UKC

Cornwall Damage Update - More Routes Fall Down

© Jersey Ian

Ali high on Crack in the Sky, E1 5b, Carn Barra, Cornwall  © Jersey Ian
Ali high on Crack in the Sky, E1 5b, Carn Barra, Cornwall
© Jersey Ian, Aug 2005
Martin Cathrow has been in touch with UKC to report more damage to classic routes on the Cornish granite.

It isn't all bad news though, and following the earlier Terrier's Tooth report, Martin told UKC:

"On the 2nd March myself and Nigel Braddon climbed three new lines on the freshly exposed rock now present at the start of Terrier's Tooth at Chair Ladder, Cornwall.  The new starts take fairly logical lines to regain the original route.  The cliff as a whole seems to be now stable (?) but there are still many holds that remain fractured and are therefore dubious.  The standard for these lines seems to be approximately VS/HVS but this was difficult to judge as the rock was very wet.  The climbing now has a 'quarried' feel to it and the rock is very compact with very few reliable gear placements."

However Martin also reported that the Carn Barra E1 Crack in the Sky is now more like 'Crack in the Sea'...

"The upper crack - the good bit - has now gone!  Also the 'track' above Grand Plage is very unstable - caution advised."

Carn Barra is a popular single pitch cliff and Crack in the Sky has had 111 ticks in the UKC logbooks. Who managed to get the final ascent of this mini classic?

The granite sea cliffs of Cornwall are amongst the best in the country, with hundreds of fantastic climbs, many of them in the amenable grades. The damage to Terrier's Tooth and the loss of Crack in the Sky are saddening blows, but the area of West Penwith still remains as a brilliant venue for climbers.

Have a look at the UKC Destination Guide to Bosigran, one of the area's finest cliffs. And check out the Climbers' Club hut The Counthouse, a fantastic resource for British climbers.

Making the final move on Crack in the Sky  © alastairbegley
Making the final move on Crack in the Sky
© alastairbegley, Jul 2012


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6 Mar, 2014
Gutted. Such a good route.
6 Mar, 2014
Is the big boulder still floating about under Grand Plage, or has it disappeared altogether now ?
6 Mar, 2014
Does anyone know what the comment about the 'track' above Grand Plage means?
6 Mar, 2014
There was always the dodgy step in the path at the top of the cliff there, wasn't there? Presumably it's even less pleasant now...
6 Mar, 2014
Photos please, i thought everyone had a camera nowadays?
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