New Routes – Pembroke Range East Vol. 4

Pitch descriptions:
1. 5b Climb up towards Exit Corner, as for Just Before Dark, then enter the slight groove line between that route and Rock a Block – follow the line direct to the top.

Additional info:
On sight

Pitch descriptions:

Additional info:
Repeated Neil Mawson

Pitch descriptions:
5c. Trend back up left on sculpted white rock to large black ledges (possible high tide start). Follow flakes up the wall left of the overhangs to a diagonal break, then step right to a ledge below the slim corner. Climb this with increasing difficulty to a steep finish on the left.

Additional info:
One or two loose holds near the top.

Pitch descriptions:
5a. Follow flakes up the wall left of the overhangs to a diagonal break, move left up this for 2m, then pull over to a sloping ledge above the overlap. Go diagonally up and left to finish up a short overhanging corner.

Additional info:
Much more solid than it looks.

Pitch descriptions:
20m, 5b Follow ‘Munchies’ to the small overhang then follow the flake crack up right to finish up the arête between ‘Munchies’ and ‘Let Him Babble On’

Pitch descriptions:
1 25m 4c The flake crack gives excellent climbing, culminating in an undignified grovel onto the half-height ledge.2 8m Walk along the ledge until past a sharp arête.
2 15m 5b Ignoring the rightward rising ramp line climb the wide crack on the left, parallel with the arête. This leads to a resting ledge and a cleaned finish.

Pitch descriptions:
Start as for Blockbuster and follow the L facing rampgroove after 5m, and then a short easy chimney. Balance up the awkward grey slab on the R and then follow a wide smooth crack to a ledge leading to the final corner of High Explosive. Finish up the steep, dusty corner, taking care with the rock (all the necessary holds are sound)

Pitch descriptions:
Start as for Rear Wind and follow Rear Wind as far as the crackgroove where Rear Wind moves to the arête. Enter the groove, the good crack you used to move up disappears and is replaced by a small parallel crack, takes small alien. Move up on small holds to small flake where crack widens, use this to rock up onto good slopping platform with good crack against the face that goes right to form the arête. Enjoy easy moves up the sloping rock using the crack to the base of the corner formed by the arête and the main face. Arrange your protection as you see fit and bridge up the corner, protection in horizontal breaks in the right wall, past the little roof to meet Rear Wind again at the top of there arête. Crux is the groove bit, with maybe VS 4c bridging up the corner.

Additional info:
Happy New Year. Hello. Went down looking for some climbing with Paul, fellow CC member and did the best we could with the seas. Went down to the ledges and I decided to do the groove as it looked nice and had done Rear Wind before, the starting ledge being washed by the bigger waves and spray. Thought we were on an old line and when we got home thought it might have been Europa from the old guide book. The new guide book arrived today and see that it is an unclimbed line.

Mickey

Submitted by : Paul Drew
Crag : Saddle Head, The Upper Tier
Date of ascent : 13/09/2014
Route name : Mickey
Length/grade/stars : 20m VS 4c
Climbers : Paul Drew, Ali Hutton
Start location:
Start between Final Groove and Gorgeous Grey Groove directly below the yellow pinnacle.

Pitch descriptions:
Climb up to and then the front face of the yellow pinnacle. Climb the steep wall above, passing a distinctive 15cm high spike, about 3m left of Gorgeous Grey Groove.

Good Craic

Submitted by : Paul Drew
Crag : Saddle Head, The Tip (page 77)
Date of ascent : 13/09/2014
Route name : Good Craic
Length/grade/stars : 20m HS 4b
Climbers : Ali Hutton, Paul Drew
Start location:
Start as for Tipstaff (new route by Barry Clarke on 24/3/2012).
From the col, descend West for a couple of metres then scramble down diagonally leftwards (looking out) for 23m to gain a ledge below a grey wall and just left of a ridge.

Pitch descriptions:
Climb the grey wall via a thin crack to a ledge (as for Tipstaff). From the ledge head directly up the steep wall just right of the arête to finish on the top of The Tip.

Additional info:
Based on description looks like it shares the start and first part of route with Tipstaff but where Tipstaff heads off right it heads directly up. Graded HS 4b as opposed to VS 4b for Tipstaff – didn’t think it warranted VS.

Flimston Slab – future members?

Submitted by : Simon King << See comment below

Crag : Flimston Slab
Date of ascent : 23/05/15
Route name : Chaos on Flimston Corner
Length/grade/stars : 45m/VD 2 stars (at least!)
Climbers : Simon, Jo King & Team Chaos (Ellie 8 and Jessie 7)
Start location:
Ab to the main belay above high tide as for Flimston Crack and Slab.

Pitch descriptions:
Climb easily, diagonally up and right to the base of the corner and follow it to the top. Extremely well protected (will swallow as manly medium to large nuts as you can carry!).

Additional info:
You could also ab directly down the corner to belay at the base of the corner if the main belay is busy. I really struggle to believe this route has not been done before; especially as it’s almost as good as its neighbours!

<< Comment:
Submitted by: John Eales

This is not in fact a new route – this is the correct line of the route originally described as Flimston Crack. The description of Flimston Crack in the 1996 guidebook states ‘Another good pitch taking the right-hand side of the slab by a crack on the right’. I believe that the description in the 1985 guidebook is even more explicit. Unfortunately Rockfax identified the wrong line for this route in their guidebook, and when I drew the topo lines for vol 4 of the CC guidebook I copied the line in the Rockfax since I did not have time to visit all of the crags in Range East to check all of the routes. The original description for Flimston Crack does not fit the line taken in the topo at all.

