Routes in South-West England for selected grade

A route sadly maligned by the guidebook. The vegetation has been cut back and at its present levels is part of the character of the route (and a helpful runner). The opening moves are serious though not highly technical. The crack above the hawthorn bush is better and more useful than it looks at first glance. The route packs a lot of climbing into a short distance and should be better known.

A shy gem of a climb that builds to a dramatic climax in its upper reaches. The first pitch is vegetated but the holds are clean. Start at the well-worn gearing-up spot as for The Blik.

1. 10m. Climb up rightwards on easy but vegetated ground to a good belay ledge right of a projecting block.

2. 4c, 27m. Continue above the belay and take the line left of the overhang (double pegs) that ends at a bulge. Move right and up past a peg with difficulty to an open corner and belay ledge.

3. 4c, 18m. Climb up to the overhang, pegs, and traverse left beneath them for 6m to where they fade. Move up past double pegs to easier ground and the top.

Up from the slot

Start up Jumping Carrots, make an entertaining and well-protected traverse left below the roof of Jasper (small cam, peg) to reach its rest below the roof, traverse further left to reach Floating Voter. From here, the traverse along the break can be continued to a belay on one of the various bolt belays.

Various ways to finish:

a) Don't belay, but climb to the top in one pitch on any of the routes hereabouts. b) From one of the bolt belays, traverse further left to the large tree of Nightmare (making encounters with some of the vegetation). From here either climb to the top or c) Continue traversing along the break for several pitches, including the traverse pitch of Gronk and (possibly) further onwards. Keeping slightly downwards after Gronk allows for the last belay of Entrail to be reached, finish up Entrail (this gives a total of 6 pitches).

1. 4c, 27m.

2. 4c, 20m.

P1 as for Clarion. P2 directly up the slab to finish at the tree with the abseil strop on Lunchtime Ledge.

Climb Dexter's first pitch and belay. Then climb the crack in the top slab above the belay. Half way up this traverse out left and up the blank slab aiming for the left end of an obvious wide break, which disappointingly fails to provide any worthwhile gear! Then scramble up easier ground to join Dexter on the right. Finish as for Dexter. A fun bold alternative to its parent route

A fun pitch that requires a number of interesting manoeuvres not found in the average rock climbing manual. Start at a large tree close to the back of the ledge, next to two acute overhangs. Climb up the tree and fix a runner in the branches before stepping onto the slab above the overhangs. Without the aid of a large rock anchor bolt climb the slab to a peg at the base of a right-leaning flake. Climb the flake, peg, to its end and a useful iron spike runner. Pull up the steep wall above the flake and finish steeply leftwards on good holds, passing another iron spike runner midway.

Climb the slanting crack all the way. Great gear, great moves, great rock. In-situ belay at the top. Abseil off.

To the right of Ali G Minor. Climb the short steep red wall then up the juggy little prow of rock

The original expedition started up Lay in Wait and traversed left at HS.

1. 4a, 20m.

2. 4b, 30m.

A raunchy romp on pockets, the size of which will blow you away. Follow a right-curling, streaked groove (twin threads) to a hole (thread). Step right; then launch up the steep pocketed wall. Above, step left and finish up the strenuous groove (as for the two previous routes). Two-bolt belay.

An adventurous outing up a less travelled part of the buttress. Rock quality improves after the first 10m. Starts 5m right of the large earthy rightwards diagonal break taken by Wormlands.

1. 4c, 40m. Climb the wall on poor rock for 10m. Cross easy slabs to reach a groove system on the left. (Rock improves from here). Climb grooves until a ledge appears on the right (good runners). From here continue up the groove system to reach the leftwards diagonal faultline above. Step right under a small nose and climb an awkward short shallow corner to reach a good belay.

2. 4c, 20m. Trend initially right then straight up to the base of a prominent left-facing shallow corner (belay possible 3m left). Climb the corner, or its arête, trending right near the top to the headwall, which is climbed to the right of two metal plates to the exit of choice.

To the south (right) of the main West Face of Suspension Bridge Buttress is a much shorter buttress with much of its top section under black keep netting. There are three routes on the crag; this is the left-hand of the three.

Starting at a leftward-facing niche with two large rock anchors, traverse left up an ledge system for 2m before heading straight up the black wall to a good thread. Continue very enjoyably up the black wall, loudly lamenting the total lack of runners, until a large ledge is reached. Pleasant climbing up the shattered arête above (using the netting for handholds is clearly cheating) follows. Traverse the ridge to a large tree and excellent stanchion.

Descent: Abseil of the tree (no strop fitted currently).

just to the left of short cuts, climb a vertical crack to the niche. follow short cuts to the top. more of a logical direct line than short cuts plus avoids the vegetation!!

The obvious chimney crack

The thin crack between the left hand and central main cracks