UKC

'Easy' stuff at Fair Head

New Topic
This topic has been archived, and won't accept reply postings.
 andrewmc 17 Jun 2016
Fair Head

So I am heading to Fair Head in about a week. I am fully prepared to get spanked, as I only normally climb VS (with three E1's so far) :P The impression I got from flicking through the guidebook is that the crag really opens up at E1 and above, and although there are some worthwhile VS's most of the stuff below that is chossy and loose (and/or naff).

Given it's 5km long, there really ought to be a few decent easier (ideally sub-VS, but HVS and soft E1 should be fine) routes on there somewhere :P Any suggestions?
 remus Global Crag Moderator 17 Jun 2016
In reply to andrewmcleod:

Id just get stuck in to the stuff around E1. The routes are generally in the 'long, well protected and physical' mould so no harm in trying them.
 Siderunner 17 Jun 2016
Lucky you! The routes are fantastic, and there are a few VS's and quite a few HVS's that are quality iirc, just check the stars. And the E1's that I tried were all well-protected - which was just as well as I hung from or bailed from quite a few (ooh the shame!). I'm afraid I can't remember which were the softer ones now.

My main memory is the routes are looong pitches and swallow gear especially cams, so it pays to take plenty and ration them. I know it's obvious from an arm chair, but on the typical 45m pitch where the climbing is continuous and plumb vertical, if you place gear every 2m when the last piece is just below your feet, you'll get through 22 pieces ... or more likely run out.

Good jamming skills and fitness are the other important things to take with you!
 Peter Milner 17 Jun 2016
In reply to andrewmcleod:

I remember doing a couple of brilliant 3-star VS routes in the Prow area, the (unfortunately named)'Black Thief' and 'The Fence'. I vaguely remember them as being single-pitch, but I might be wrong.
 danm 17 Jun 2016
In reply to andrewmcleod:

A few good VS's:

Black Thief, The Fence, Girona, Chieftain. Roaring Meg is also meant to be good.

HVS's: Hell's Kitchen, Burn Up (quite stiff but awesome). Not done December and Pangur Ban.

E1's: tons to go at.

Double set of cams and some hex's almost mandatory - some routes will need fairly big cams. Basically, if you like Millstone you'll love Fair Head.
 cragtyke 17 Jun 2016
In reply to andrewmcleod:

May be going for a trip there in a few weeks, has anybody got any recommendations as regards camp sites or bunkhouses, preferably within walking distance of a decent pub?
 Andy Moles 17 Jun 2016
In reply to andrewmcleod:
The Small Crag has some sub-VS stuff, but it's not really what you travel to Fair Head for. If you get through the good VS and HVS routes at FH, you might want to consider hitting up the Mournes as an alternative. Couple of hours drive and usually a bit of a walk, but some lovely stuff in that grade range.

So far I have not done an E1 at Fair Head that I would describe as soft...they tend to be pretty physical!

Edit: Actually I take that back, Midnight Cruiser is reasonable. And Burn Up gets E1 now so maybe that...maybe.
Post edited at 15:40
 climb41 17 Jun 2016
In reply to andrewmcleod:
Yep, Girona is great and Hells Kitchen also. Just go, and revel in being on a great crag. It is a brilliant place. I had a major moment when a bird flew out of the crack I was climbing, right past my head! Scared the livin' day lights out of me, but managed to hold on.

You will have a great time....
OP andrewmc 18 Jun 2016
In reply to danm:

> Double set of cams and some hex's almost mandatory - some routes will need fairly big cams. Basically, if you like Millstone you'll love Fair Head.

How big is big? I have Torque nuts, 17 quickdraws (cams and torque nuts on own krabs), Dragons 00-6 (6 is the same I think as a Camalot 4) and all the Totems except Orange (assuming the red and green arrive in time). Will I need a Camalot 5 or 6 size? (My friend is also bringing a selection of reslung rigid Friends but I don't know what sizes).

Never been to Millstone...

Thanks
 joe.wahab 18 Jun 2016
In reply to andrewmcleod:

1, 1, 1.5, 1.5, 2, 2, 2.5, 3(new Helium!!), 3.5, 3.5
 Max factor 18 Jun 2016
In reply to andrewmcleod:
it's good to have doubles of hands and fingers size cams. so green /red camalot sizes. route descriptions generally say if you need a big cam (friend 4 or bigger).

Not been to that part but Farradango area is similar to prow and has more easier routes. If you stick to vs you'll be limited to the shorter one or two pitch routes. The two prow VS and Girona /chieftain are 'only' 25m pitches!
Post edited at 07:49
 planetmarshall 18 Jun 2016
In reply to andrewmcleod:

> Given it's 5km long, there really ought to be a few decent easier (ideally sub-VS, but HVS and soft E1 should be fine) routes on there somewhere :P Any suggestions?

Just get on them, don't be intimidated by numbers (with the caveat I'm not advocating attempting to on-sight some E9 chop route). Carry a double rack of cams, including the larger sizes and plenty of draws.
 Siderunner 18 Jun 2016
In reply to andrewmcleod:

Nah, most routes you don't need huge gear above camelot 4.5. It's more like duplicates (or triplicates?!) of camalot sizes in the 0.5 to 2 range, as has already been said. My 4 aliens didn't see a lot of use. What you've got, together with your friend's cams, sounds ok; you'll surely want your friends ones too so hopefully they're trustworthy and not 100 years old

There are exceptions: I recall one route where I seconded the crux pitch, and the the rack of the old-timer that led it was mainly the biggest hexes I've ever seen, like 8-10 inches across. I was quite bemused by them standing at the first belay, after I led an easy entry pitch, but honestly they fitted like a charm and made complete sense, at a fraction of the cost (and weight) of 4 or 5 cams of that size. It might be Fireball, I think's its an HVS, but feels like virtually E1. He did it every year, so pissed up it, while I huffed and puffed to second it clean, bruising my ego in the process given it was "only" hvs.
 planetmarshall 18 Jun 2016
In reply to Siderunner:

Fireball (E1 5b) is E1, and tough at that. Perhaps you're thinking of Hell's Kitchen (HVS 5a) or Burn Up (E1 5a) (Which gets HVS in the selected guide).
 Siderunner 19 Jun 2016
In reply to planetmarshall:
Must be Burn Up, thanks, given it's HVS in the selected. Really feels like HVS-style climbing, in the grit sense (slightly thrutchy and awkward), but worth E1 for the atmosphere and sustained nature IMO.
Post edited at 13:43
 danm 19 Jun 2016
In reply to andrewmcleod:

I think it was an E1 called Thunderhips where we wished we'd had a cam bigger than a blue camalot - ended up pretty runout on some fairly hostile moves. So there's probably a few other similar routes kicking around! Other than that, most of the routes would take green/red cams till the cows come home, sometimes we'd weigh anchor placing one halfway, and shuffle the other one up until we could get a nut or other piece in. So 2 of these sizes minimum. Have fun, such an awesome place!
 cragrat 20 Jun 2016
In reply to andrewmcleod:

As already stated its a good place to push your grade as the routes will swallow all your gear. The Prow is the best place to start and get used to the style of climbing and there are several excellent VS's . In your grade range you're unlikely to need more than Friends 1-4, but there are exceptions- for December F5 & 6 are useful, as well as big Hex's, and on the last pitch of Burnup you'll be glad of a F5. Take also a selection of Hex's/Roccentrics, double nuts, about 12 draws, and wonder how you'll get off the ground!

New Topic
This topic has been archived, and won't accept reply postings.
Loading Notifications...