UKC

There was a thread last year about Chee Tor routes which had been climbed / cleaned / had threads replaced. Let's get this year's thread started!

The crag is currently dry with hardly any seepage. There was a heavy spell of rain today but some routes stayed dry under the overhangs and tree canopy, the rest dried quickly once the sun was out again. A good crag for showery weather.

Doesn't look like a lot of stuff has been climbed recently.

Nostradamus - gave it a bit of a clean but still a few earthy pockets left, they aren't essential though so ok to climb.

Splintered Perspex - fairly clean now where it matters. Is it just me or should this be E4? I suppose there's a peg to protect the top crux but it's getting a bit old.

Two Sunspots - gave this a bit of a brush on the crux at the top, ok now and will improve with traffic.

Midnight Summer Dream - bone dry, gave it a brush on the top section but still a bit dirty and looks nails now that the flake is gone! Not rushing to get back on this one after falling off last year and that was with the flake still there... Thread is serviceable but could do with replacing, forgot to take some tat up.

The Dream Mile - clean up to the crux, which I couldn't do! Could do with a brush above but mostly could do with more skill and strength!

Apocalypse P1 - dry but pretty dirty at the top, a bit exciting with dirty footholds but was doable and gave it a brush on the way down. I went out left to a flake and back right, a more direct line as suggested by the topo might be possible but would need a major clean. Suspect the topo isn't quite right though. Didn't do P2 this time but it looked fairly clean.

Next time I'll have to remember to take some old rope to replace some of the lower offs...

Keep posting your updates!

In reply to Misha:

Nice one Misha, great update.

I haven't been back there this year, but still have a load of static + rings to replace the lower-offs - if you're back up let me know and I'll arrange a rendezvous. That said, I'm off to Ireland as of the 20th and will be away for 2 weeks, hence we may have to go via another party...

I'm also in the process of writing a Chee Tor destination article, so if either yourself or anyone out there has any good images let me know.

In reply to Misha:


Just in time for a week of deluge! Though well done on the cleaning.

In reply to Coel Hellier:

I doubt it'll have a great effect on the crag, it's been so dry for so long that I suspect the trees will soak up the most of it.

In reply to Misha:

Good effort, walked past yesterday and it all looked in great nick.

Agree on Splintered Perspex, worth E4.

Have done Apocalypse both ways, always one of the last to dry out. The more direct route is just one move but does need a couple of crucial holds to be properly clean. Pitch 2 less prone to crud but is pumpy, especially if you run them together!

In reply to Adam Long:
Yeah I did it in one pitch a few years back and it was a great way of doing it.

In reply to Adam Long:

I found Splintered Perspex easy compared to Queer Street.

Then again, I thought Queer Street would be E5 6b if it was in Pembroke, so maybe Splintered Perspex is E4

In reply to Misha:

Quick update from this evening's cragging and there's good news all around, as despite the deluge of the past week the crag was bone dry. In fact, I don't think there was a single wet route.

We climbed Apocalypse (P1 & 2) and there wasn't a wet hold on it. We also did Ceramic, which is now pleasantly chalked for anyone wanting to know where the big(ish) holds are.

I'm off to Ireland for a couple of weeks, but would be keen for a bit of a revival weekend after I get back. It'd be good to get a few photos for the destination article I'm in the process of writing, plus a few routes I'd love to do.

Hopefully see you all there sometime soon!

In reply to Rob Greenwood - UKClimbing:

Some more good scenes at Chee Tor last night: White Gold (7a+) saw 2 ascents and so is now clean enough for onsight attempts.

I went up The Golden Mile (E5 6b) again to the thread. It was a bit skanky lower down but I cleaned it on the way up/down so the whole thing is now cleaned and chalked again ready for some onsights! Chee Tor has to be the only crag where you miss a huge foot ledge because it's covered in plants....

There were also teams on Approaching (E3 5c) and Ceramic (E4 5c), among other routes, so those are also good to go.

In reply to Rob Greenwood - UKClimbing:


Had a crack at Queer St last night (that was me on Approaching Theo) with predictably lame result. Got up to crux fine but ended up taking a hang on a wire. I suspect if the insitu wire (badly frayed) had been in better nick I might have been able to quickly clip and move past, but instead I blocked up the hold below with a nut and then pumped out. Not the only one as there was plenty of chalk lower and none above - the rest is okay but it doesn't look like the direct finish has been done for years. Definitely felt E4 but yeah, it would not be out of place as a soft E5 in Wales.

Strange as I'm pretty sure I've done it back in the day without drama, and the votes on here all seem to be are mostly for hard E3, but no sign of broken holds

In reply to Adam Long:


It's always been nails - my first tangle with it must have been mid 70s with Henry Folkard. I reckon most folk just don't like to admit to having been slapped on it, hence the grade votes.


Don't know about soft E5, but I'd agree with E4.

In reply to jon:


Agreed, always hard, did it the late 80s (in a fashion) and again (properly) in the 90s, definitely harder than the other classic E3s at Chee Tor (including Splintered Perpex). I reckon it's 6c+/7a climbing and definitely E4 - there seems to be a bit of thing about undergrading well protected routes, if you've got french 7a climbing its E4 however good the gear is.

In reply to all

Out of interest, what's the best and the most reasonable of the E2 routes at Chee Tor? I'm just getting into E2 at the moment. Also, for inspiration, what are the more reasonable E3 routes? Thanks for any help.

In reply to Misha:

Another Chee Tor update, just to keep the psyche high.

I climbed Midnight Summer Dream (E5 6a) earlier today, which I think could be the first re-ascent since the demise of the undercut late last year. Whilst I can't comment on whether it's more difficult (because I didn't do it whilst the holds were still there) I'm assuming it's not made it any easier. It certainly made for a challenging onsight (i.e. I didn't onsight it), but it still goes - maybe tricky 6a - but blind and quite un-obvious upon first acquaintance.

I also removed the large cluster of old tat, threads, and slings that adorned the tree above and replaced it with a single piece of 11mm + stainless steel ring, which looks a lot neater.

In reply to LakesWinter:

Sorry I missed this.

Route-wise I'd suggest Great Central Route (E2 5c) and Sunny Goodge Street (E2 5c) as the E2s of choice. With regards to the E3s, if you're breaking into the grade I'd suggest Rave On (E3 5c) as it's well protected or 42nd Street (E3 5c) for the same reasons, plus the fact I thought it was highly underrated.

Good luck!

In reply to LakesWinter:

My favourite E2 there is 2 Sunspots. Not the easiest though. If you want that it's probably Hergiani (although you have to place the gear on the crux blind) or Sergeyenna which has recently been upgraded and is almost as good as 2 Sunspots

In reply to Rob Greenwood - UKClimbing:

Thanks for that.

In reply to Alex@home:

And thank you too.

In reply to Misha:

Fantastic crag. Please keep cleaning and hopefully if my wrecked shoulder recovers I can have a revisit. Always thought MSD was very soft touch for E5 but DM nails; very sustained above the crux but escapable left. Did 2nd ascent with Rab a long time ago, but done it since. Still as good and it always impressed me that Livesey could climb that well. Lovely bloke Pete and had several very enjoyable times with him

In reply to LakesWinter:

I replaced both the threads on Two Sunspots yesterday.