UKC

Can anyone advise on the rock quality on Hoy including The Old Man, Rora Head and St Johns Head?

If it's bad how bad and have you some comparisons?

In reply to sparkass:

Variable would be the best word. It's generally rather sound but can have a sandy covering, a bit more like southern or Cheshire sandstone than Northumberland. Some areas, particularly on less travelled routes can be loose but routes like the original route on the Old Man are fine.

Just don't expect things to be picked clean like on popular grit routes.

ALC

In reply to sparkass:

Climbed the ordinary route on Hoy. Rock quality varies from loose and sandy to quite good. I can't see it changes much on other routes as the quality varies with height/rock bands.
I'd liken it to a long route on some of the less popular routes on southern sandstone.

Kev.

In reply to sparkass:

When I did the Old Man a couple of years ago I found the holds very sandy and therefore insecure feeling, however I don't recall worrying about pulling any holds off.

In reply to sparkass:

Original Route (Old Man) is quite sandy on the crux pitch but not bad as in loose. I've not done it but you might enjoy A Few Dollars More which is meant to be better rock as that face was less recently exposed (geologically speaking). I also get the impression Rora Head is much better rock.

In reply to Michael Gordon:

The top section of Mucklehouse wall is incredible rock, as good as sandstone anywhere in the world. Very similar to Taipan wall in Oz or the best stuff in South Africa. Really special, deep red in colour bullet hard and almost varnished in texture, though still with good friction. I suspect it is local metamorphosism causing a transition to quartzite. Didn't really find anything else as good, but due to the size of the cliffs and horizontal bedding it's normal for the rock quality to vary every few feet. Be fascinating to know the rate of deposition and just how many years the full height of St. John's head represents.

On the Old man we climbed the north face and it was generally pretty sandy on the surface though solid enough underneath. The final pitch was much better with some very good rock, I think because it has much more chance to dry out. The south face gets some more aggressive wetting and drying cycles and has some amazing weathering features with honeycombing and stacks of fragile horizontal wafers.

In reply to sparkass:

Agree with pretty much everything above. Rora Head has some of the best rock for climbing anywhere in the UK; a compact, if slightly dusty, sandstone/quartzite comparable to some of the better rock I've climbed on in South Africa or Venezuela; great for holds, great for cams and strikingly pretty too. The Old Man is more variable, much of it is well weathered and solid, albeit often lichenous and dirty, but sometimes also fragile. Then St. John's Head offers a real mixed experience: Long Hope had very soft crumbly stuff near the bottom, lots of vegetation a little higher, sound rock with occasional major looseness above that and then brilliant solid holds near the top.

In reply to sparkass:

This is great guys thanks.

With regards the long hope are the lower pitches like xs climbing? How are they protected and is it reliable?

In reply to sparkass:

The Long Hope DVD gives a brief flavour of what to expect on the first couple of pitches (if you haven't seen it). Looks to be weight on the feet, pulling down not out, not much gear type stuff.

In reply to sparkass:


I remember some very soft rock on the first few pitches - such that you could put a cam in but the chances of it holding a fall wouldn't be high. However, the climbing itself was generally quite easy - maybe 5b bordering on 5c, with one memorable exception over a roof at stiff 6a, which thankfully had a good piece of gear by it. So yes, XS 5c would characterise it pretty well in general for the pitches below the grassy ramp.

In reply to Adam Long:

Would love to be good enough for some of the stuff on Mucklehouse Wall. As it stands there's only one route I'd have a chance on, and the approach sounds committing!

In reply to sparkass:

Any dampness makes it more interesting....

In reply to Michael Gordon:

If you're thinking of

If you're thinking of Roaring Forties then go do it - it's great! Perfect rock and great positions.

On the other hand, we did a new line a couple of hundred metres further south which was horrendously loose. As others have said, it's a bit variable.

In reply to Neil Adams:


Definitely looks good. Much jamming involved?!

In reply to Michael Gordon:

A bit, but I'm crap at jamming and I got up it.

In reply to Neil Adams:

come to Whitestone Cliff for a few routes and then go to Hoy and you will think its the best rock in the World

In reply to Neil Adams:

Cool, thanks

In reply to sparkass:

Old Man: Climbed two routes, neither had loose rock but the rock is very sandy.

Rora head area: Climbed one route on Rora head and rock was good quality and varied between sandy and bullet hard.
Cliffs before you get to Rora head itself are a lot more variable. Climbed a few routes where the rock was a bit worrying but not a total choss fest and tried to put up a new route but gave up when everything was snappy as hell or lose blocks.

St Johns head: Reputation is appaulling but I've never climbed there.

Vomitting fulmars are a horrible problem on all the above areas. Only wear clothes and climbing shoes you wouldn't mind binning when you get home.