Pitch descriptions:
A Boulder problem start with tricky hidden protection. Climb the middle steep groove between ‘Bish, Bash, Bosh’ and ‘Stop Press’. Gain a rest then move left a few feet to climb a large open groove to the top.

Additional info:
Topo shows slight correction to the start of ‘Stop Press’.

Pitch descriptions:
Climb the short groove at the start of the arête and left of the chimney (Lute) and continue up the arête taking care with the rock.

Pitch descriptions:
Pitch 1 is correct on the topo, but misdescribed in the text. It maybe 4c, but does not climb Pitch 1 of Blue Sky (low end 4b). Climb Blue Sky to where is steps right around the arête. Do not step around the arête but continue up the left slanting grove and step right to the cave stance of Blue Sky.

Additional info:
The abseil point for Blue Sky is mismarked. Abseil west from the “Sea Mist” stake, using the 2nd north-westerly stake for direction (labeled Blue Sky on the map). Start down the groove immediately west of the stake and then over its westerly edge (overhanging wall), to the P1 stance and then down to the lower stance of choice.

Pitch descriptions:
Traverse left level with the top of the yellowish rock to gain the arête 5m left of ‘A Grand Day Out’ Climb the arête direct with adequate gear.

Additional info:
Before doing this route we looked at ‘Insecurity Blues’ – this has been affected by a rockfall, as have the 2 routes to the left – probably still climbable but would need a bit of cleaning up. A 2m x 1m block has fallen out of the crag.

Broken Arrow Direct

Date of ascent: 14/06/17
Length/grade/stars: 34m E5 6a
Climbers: Steve Quinton

Start location:

As for Poisoned Arrow/Broken Arrow

Pitch descriptions:

Follow Poison Arrow to the crux thin cracks. Follow the left-most of the 3 cracks then up and left on dark grey rock to reach a Weetabix hold in the middle of the wall and then move up through a slight bulge to a spike below the head wall, continue up left following Broken Arrow to the top (this is a slightly more direct, slightly bolder version of Broken Arrow, just about squeezed in to the right of Richochet).

There Let Arête

Date of ascent: 28/08/17
Length/grade/stars: 20m E4 6a
Climbers: Steve Quinton, Justin Lowman

Start location:

As for ‘Frontline’.

Pitch descriptions:

Climb up to the base of the steep arête right of ‘Kinvig’ and immediately left of ‘Line Out’. Climb the arête on its left side to join ‘Kinvig’ to finish.

Additional info:

There are two dodgy looking blocks which provide the key handholds on the hard bit. Both are more solid than they look!

St Govan’s Head > The Arrow Area

Poison Arrow Direct Finish

37m E4 6b ☆
24-Jun-2017, C Plant , F Taylor
37m. Climbs the wall just left of the Arête where the parent route steps into Cupids Bow. Intense series of moves protected by small wires.

St Govan’s Head > Test Case Area

X Games

37m E5 6b ☆☆
20-Mar-2021, Steve Quinton
Start 3m left of Test Case, climb the unprotected lower wall to reach the ledge by the large block. Climb the juggy wall 2-3m left of Test Case and make a tricky move to a slight niche. Hard moves from undercuts gain a thin break and finger slot. Move slightly left to a hidden hold just round the arête then follow the crack up right through the ‘X’ to a block on ‘Head Case’. Go straight up and pass the small overhang on the left. Finish up the crack just right of the final groove of ‘Charisma’. Excellent climbing throughout.

Newton Head > The Upper Tier

Top Floove

10m D ☆
13-Aug-2022, Martin Whitaker & Pat Cocks

Newton Head Upper Tier (pages 200/1) The current guidebook states that “(the Upper) tier is divided by a mud/rock slope, the descent; to the west (left) of this is a tower, above the Bonobo Face.” A glance at the photo on page 195 will show that it is actually above the Thunderwave Buttress. The “prominent corner” is not, therefore, situated above Porridge Lolly. Top Crack (VDiff) is actually about 8m long, not 18m. Top Floove 10m Diff The right edge of the prominent corner contains a shallow flaky groove. Climb this, with good rock and protection. First Ascent – Martin Whitaker & Pat Cocks 13-08-2022.

Newton Head > The Upper Tier

Top Hat

12m S 4a ☆
13-Aug-2022, Martin Whitaker & Pat Cocks

Newton Head Upper Tier (pages 200/1) The current guidebook states that “(the Upper) tier is divided by a mud/rock slope, the descent; to the west (left) of this is a tower, above the Bonobo Face.” A glance at the photo on page 195 will show that it is actually above the Thunderwave Buttress. The “prominent corner” is not, therefore, situated above Porridge Lolly. Top Crack (VDiff) is actually about 8m long, not 18m. Top Hat 12m Severe 4a Start in the middle of the front face, to the right of the prominent corner. Follow the slanting crack up and right, past a tricky bulge, then move back left to reach a ledge below the finishing corner/groove. Climb this. First Ascent – Martin Whitaker & Pat Cocks 13-08-2022. Photo diagrams available, but could not submit.

St Govan’s East Area > St Govan’s East

The Goat’s Horn

21m E4 6a ☆
07-Nov-2023, Stephen Ralph Quinton
Follow the Vicar’s Goat to the flake jug and pull through the overlap above to gain a rest on the right. Move back left to place good gear and climb the tricky groove above to the grassy ledge, finish direct or up Silent Running.