UKC

This year I'm going full at e1, so far I've done several e1s and two e2s but up to this weekend it's all been pretty selective slabs on slate or culm. Having on sighted a limestone e1 and e2 this weekend it's time to get solid so I need suggestions for e1s in the south west they have to be mid/solid at the grade and I'd like one of each, a corner, a crack, an overhang, dare I say an off width or chimney, on granite, lime or whatever else there is going.
I'm off to cornwall this weekend (can't be an obvious enough one here or I might have seconded it already) probably in the wye the next and Pembroke for the bank holiday.
Have fun.

In reply to Wendy Watthews:

If you're going to Pembroke, Rock Idol should be on your to-do list.

Rock idol a definite. Also which is on my hit list this year. And a corner groove is. Sealhunt (E1 5b) looks brilliant.
Luke.

In reply to Wendy Watthews:

Thank for the suggestions I've never climbed in Pembroke and don't know much about the routes other than they are ment to be epic

In reply to Wendy Watthews:

Not climbed much in Cornwall, but of the E1s ive done in Pembroke,The Arrow (E1 5b), Manzoku (E1 5b) and Rock Idol stood out. All definitely not easy for the grade!

E1s in the Wye, arent really in the same league quality wise but The Trip (E1 5b) at Symonds yat is very good (gently overhanging) and Motion Pictures (E1 5b) at Shorn Cliff (Thin wall climbing).

In reply to james.slater:

If you're going to Pembroke then Heart of Darkness/New Morning

In reply to Wendy Watthews:
Off the top of my head, on Cornish granite.

Mid to hard E1s, descending order of difficulty, all good routes.

Cracks.
The Guilty Snowflake, Windy Zawn
Thin Wall Special, Bosigran
Clorophyl Cluster, St Loy
Cormorant's Bill, Land's End
Crack in the Sky, Carn Barra (fallen down?)
Bishop's Rib direct start, Chair Ladder
Monochrome Men, St Loy

Overhangs
Cormorant's Bill, Land's End (see also cracks)
Scorpion, Carn Barra (very soft)

Corners. I steer clear of them, but you might try:
South Groove, Trewavas (more of a groove, obviously!)

Lots of hard HVS (Waltzing Matilda?) and soft E2 (Stone Boom?) about too which could fit the bill.

There's loads more.

In reply to Wendy Watthews:
You say you've spent time on the culm, but if you haven't done them, then the following are all good E1 slabs.

Loose Women, Blackchurch
Matchless, Oldwall's Point
Tales of Don Juan, Hippa Rock

Lord Falmouth at Roche Rock is another good (very soft) E1, IF you take the proper left hand finish to the initial slab, otherwise it's easyish HVS. Another good gently overhanging E1 there is The Heart of the Matter.

A good Corner I thought of is The Serpent's Tail at Vellan Head. It's HVS but felt E1 to me, probably because it's really quite serious. If you do do that, whatever you do, ignore the guidebook advice and do it as one pitch, the mid-height belay (hanging/single rusty peg) is as bad as they come.

For offwidths, Seahorse at Chair Ladder. It's given HVS, but feels E2, so probably about right. That said if you're not used to offwidths it might as well be E8! Take a massive cam, or two.

In reply to Wendy Watthews:

Can only really speak for Dartmoor for the south west, so if you are in that area:

Aviation (E1 5b)
I remember it being absolutely brilliant. The traverse is something to behold. The start is a bitch.

Sheltered Wall (E2 5c)
Is delicate, enjoyable and quite tricky slab climbing (very fine if you get the sequence).

Finally for a good E2 (some argue as being soft)...
Aerobic Wall (E2 5c)
Delicate start, nice traverse, well protected break and a series of big moves gives you the top.

In reply to Wendy Watthews:

Well protected, short wall then corner away:
Simba (E1 5b)

In reply to Wendy Watthews:

How about Coronation Street for a hardish E1 crack? Pretty unforgettable

In reply to Tom Last:

Now you are trying to kill me, I've heard scary tails of corination street from people for whom e1 is easy. Luckily it's not in season so It'll have to wait until I'm far better

In reply to Wendy Watthews:

Nah it's fine. Good gear on the pitches and the exposed peg belay can all be backed up. Admittedly, I didn't lead the cruxes when I did it. You did say you wanted solid at the grade though!
Just remembered it's out of season anyway.

Stuff on Suspension Bridge Buttress at Avon is good, solid and safe; Earl of Perth, etc.

In reply to Wendy Watthews:

Corner, crack overhang, off width etc?

Just do Coronation Street!

In reply to Bulls Crack:

Maybe come winter then, it can be the culmination of the summers efforts 😊

In reply to Tom Last:

I'm defiantly keen to do more on the suspension bridge I've done a few of the hvs' and they are all lovely long pitches

In reply to Wendy Watthews:



Why defiantly? Is someone trying to stop you?

Seriously though ...... in the Bristol area Goblin Combe is well worth a visit for its E1s: Gundabad E1 5b (low in grade), Gollum E1 5b, Black Riders E1 5b (quite tough), Smaug the Dragon E1 5c (top end E1), Shagrat E2 5b (low in grade, arguably E1, underrated). All good.

In Cornwall, a good venue is Trewavas Head East Crag. Single pitch and non-tidal. The Banner Variation is really good at E1 5b (common start with William's Chimney, a real gem of a HVS, worth doing first). Also worthwhile are South Groove (E1) and West Wing (low E2) - but beware the boldness of the common start. Also at E1 and worth a look, although of lesser quality, are Sidestep Direct and The Prow (quite tough).

In reply to bpmclimb:

Just got to get round to doing more there

In reply to Wendy Watthews:

Sorry, I was just poking a bit of fun at your misspelling/typo of "definitely".
Now I feel a bit guilty

In reply to Wendy Watthews:

Tom Last's list is spot on.
I wouldn't recommend Sheltered Wall at Sheeps Tor - most people top rope it. It is poorly protected and hard at the grade.

In reply to Wendy Watthews:

I really like Avon but I reckon it plays to your strengths (slab! ) rather than weaknesses...

at the other end of Avon are the m1 routes which are excellent and quite different. king Kong at wintours leap!

Pembroke is as good as it's reputation suggests masses to go at. though I not a particularl fan of the 'classic " traverse routes mostly cause I pump out and get terrified admittedly...

However Astral Stroll is an exception. which made up for suicide wall at bosi being crap.