UKC

St. John’s Head.

The headland of St John’s terminates as a huge steep stepped arête at its southern end. This feature is the largest and most obvious feature on the headland and is easily seen from the Orkney to Scrabster ferry. Access to the route is gained by a scramble from the descent gully along the beach below the main face. A short section below the main face is only accessible at low tide. Alternatively access by boat in calm seas.

Testament to the Insane 477m XS 5b
FA Derren Fox, Ross I. Jones, Iain Miller, (Alt. Leads), Les Gorham. 23-24 July 2004

The route was climbed in a single 26 hour push with a short bivvy during darkness. A 8m leader fall was taken on pitch 8 and one point of aid used on lead, the pitch was then free climbed at 5b by the 2nd. Rock quality is in general poor but the location and the atmosphere is truly outstanding, an adventurous and serious route.

Pitch 1. 30m To the left of the boulder beach, directly below the arête, climb steep grassy slope to the boulder on the horizon as you climb.
Pitch 2. 35m Scramble easily up the grass to the rock band, belay in cracks at its right hand end.
Pitch 3. 40m Continue up the steepening grass to the base of the towering arête, belay at the bottom of the big chimney/groove.
Pitch 4. 40m 4c Climb the chimney/groove, pull out left at its top to a slopping grassy stance. Climb up steep grass to another groove pull out left at its top follow the short loose corner to a small stance. In situ peg and gear belay.
Pitch 5. 12m Follow the grassy arête on the right to a bigger ledge at the bottom of the right facing corner.
Pitch 6. 40m 4a From the right hand end of the ledge climb the slabby right facing corner to even steeper vegetation, ascend this swiftly to a second right facing corner climb this to a good stance. Belay in the cracks on good rock.
Pitch 7. 40m 4c Climb up trending left gently to the base of a steep red wall below a huge precarious capping boulder. Traverse right hand and ascend the steep ramp on better rock to a steep and extremely loose vegetated slope. Climb this delicately to landward side of another massive perched boulder. Belay in the twin cracks on the wall below it.
Pitch 8. 45m 5b Traverse along the grassy ledge to the bottom of the prominent arête, which bounds the right hand end of the huge slabby wall. Pull around the arête on good holds in an exposed position to gain the base of a left facing corner. Climb the corner steeply to a grotty ledge (several pegs) and belay at the back below a wide groove.
Pitch 9. 12m 4a Climb up the wide groove and up grass to a good stance. In situ peg and gear belay.
Pitch 10. 45m 5a Climb the steep right trending corner through a wee roof to further steep vegetation. Climb this to a recess on the left. Climb the centre of the recess to a huge boulder and belay. Bivvy on the first ascent.
Pitch 11. 48m Scramble through deep vegetation to the bottom of the headwall. Belay on the high point of vegetation directly below the huge central fault line.
Pitch 12. 25m 4b Climb the left facing corner on the left and up to and into a cave with a huge block on the floor, Climb through the niche in the roof of the cave to the bottom of a big left facing corner. Good flake belay at bottom of the corner.
Pitch 13. 20m 5a Climb the hand crack 3 meters to the left of the vegetated open book corner to a good triangular niche. At the back of the niche climb the steep hand cracks to a good stance on the left. Belay in sight and sound of others.
Pitch 14. 45m 5a Continue up the chimney making some classic thrutch moves to the wide grassy ledge above. Traverse along this narrowing ledge delicately to a loose recess. Ascend the recess to the summit.

In reply to iain miller:

Excellent! Just goes to show that there are still reasonably graded big adventures around. Well done!

Bob

In reply to iain miller: Agree with Bob, good to know there is stil unclimbed natural features.

Always wonder about this, I spend a lot of time messing about on tralwers under little cumbrae and other isles, little cumbrae is absolutely covered in small 5-15 m high (Id guess) crags, as its a very private island I bet none of the lines have been claimed, always wondered what it would be like?

In reply to iain miller:

Dear Iain

Well done, glad to see long routes are still being done. Hope there is plenty morefor you.

Norrie

In reply to iain miller:

Good effort - nice to know people are still getting things done up there.

In reply to iain miller: Nice one!

In reply to iain miller:

Quality stuff! Certainly beats people claiming new sit-starts at Burbage etc...


Heh!

In reply to iain miller: Ye Gads! whatta route! do it twice n youll be climbing the length of el cap!

In reply to iain miller: Well its refreshing to see (at last) mention of some REAL adventure climbing in Britain instead of headlines on 18' bits of choss and a 50' mattress route in a hole. Pity the people who decide on the headlines of this web site don't have the same imagination as these chaps on ST Johns Head. Hope these lads realise there are a lot of climbers out here who think your efforts a far more interesting than the dicking around for a couple of years on these miniscule problems.

In reply to Anonymous:
I agree totaly!