UKC

Bosigran, Sennen, Lands End, Chair Ladder

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 radddogg 28 Mar 2018

Our club are holding a meet in Southwest Cornwall this Easter weekend. The main areas we planned to visit - weather permitting - are Bosigran, Sennen, Lands End and Chair Ladder. I've just got a couple of questions maybe you can help out with.

What are the standout areas/crags/routes we absolutely need to check out?

There are some families coming so what areas are recommended with easy access? By easy I don't mean downclimbing Griptight Gully.

Thanks in anticipation.

 GrahamD 28 Mar 2018
In reply to radddogg:

What is good depends on which way the wind is blowing !

Bosigran I'd have said has the most amenable access, especially at the landward end where many of the easy routes are.

Chair ladder has the hardest access in general and is most tidal.

Sennen is amenable to a scramble in or an easy abseil and it is single pitch.

Lands end itself is a bit spread out across a number of different headlands / zawns.

I presume you have the guides ? the modern guides are a great starting point - pretty much all starred routes will be good.

 

OP radddogg 28 Mar 2018
In reply to GrahamD:

Yes, from the descriptions I've read so far, Sennen and Bosigran look the best bets. I've climbed at both a very long time ago. Anything around there with a beach or anything?

 mbh 28 Mar 2018
In reply to radddogg:

There's a massive beach next to Sennen. Porthcurno beach is picture-postcard perfect and not far from Land's End, Chair Ladder and Sennen.

 

In reply to mbh:

None of those is exactly family friendly. Sennen in particular I’d have thought actively unchild-friendly, depending a bit on how old they are. 

 

Even Bosi needs a couple of tiny scrambles which can hassle non-climbers.

 

As to must-visit areas, it’s really Bosigran first and the rest nowhere in my opinion; not an original opinion, but that’s how it is.

 

If family friendly means sunbathing nonclimbers, that crag with Chlorophyll Cluster on it deserves consideration, if only I could remember its name.

 

jcm

 

 Dave Garnett 28 Mar 2018
In reply to johncoxmysteriously:

St Loy

 Slarti B 28 Mar 2018
In reply to radddogg:

If families want to go to nearby beach then I suggest Sennen. 

If families want to picnic, read paper, take in lovely views, admire other halves climbing, do some nice cliff walking then I suggest Bosigran.  There are also some nice easy single pitch climbs in Alison's Rib area where you can give kids or non-climbing partners a go.  Further down, towards Black Slab, access is a little more difficult for non-climbers or small kids. 

As mentioned, Porthcurno beach is fairly close (15 - 30 mins) to all of these but, if you want a slightly quieter, and I think picturesque beach, try Porthchapel about half a mile past Porthcurno Beach.  Follow signs to Minack theatre then go another half mile and park by St Levan church.  Then a few minutes scramble down to the beach past St Levan's Well.

For climbers, Bosigran is fantastic with wide range of grades though likely to be busy at Easter.  Much of it is sea cliff climbing starting from a valley  so, if you want to chat/heckle fellow club members or swap partners (stop giggling at the back...) between climbs, it is perfect . 

 Chair Ladder also great though access more difficult and it is more committing.  Watch out for nesting sea gulls (or is it too early ?) , high waves and tides.  

Sennen is nowhere near as big as Bosigran or Chairladder but may be better if weather is looking dodgy.  Much easier to climb out quickly if it starts raining and is only 5 minutes form car park. I haven't climbed at Lands end 

Post edited at 18:26
 james mann 28 Mar 2018
In reply to radddogg:

If you mean with families hoping to climb with children then Halldrine Cove would be hard to beat as would the landward end of Bosigran. It has been incredibly wet down here for the past couple of months. Crags with grassy slopes above are likely to see seeps. Bosigran was very wet in  places last weekend. Crags with rocky tops or towers like Chair Ladder should be fairly dry. Greenstone/killas is Quick drying so don’t forget kendijack/ pendent/gurnards head. New chair Ladder/ south Coast and lizard guide is out and very worthwhile. Have a great trip. 

Post edited at 23:10
OP radddogg 29 Mar 2018
In reply to radddogg:

Thanks all for your input. Will certainly check out some of these tips.

 Mark Kemball 29 Mar 2018
In reply to radddogg:

Trewavas is single pitch, easy access. Well worth a visit.

OP radddogg 09 Apr 2018
In reply to radddogg:

So in the end we went to Bosigran on the Friday and to Penberth on the Saturday to escape the wind. Sunday it rained all day and a combination of wind and rain killed our brand new £700 tent

In reply to radddogg:

What make of tent was that, or what on earth did you do to it?! 700 quids worth of tent should last for at least twenty years of regular British use, if looked after properly.

 spidermonkey09 09 Apr 2018
In reply to John Stainforth:

Yeah, I want to know so I don't ever buy one!

OP radddogg 20 Apr 2018
In reply to John Stainforth:

It was an airgo horizon 6 airbeam tunnel tent. The sewn in groundsheet attached to the ground by just two pegs at the porch which ripped the groundsheet during moderate wind. Terrible design really. That and water was pooling at the base of the air structures.

Post edited at 00:11

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