Berry Head Coastguard Cliffs, South Devon

Submitted by: Barry Clarke
Crag: Berry Head Coastguard Cliffs (p 188)
Climbers: BJ Clarke (solo)

Date of ascent: 19/09/2017

Teemin’

Length/grade/stars: 9m S1 F3

Start location:

Immediately right (facing in) of Calcite Diamond on Cloudburst Buttress is a shallow bay whose far side has an attractive sidewall. This wall forms the left end of a small square buttress, riven by a cleft on its landward side (named as T-Mac in the CC, SW Climbs Vol 2 book!). The first route takes the right edge of the sidewall facing Calcite Diamond, gained by scrambling down to high water mark just to its right.

Pitch descriptions:

Traverse left to the edge and follow it to the top.

Anteak

Length/grade/stars: 7m S1 F3+

Start location:

Descend the left edge (facing out) of T-mac buttress via a slabby groove (Mod) to high water mark.

Pitch descriptions:

Step left into a shallow groove on a blunt rib, and follow this with increasing delicacy.

Daylight

Length/grade/stars: 15m VS

Start location:

The small just east of the rocky shoulder cuts inland diagonally and is very narrow; and is named as Living Zawn in the CC, SW Climbs Vol 2 book! Scramble down the left edge (facing out) of the zawn to high water mark, start here.

Pitch descriptions:

4c Climb a gangway up leftwards for 3 metres, then make tricky moves to gain the white, left-trending flakes and follow these to the top. Good climbing, with an unusual crux!

Additional info:

Confusion reigns in this area:-

The rocky shoulder is actually 80 metres beyond Cloudburst Buttress, and is the second rocky shoulder reached.
The zawn containing Placebo etc is 10 metres beyond the narrow zawn containing Daylight(CC Website).
The routes Thursday Rib and Thursday Corner couldn’t be located at sea level. I suspect they are on the yellow/white tower above the shelf!

The Friendly Trawlerman

Length/grade/stars: 23m S

Start location:

Ten metres beyond (E) of the narrow zawn containing Daylight (CC Website), is a wider zawn with the routes Placebo etc (named as Hidden Zawn in the CC, SW Climbs Vol 2 book!). Scramble down the left edge (facing out) of the zawn and continue rightwards down a wide crack to gain a large ledge at the entrance to the zawn opposite Placebo; start here.

Pitch descriptions:

4a Climb a steep little corner for 3 metres, then step out left onto a slab. Follow the diagonal crack up rightwards to ledges, from where a short crack in a red wall reaches easier ground.

Additional info:

Named after a concerned fisherman who was concerned about my health and general well-being!!!

Date of ascent: 22/09/2017

Lurv Jeepster

Length/grade/stars: 17m S1 F4+

Start location:

Start as for Very Fondant (CC Website).

Pitch descriptions:

Descend and step around the rib on the right and make an awkward traverse rightwards for 4 metres to reach high water mark below a blank groove. Bridge, and make a strenuous pull onto the rib right of the groove. Follow this on better holds to the top.

Skedaddle

Length/grade/stars: 14m S

Start location:

Start as for Skid Row (CC Website)

Pitch descriptions:

4a Follow Skid Row leftwards to the small ledge. Take the groove above and slightly right, finishing rightwards. Pleasant climbing!

Patchwork

Length/grade/stars: 6m S

Start location:

Between Jammy Dodger (CC Website) and Cloudburst Buttress is a short wall with a central crackline above a sloping ledge just above high water mark. Gain the sloping ledge by abseil or from the down-climb to Jammy Dodger (VD).

Pitch descriptions:

4a Climb the crackline via a small niche. Short, but sweet!