UKC

Can anyone give me any advice on climbing this route? Single rope or twin, gear, access, parking etc. Thanks in advance

In reply to stevieo10:

Its been a while but from what I remember a single set of standard nuts and plenty of long slings for the pinnacles and other stuff. I'd go with a single rope as well, too much faff with 2 ropes with little benefit to be gained. I think we parked somewhere near the Count House but things may have changed.

In reply to stevieo10:

When we climbed it, used twin ropes, 2 sets of nuts, May have a cam or two, but don't recall placing them. Oh and a set of hexes. Watch the tides and aim to be at the base for low tide, it was a straight forward walk / scramble down. Enjoy!

In reply to stevieo10:

Thinking about it, it was a long time ago before I learnt to streamline my rack.

In reply to stevieo10:

Parking in layby next to old mine buildings.
Should be fine with a single rope as it's a series of short problems with easier ground in between.
Simple rack of rocks and cams if you have them. No need for very small gear or anything larger than a Camalot 2. Long slings for spikes and to extend gear.

Not sure what the guide says about the approach but once you have crossed the ridge near the commando memorial plaque there is a faint path and then some abseil tat (or downclimb this bit.

Watch the state of the tide since the approach is tidal and big waves can effect the first pitch.

Take a camera as it is very photogenic.

Enjoy.

In reply to stevieo10:

Bigger gear and loads of slings + single rope. Mind you it was 20 years ago at the tender age of 15!

In reply to stevieo10:
A single rope should do fine on it. You park by the count house and walk in as for the main crag and turn left just after the ruined building. The approach was a little boggy when I did it at easter. A full set of nuts, some hexes and lots of slings should do, a couple of cams may be appreciated but are not necessary. If the weather turns once you're out of the zawn you can ab off the route pretty easily. You'll want a warm jacket each as the ridge is quite exposed to the wind. The route is absolutely fantastic! If the sea looks at all rough it is worth pitching from the second abseil round to the base of the route as I heard about someone being caught by a wave and pulled out to sea.

In reply to spenser:

second that - lovely route especially in the sunshine.

In reply to Mark Collins:

Thanks for advice, will try it some time soon. Looks fun!

In reply to stevieo10:
Pitch 1 proper up the steep wall is amazing but hard at the grade. After that mostly scrambling with the odd bit of diff, but you can do the seat at HS. Don't skimp too much on the gear as it's granite so not always that forgiving I'd definitely take a reasonable range of cams and some hexes as well as atleast 1 full set of nuts or so.

A single rope would be fine I think. We moved together for some of it either side of the ridge.

In reply to stevieo10:
As CurlyStevo says, the steep pitch at the beginning is lovely...but I got carried away and placed too little gear as the climbing "flowed" so nicely that I didn't want to interrupt it. My second was appalled when she came up, but I felt comfortable with it at the time.

I think we pitched 2 of the other pitches, but for most of it we moved together, alpine style, and didn't feel at all worried. I was leading mainly Severe and the odd VS at the time, so a very average, or even below average, "weekend warrior".

At the first fin we were passed by an old boy wearing Woolies plimsolls who asked "is this the south Coast Path then?", before confiding that he'd first done the route as a Commando in the 50s.

Lovely route. I'd take a fairly light rack, with long slings, a selection of nuts and a couple of big rockcentrics. Wouldn't bother with cams. Single rope is fine....a couple who'd started just behind us using a pair of half ropes were still faffing about with ropework a good 90 minutes after we'd finished....we were watching them from the top of the main Bosi cliff.

In reply to stevieo10:

Some beta here...

youtube.com/watch?v=7-FOzQmxV8I&

In reply to stevieo10:


...and a slightly more modern bit of beta here!
youtube.com/watch?v=ErLC82eHE5c&
Good luck and enjoy as it is a grand outing!

In reply to stevieo10:

Try to be first on the route. We did it at Easter and got stuck behind a very slow party of three, from one of the Bristol based climbing clubs. It took us 7.5 hours !!!

I've soloed it in 15 minutes before now, just to put that in perspective.

In reply to stevieo10:

Don't do the approach in shorts, however nice the weather. I came back bristling with ticks
Cracking route though, and I agree, a single rope is the best way.
Oh, and make sure your partner doesn't try to do the last (optional) move with his posh watch in his pocket! (It fell out, and miraculously lodged on the edge of the slab, else it would have disappeared into the bracken hillside never to be seen again - Luckiest thing I have ever seen!)

In reply to IPPurewater:

I may well have been in the team between you and the avon group if it was on the saturday,the impressive bit was them taking an hour and three quarters to climb 25 metres!

In reply to IPPurewater:

I learnt to 'move together' on this route, it took about an hour. parking is obvious. 1 rope would be fine and some long slings.

In reply to stevieo10:

Best bet to avoid crowds - pick a day when low tide is c. 4.00 a.m. and get on the route at 5.00 a.m. - that's what I did once we realised we'd picked the weekend to go when the tides were scr*wed. Still we did get the entire ridge to ourselves, whereas at one point a few of weekends ago I saw no fewer than 5 teams queuing for the first pitch on a chilly, breezy day....brrrrr!

In reply to stevieo10:

Some of the traverse/downclimb bits of pitches are not trivial in difficulty or protection. Hence not an ideal route to take a nervouss beginner on although you can bypass them by climbing off the ridge and back on again. The optional end crux is pretty hard.

In reply to stevieo10:

If the tide is in and you still want to do the route, the alternate start pitch (which is nice in itself) begins from the ledge you pass at the awkward step/abseil around to your right as you face the sea. The traditional start is much better though.

If you want a local (loose sense i.e. not inbred) to show you the route, I'm free most days during the week at the moment...