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Head End Quarry - Route Listing and Descriptions

All climbs are 6 to 10 m in height

West End Wall  |  Suicide Wall  |  Summit Face  |  Crystal Wall  |  Terrace Wall

WEST END WALL

Three steps on the left edge and a bounding crack on the right.

1. Novices route - Mod - 1/2 metre right of the edge of the crag, climb a crack to the top of the wall.

2. Catlands Wall - H Severe - Climb the wall to the right of Novices route.

3. West End Groove - H Diff - Climb the crack and groove to the top of the wall, step right at the top if desired.

4. West End Direct - V Diff - 1/2 metre to the right of WEG, climb the wall directly on small smooth holds.

5. Diogenes - Severe - Climb a small corner to a pair of thin twin cracks, follow these to the top.

6. Controlled Gurning - VS - 5a - immediately to the left of Head End chimney, climb the steep wall over a bulge to the top.

7. Head End Chimney - H Diff - Climb the crack at the junction of West End wall and Suicide wall.

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SUICIDE WALL

A steep wall bounded on the right by Birds Nest Arete

8.Kamikaze - VS - 4c - climb the wall immediately to the right of Head End Chimney.

9. Nippo Crack - H Severe - Start below a crack and groove 1 metre to the right of Kamikaze, climb the crack and left slanting groove to finish near the top of Kamikaze.

9a.  Alternative finish - Severe - go right instead of following the groove leftwards to the top.

10. Letterbox - M Severe - Start 1 metre left of Birds Nest Arete, climb onto a slot like ledge, the letterbox, finish up two very thin cracks to the top.

11. Birds Nest Arete - Diff - Follow the blocky right hand arete of Suicide Wall on good holds, either climb the continuation crack to the top or mantleshelf to the right to finish.

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SUMMIT FACE

An impressive face with a steep pillar and a bulging finish, to the right there is a ledge at half height.

12. Bilberry - Severe - Climb the grassy crack just right of Birds Nest Arete. Awkward.

13. Bloodhound - HVS - 5b - Start directly below the crack which cuts through the left hand side of the top bulge of the pillar, climb easily up to the crack, then continue up the crack to the top.

14. Crusthound - E1 - 5b - Hardest climb in the quarry. Start below the prominent crack in the centre of the bulge. climb up to the crack and continue up the crack and over the bulge to the top.

15. Soap Gut - Severe - Start in a slight corner right of the previous two climbs, climb the corner and the crack above.

16. Snail Wall - Severe - Start below the obvious white wall at a corner, climb the corner and the white wall to gain a ledge. finish up the finger wide flake crack to the top.

17. Devil's Kneecap - V Diff - 2 metres to the right of Snail Wall, climb the steep wall to the ledge at half height, continue up the pleasant wall to the top.

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CRYSTAL WALL

An attractive steep slab, excellent rock, with a veneer of calcite crystals.

18. Blah - Severe - Climb the square bulge at waist height and follow the two grassy cracks to a small bulge, climb over this to the top or step right and finish up Devil's Kneecap (easier).

19. Crystal Cruise - H Severe - Start midway between Blah and Crystal Wall Direct, climb directly up the slab to the top.

20. Crystal Wall Direct - M Severe - Lovely climb, with one thin move at 2/3rds height. start below the thin finger crack in the centre of the wall, follow this to the top, care with loose rock at the top is needed.

21. Dids - H Severe - Directly up the wall to the right of CWD, care with loose rock at the top.

22. W.A.C. - MVS - 4b - A contrived climb, start 1 metre left of the right bounding arete of the wall, climb the overlap on small holds, follow the shallow scoop and step right onto the prow and finish on loose rock.

23. The Butchers Dog - HVS - 4c - Start as for W.A.C. and follow the arete (delicate) to the top. A far better climb than W.A.C. even if the name stinks!

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TERRACE WALL

The final section, this wall is split by a grassy ledge at half height.

24. Nut smasher Crack - Another awful name (I was young what can I say - sorry) - V Diff - Climb the crack which forms the angle between Crystal wall and Terrace wall.

25. Terrace Stairway - Mod - pleasant climb, start below a crack which leads up to the "stairway" follow this crack and the stairway to the top.

26. Piggy Malone - Diff - Start at the centre of terrace wall between two slanting cracks, climb the steep face upto the ledge, follow the left slanting scoop to the top.

27. Bobtail - Diff - Follow the easiest line up the wall to the right of Piggy Malone

28. Heads or Tails - girdle of the quarry - low level girdle is entertaining - high level girdle is challenging especially across Summit wall.

 

 

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