360m.
An excellent mixed excursion linking into the top of the Dolmen Ridge. The main pitches give much entertainment and one or two eye-popping moments – pitches 4 and 5 in particular are guaranteed to get the pulse racing.
Start about 15m left of Central (aka West) Gully.
P1 2/3 50m Climb up past a flake and short groove then continue up snowy/turfy ground to belay at around 50m.
P2 2 30m Head up left then up right over a steepening before trending back left and up to belay in a square recess below a parallel sided groove jammed with large flakes.
P3 5/6 30m Make some graunchy pulls up right then step back left and follow the groove until it closes at an overhang. Exit up leftwards in a rather athletic fashion to gain a large terrace and the base of Dolmen Buttress. Continue up to belay about 8m left of the big arête.
P4 6 30m Climb up the recess above the belay, making a high step up right before trending rightwards to a large flake. Mantel up onto the flake and move up to stand on the edge of the arête. (I think the summer line goes straight up here but very rounded and sketchy) Gain the hanging groove on the right via a good flake and scuttle up it before you get too pumped. From the small undercut groove reach up left and teeter up onto a ledge before finishing up left via a short corner to another large terrace.
P5 5/6 18m At the back of the terrace a deep chimney beckons. Gain the innards of the chimney and wriggle up onto a tall, narrow flake. An easier cop out is possible out right, but the true line heads, somewhat alarmingly, leftwards beneath the huge capping stone to a crux move turning its left edge. Once up above step back left into the crack for a final pull for the top.
You will need to haul your sacs on this pitch – this is easy to do left of the chimney if you take the left exit but rather complicated if you opt for the rightwards exit.
P5a 5 It is also possible to follow a rightwards diagonal line of weakness round the front of the pillar of the chimney and exit up rightwards.
P6-12 3 200m? Continue up the ridge mostly on easy ground but passing various tricky obstacles along the way.
[Andy Teasdale, Simon Colley and Mark Walker 02.12 with P5a finish, P5 Chimney pitch with right hand exit: Mark Richards, Andy Turner 02.12, P5 Chimney pitch left exit: Sam Underhill, Si Panton 20.01.13]
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