock and way above gear, to join Strike, which would be bad news if you fell from. I remember Andy did get a Friend 1 low down and some slings on spikes. The top section was hard and bouldery after the rest in Strike. Still, I was happy enough to second (I never went back for the lead). All the best, Mike.
In reply to the cassin ridge:Gogarth has always been one of my favorite places,

HVS Dream of White Horses

E1 True Moments/Freebird

E2 Has to be Moustrap one of the best E2s anywhere

E3 Without doubt T Rex with the golden bough finish

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