UKC

Don't keep a logbook but felt I should add a comment in the logbooks also; about the belay after the Shield pitch. The pegs are in a poor condition, and the block on the small ledge moves with little effort. As this is the belay for the crux pitch, I felt it sensible to take a full hanging stance at the start of the crack. No doubt others will say the belay is safe personally I wouldn't. The belay in the crack is bomber but does make for a real faff for the changeover. Never climbed it previously but found the route is currently in what must be perfect condition for a North facing climb. Cheddar Gorge SouthCoronation Street (WW) (E1 5b)

In reply to jim jones:

But theres loads of good gear other than the pegs? If they went it would be a non-issue

In reply to Cheese Monkey:

Nope. There is no gear apart from the pegs and the wobbly block.

In reply to Hooo:

Well god knows what I saw then

In reply to Cheese Monkey:
The good gear on that belay would comprise small wires and cams in a narrow horizontal, I didn't think the placements looked good enough to belay the crux pitch. The block I referred to has obviously been used to back up the belay previously and indeed been more solid. Like I said no doubt others would pronounce it safe, if I intended climbing it again I'd be tempted to take a couple of lost arrows and a peg hammer to replace the pegs, if I used the ledge belay. Otherwise the start of the crack offers far better placements. Two big wires and two large cams in the crack, supplemented by the rusty pegs is what I used.
From another source;
http://www.mountainproject.com/v/coronation-street/108047465

"P3: 5.8, 15m "The shield pitch"
Continue up the crack (surprisingly pumpy) from the ledge, until you reach a large overhang. The only means of progress is to hand traverse leftwards, good hands but slick to non-existent feet. Approaching the end of this sideways excursion you encounter what remains of the shield. This bulge of rock used to be more of a formidable obstacle, forcing the climber to lean backwards, gripping the top as feet skated around beneath. However it has now shed much of it's bulk, and is often mounted with a thigh for a welcome, if inelegant, rest! At the end of the traverse, belays are available either on gear in the start of the corner of the next pitch, or on rusty pitons just further left. Neither option is comfortable."

In reply to jim jones:

Or just pull them out if they're rotten. They don't need to be there. I don't mind if they're there or not, but no point having rotten ones, and there doesn't really need to be any there anyway - like I say (and you agree) there's other adequate gear available, in the crack and the break.

In reply to Cheese Monkey:

Or just leave alone. Please. Other than cleaning pitch 1 at the start of each season Coronation Street doesn't need touching.

In reply to GrahamD:

Agreed

In reply to jim jones:

I was surprised that such a high profile route had such a lousy belay. It is a bottle neck too where two parties might have to share. I'd support re-equipping the belay.

I have really been enjoying visiting Cheddar from Plymouth recently. What an awesome job Martin Crocker and co have done with the restoration and with a guide you can really trust.

In reply to jim jones:

I must admit, I wasn't that keen on the pegs when I climbed it 10 years ago, there is however, a fairly simple solution. Place good gear at the bottom of the crack as you traverse across to the stance. Your partner comes across and leads through without taking the gear out so that it is always backing up your belay.

In reply to Kafoozalem:

I don't think its really a bottleneck. You can see the post shield belay from the pre shield belay and if someone's on the post shield belay I think its easy enough to hang around on the (much More comfortable) pre shield belay.

Back to the original point, I don't think its any worse than many Gogarth belays. Perhaps take the pegs out if you want to clean it up but not a lot of reason to replace them.

In reply to Cheese Monkey:

You're probably much better at spotting and placing gear than I am. I couldn't find anything I was very happy with, although at least the block wasn't moving back then. To make matters worse, when I was there the pegs were threaded with some dubious tat that I couldn't remove, so I had no choice but to clip it.
Mark Kemball's suggestion sounds like a good solution. Wish I'd thought of that at the time.

In reply to remus:

Yep, you definitely wouldn't want to share the stance. Much more sensible to wait at the pre-shield belay.

In reply to Mark Kemball:


Or just belay on the good gear.

In reply to remus:


Agreed. You really would not want to share the post shield belay under any circumstances. If a leader approaches while you're there, tell them in no uncertain terms to go back to the crack!

In reply to jim jones:

I'm suprised the whole route hasn't been bolted yet.

In reply to Urgles:

Errr don't think that'd go down too well!

In reply to jim jones:

Mark Kemball has the best solution. Use the best stance but back it up with gear from the last pitch. You can also place some gear in the next pitch as well before returning to the stance. There are no rules as to how extended a belay can be, as long as it is safe.

In reply to jim jones:

Of course you could just carry on up the next pitch to the alternate belay spot where there is a huge thread and a decentish ledge just before the crux of that pitch which means you get to see your leader climb the crux...

In reply to beardy mike:

You could I suppose, rope drag permitting. Certainly an option on a subsequent ascent but that solution requires prior knowledge of what's coming. No mention of an alternative belay in our guide.

In reply to jim jones:

This came up a couple of years ago:

http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=541753&v=1#x7256095

That wire placement was certainly worth finding.

In reply to Ian Parsons:

Thanks for that Ian, I did spend some time looking around that groove but couldn't easily reach what looked like potentially good gear. Quicker to do what I eventually did. What concerned me more was the looseness of the block, which from your link was dodgy then.

In reply to jim jones: it does unfortunately. It was listed as an alternate belay in the first cheddar guide I had, but isn't either the latest cheddar only guide or the previous avon and cheddar guide

In reply to jim jones:


A trick I have used for over 40 years ( rope jamming in roof of Extol, had to think of it on the lead ) is to take up some slack in the dragging rope( s ).
Clip the rope into the top QD with a slip knot on your side of the QD.
Climb up to the next runner with no rope drag just a loop.
Repeat.
The slip knot should come out with a tug and not lift the runner out if it is extended enough.

Good guesswork required into how soon the next runner, and ideally resting bridge, will arrive, though it is fairly easy to do one handed. Use only one slip knot at a time to minimise slack in the system.

Works a treat.

In reply to Rick Graham:

To be honest, with half decent ropework on this you should be OK. You just need to extend any pro you put in at the top of the initial crack, only clip one rope, then climb the traverse and then start clipping the other rope. Pretty certain you'd be OK... plus the next bit really isn't that tough.

The pegs were shoddy 8 years back so I just kept going, non issue IMHO. Same on many routes with peg belays, modern gear or new location, job done.

In reply to jim jones:

the pegs are shit. We opted for a belay in the crack and it's bomber. It's just a bit awkward but possible.

Christ i hate pegs

In reply to jim jones:

I did it about 8 years back too and yes the pegs were pretty poor then, but I definitely managed to back it up with something that couldn't have been too bad, since I'm a complete wuss.

In reply to jim jones:


Would you judge that the block is now loose enough for its dislodgement to have become a significant possibility? In view of its location above a car park, that would be of rather greater concern than its simple failure to contribute anything useful to the belay thereabouts.

In reply to Ian Parsons:
Yes I would Ian, glad someone has finally noted that, as it was the whole point in my post! It moves enough to be dislodged if it was over enthusiastically grabbed and used to haul on.