Restricted Access
The crag is south facing for the most part and quick drying, especially with a bit of sea breeze. However, it's worth bearing in mind that traversing along the platform at the base of the crag (needed to get to most routes) can be exciting in anything other than calm seas. The traverse is generally accessible 3 hours either side of high tide for most of the crag and the base of Terrier's Tooth and Bishop's Buttress for slightly longer, although these times are significantly reduced during neap tides. During high tides or when big seas are running, it is also possible to abseil in to the upper pitches of several routes.
Seasonal Restrictions
Dates: 15 March to 30 June
Reason: Nesting Birds
The restriction applies to all routes on Bishop's Buttress - from Lacertion to The Mitre inclusive (route 82, page 153 to route 14, page 159 in the 2017 Climber's Club guidebook).
Routes within Zawn Rinny (Consolation Climb to Shark Alley) are also restricted during the same period, but the Zawn Rinny descent for the western end of Chair Ladder is fine to use.
Rockfax Description
A classic expedition up the seaward side of the large tooth-topped pinnacle, the summit of which can be seen in the lower reaches of Pinnacle Gully. Start at a rib just left of a very wide corner-crack about 10m right of the base of the pinnacle.
1) 4b, 18m. Climb the narrow wall between the rib and crack to good holds at 6m. Now, make an interesting rising traverse leftwards to a good spike on the left side of the wall. Take the yellow corner-crack above to good ledges and belay just right of the base of a yellow pinnacle.
2) 10m. At the base of the yellow pinnacle is a horizontal break. Move out along the break to a crack on the other side of the pinnacle. Now move up left on big holds to a spike and crack. Take the crack to a pleasant ledge and belay. An exposed pitch on good holds.
3) 12m. Climb up to the overhang and make an awkward move out right along a break to below a kinked hand crack. Climb the crack to its end (the first move being the hardest) and belay in the chimney that is on the other side of the face from the crack. It is possible to summit from the ledge above the belay.
Descent - Stay roped-up and from the belay in the chimney down climb (Diff) the wall of a wide crack on the left (when looking inland). The wall has big holds and gear can be placed to protect the last person down. Alternatively, abseil from a prominent spike on the landward side of the summit. © Rockfax
UKC Logbook Description
The original first pitches were destroyed by rockfall in the winter of 2013/4. The 2017 CC guide recommends starting well to the right, just left of a deep chimney, and climbing diagonally leftwards to reach the juggy crack on the original route (4b).
FA. J.Mallory, M.Roster 24.03.1940. FA. J.Barford, F.Feilden 25.08.1940 (Variation first pitch).
Ticklists
Classic Rock , Kernow , West Country Climbs , Rockfax West Country top 50 , South West VDiff-HVS , Paul's pre-Kendal Kernow ticklist , The Original 'Classic Rock' List , South West Climbs - Pat Littlejohn (1st Ed.) , Cornwall 2021 , Cornwall , Classic Rock Climbs in Southern England by Bill Birkett , ROCKFAX TOP 50s upto e3 , South West Coastal Solo
Feedback
| User | Date | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lucydavison09 | 1 Jun |
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βeta: Gulls nesting at the 2nd belay as of June 2023… Agreed the 1st pitch is very run out with no protection on the traverse. | βeta? | |
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Show beta
βeta: Gulls nesting at the 2nd belay as of June 2023… Agreed the 1st pitch is very run out with no protection on the traverse. |
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| 343940 | 12 Apr |
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βeta: Not sure if there's been more rockfall over the winter however the rising traverse (10-12m) is now completely unprotected until you get to the crux crack. | βeta? | |
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Show beta
βeta: Not sure if there's been more rockfall over the winter however the rising traverse (10-12m) is now completely unprotected until you get to the crux crack. |
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| badgerjockey | 18 Apr, 2022 |
Show βeta
βeta: We abbed in off a big pointy pinnacle about 1.5m up and 2m to the right of the original P1 belay pictured in the rockfax. To get to this you need to step across the top of the corner/chimney to the right of the tower climbed by this route. For P1 we climbed the ramp left of the base of the corner, into the corner then the thin crack/flake line direct to the pointy pinnacle. Wouldn’t recommend the direct flake bit as is crumbly and more like dodgy 4c (good moves though, just probably unsafe- top rope from the pinnacle?). In stead, either traverse left just below the thin crack line to join the wide juggy crack line to a secure but hanging belay where the old ledge was, or press on rightwards to sit at the pinnacle, or avoid traversing altogether and just climb the lumpy right arête of the chimney to the pinnacle. | βeta? | |
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Show beta
βeta: We abbed in off a big pointy pinnacle about 1.5m up and 2m to the right of the original P1 belay pictured in the rockfax. To get to this you need to step across the top of the corner/chimney to the right of the tower climbed by this route. For P1 we climbed the ramp left of the base of the corner, into the corner then the thin crack/flake line direct to the pointy pinnacle. Wouldn’t recommend the direct flake bit as is crumbly and more like dodgy 4c (good moves though, just probably unsafe- top rope from the pinnacle?). In stead, either traverse left just below the thin crack line to join the wide juggy crack line to a secure but hanging belay where the old ledge was, or press on rightwards to sit at the pinnacle, or avoid traversing altogether and just climb the lumpy right arête of the chimney to the pinnacle. |
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| glaramara | 12 Jul, 2020 |
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βeta: Traversed in to avoid lower death trap. I found this route intimidating for a v diff. | ||
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Show beta
βeta: Traversed in to avoid lower death trap. I found this route intimidating for a v diff. |
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Logged Ascents
Guidebooks for Chair Ladder
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Terrier's Tooth (pre-2014)
Grade: HS 4a ***
(Chair Ladder)