Approach notes

Approach            OS REF 310 621

The nearest parking is either on Knightstone Island Causeway, or adjacent roadside areas, (payable by meter) or you may be lucky to find a free roadside spot towards the old Birnbeck Pier, slightly further north, then walk back.

Access on foot is along one of two cement walkways around the outside of Marine Lake. Topos are described left to right, starting with the problems overlooking the lake.

Layout & Grading

Numbers for the problems are detailed from left to right looking at the crag from the bottom. Grades are given in Font grade & corresponding V grades.

Tides & weather

The crag is not accessible 2.5 hours either side of high tide. Once there is public access to the lake again, it should be possible to get in from the lake walkways until 2 hours either side of high tide. It is also worth bearing in mind what direction a strong wind may be blowing from on the day of your planned visit, especially in winter time. This can greatly change the ambience of the crag. An end of day sunset, sitting out of the wind at the bottom of the crag is really rather special.

Tactics

The rock is compact, sea-washed limestone, increasing in friction once you’re off the initial smooth, sometimes seaweed or mud covered footholds. It is worthwhile bringing a brush with you and an old water bottle to be filled with sea water from adjacent rock pools, to clean the crucial footholds for the harder problems on the main wall. By the time you’ve warmed up on the easy problems, they should have dried off nicely.

The rock ledge above the wall serves as a useful ‘walk-off’ to descend the crack of problem 20, taking care at a ‘bad step’ section. At first appearance the problems all appear to be a bit highball, but confidence will be gained by starting on the easy options first. For the harder problems, the upper section eases after the lower technical moves.

Please leave no litter or any other trace of your visit!

Acknowledgements

With thanks to Duncan Critchley for publishing details of his routes on the main face, climbed in 1983 and repeated by him in July 2021 which initiated my interest in the venue. These routes were 9, 10,12,13,15 & 20 on the main face topo’s and the grades assigned are from his original information. I climbed all the remaining obvious lines for the sake of completeness in March 2022 before compiling this guide, but I’m sure they’ve all undoubtedly been trodden before.

Also to Ollie & Jeremy Scott for the printing & proof reading of the early drafts.