Restricted Access

The BMC has negotiated with the landowner and secured an access agreement, but this is dependent on the continuing responsible behavior of climbers.

Local cavers have an agreement with the landowner to manage recreation in the quarry through the Fairy Cave Management Committee. They have been extremely supportive of climber’s efforts to secure access and without their support it is unlikely we would have been successful. Mark Courtiour (BMC Access Rep) has been co-opted onto the Management Committee but the cavers have overall responsibility for recreational use of the quarry.

Maintaining our good relationship with the cavers is important, as is following a few simple points within our access agreement:

  • Take all of your litter and any you find away with you to dispose of responsibly.
  • Responsible parking is essential to maintain access - see the 'parking and approach' section below for more information.
  • The only people with permission to be within the fenced area are cavers and climbers. If you find other people in the quarry please ask them to leave.
  • Parts of the quarry could be unstable and potentially dangerous for the unaware. In particular young or inexperienced climbers should be closely supervised at all times.
  • The quarry forms part of a larger SSSI and European SAC (Special Area of Conservation). Natural England are monitoring the rare flora and fauna within the quarry so avoid removing any vegetation without checking with the local Access Rep or Access Officer first.

Descents:

Movement around the top of some areas of the quarry can be difficult and local climbers have established abseil descents from all popular areas. Please do not remove these fixtures. Most lower offs/abseil points have been renewed and stakes have been installed above Robs Crack and Lumbar Puncture/Epic Dural. As always with fixed equipment, be sure to thoroughly inspect all parts of an anchor before committing to using it.

  • The best abseil descent (easier to pull through) from the Robs Crack area is from a pair of stakes with wire strops and maillon situated above Who Needs Hair Anyway i.e. next to the Hawthorn bush on the crag edge about 50m left (facing out) of Robs Crack.
  • A strop and maillon have been added to the stake above Halfway to Kansas/Lumbar Puncture, another above Balch's Slide and another above Senile Taff Corner to facilitate abseiling.
  • All routes in the Glacis area have lower offs in place.
  • The Alpine Ridge can be ascended/descended as a relatively easy but exposed scramble.
27m.

Rockfax Description
The thin crack in the wall right of a leaning corner is an enjoyable pitch that is best undertaken during a dry spell. Scramble up to a belay under a slab 3m to the right of the lower section of the leaning corner. Head up slabs to the crack and follow it past a sapling to the top. © Rockfax

UKC Logbook Description
Scramble up from the right to trees at the base of the slab a few feet right of the corner. Climb easily for 3m. Make harder moves up to reach runner placements where the crack starts. Climb the crack steeply to a large ash, then follow the widening crack easily up rightwards.

FA. Cerberus Speleological Society 1992.

Ticklists

Fairy Cave Quarry Top 20 , Fairy Cave Quarry - 1-3 Star Classic & Hard Rock , Bristol Crack School , Fairy Cave Quarry VS-E1 Challenge , Desperate for Crack (near Bristol) , Somerset Sufferfest

Feedback

User Date Notes
quis 9 Jul, 2022 Show βeta
βeta: Abseil point on a tree to the left as you top out. Can reach the ground on a doubled-up 60m rope
βeta?
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βeta: Abseil point on a tree to the left as you top out. Can reach the ground on a doubled-up 60m rope
Tall Oak 26 Sep, 2021 Show βeta
βeta: Added spice with a bees / wasps nest in the left flanks of the crack going up. Word of warning for those going up the overhanging crack to the left. Cool route however.
βeta?
Show beta
βeta: Added spice with a bees / wasps nest in the left flanks of the crack going up. Word of warning for those going up the overhanging crack to the left. Cool route however.
JLT 10 Nov, 2020 Show βeta
βeta: Definitely a Summer Route. Did on a dry, sunny day in November, but still damp due to never getting the sun in Winter.
Show beta
βeta: Definitely a Summer Route. Did on a dry, sunny day in November, but still damp due to never getting the sun in Winter.
Mr MRS 23 Aug, 2019 Show βeta
βeta: The crux seemed to be making it to the actual wall over all the slippy and muddy grass. Get some gear in early even if that first bit seems like an easy scramble.
Show beta
βeta: The crux seemed to be making it to the actual wall over all the slippy and muddy grass. Get some gear in early even if that first bit seems like an easy scramble.

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