UKC

As a local I’ve visited this crag numerous times and am reasonably certain that both the UKC guide and the ‘Cheddar Gorge Climbs’ book don’t list the two bolted lines in between ‘Tall, Dark & Gruesome’ and ‘Co-conspirators’.

Does anyone know more about them? Who put them up? Grades?

Have climbed both, not classics but I’m intrigued to know more.

Thanks in advance.

have a bump

We were at The Perch at the weekend and wondered the self same thing. I don't quite understand why someone would go to the considerable time and expense of bolting new routes and then seemingly not let anyone know what they are!

Projects?

I really don't think these routes are projects, and there is nothing to mark them as such - no tape or lock etc on first bolt.

Regardless, if you don't know, have some manners and treat them as such until you know better. 

After an email to the crag moderator, which was then forwarded on, I can now answer my own question, sort of.

I just received a reply from Gordon Jenkin who’s compiling a Bristol & Mendip guide and he tells me this book will include all 10 new routes at the lower wall of The Perch Quarry. He gave no mention of them being projects and invited me to log them in my UKC account, but for now I’m a paper log Luddite.

Can I ask a question about the ‘project climb‘ ethic? As a Devon trad climber that’s had a 10 year hiatus and subsequent move to Mendip I’m not overly familiar with sport ethics. A locked first bolt would certainly send me a red flag, but how else should we treat unlisted routes as a project? Proceed with caution I’m guessing....

Speaking of caution my climbing partner’s discovered several routes in Cheddar gorge with loose nuts on the belay loops, we finger tightened them but must remember to climb with a spanner in future to tweak them up. From memory there’s two routes on Easter Island and one on Burmese Wall.

Cheers.

Why?

That's the one, if you can't see it in a guide, ask around, and if you're still not sure if it's been done yet, then wait! It's not as if you've run out of other routes