40m, 3 pitches.

Rockfax Description
A classic expedition up the seaward side of the large tooth-topped pinnacle, the summit of which can be seen in the lower reaches of Pinnacle Gully. Start at a rib just left of a very wide corner-crack about 10m right of the base of the pinnacle.

1) 4b, 18m. Climb the narrow wall between the rib and crack to good holds at 6m. Now, make an interesting rising traverse leftwards to a good spike on the left side of the wall. Take the yellow corner-crack above to good ledges and belay just right of the base of a yellow pinnacle.
2) 10m. At the base of the yellow pinnacle is a horizontal break. Move out along the break to a crack on the other side of the pinnacle. Now move up left on big holds to a spike and crack. Take the crack to a pleasant ledge and belay. An exposed pitch on good holds.
3) 12m. Climb up to the overhang and make an awkward move out right along a break to below a kinked hand crack. Climb the crack to its end (the first move being the hardest) and belay in the chimney that is on the other side of the face from the crack. It is possible to summit from the ledge above the belay.
Descent - Stay roped-up and from the belay in the chimney down climb (Diff) the wall of a wide crack on the left (when looking inland). The wall has big holds and gear can be placed to protect the last person down. Alternatively, abseil from a prominent spike on the landward side of the summit. © Rockfax

UKC Logbook Description
The original first pitches were destroyed by rockfall in the winter of 2013/4. The 2017 CC guide recommends starting well to the right, just left of a deep chimney, and climbing diagonally leftwards to reach the juggy crack on the original route (4b).

FA. J.Mallory, M.Roster 24.03.1940. FA. J.Barford, F.Feilden 25.08.1940 (Variation first pitch).

Ticklists

Classic Rock , Kernow , West Country Climbs , Rockfax West Country top 50 , South West VDiff-HVS , Paul's pre-Kendal Kernow ticklist , The Original 'Classic Rock' List , South West Climbs - Pat Littlejohn (1st Ed.) , Learning to Trad Climb: Cornwall , Cornwall 2021 , Cornwall , Classic Rock Climbs in Southern England by Bill Birkett , ROCKFAX TOP 50s upto e3 , South West Coastal Solo , Luke & Andy's Cornish Climbathon , Llidberis South West Tour

Feedback

User Date Notes
Lucydavison09 1 Jun, 2023 Show βeta
βeta: Gulls nesting at the 2nd belay as of June 2023… Agreed the 1st pitch is very run out with no protection on the traverse.
βeta?
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βeta: Gulls nesting at the 2nd belay as of June 2023… Agreed the 1st pitch is very run out with no protection on the traverse.
343940 12 Apr, 2023 Show βeta
βeta: Not sure if there's been more rockfall over the winter however the rising traverse (10-12m) is now completely unprotected until you get to the crux crack.
βeta?
Show beta
βeta: Not sure if there's been more rockfall over the winter however the rising traverse (10-12m) is now completely unprotected until you get to the crux crack.
badgerjockey 18 Apr, 2022 Show βeta
βeta: We abbed in off a big pointy pinnacle about 1.5m up and 2m to the right of the original P1 belay pictured in the rockfax. To get to this you need to step across the top of the corner/chimney to the right of the tower climbed by this route. For P1 we climbed the ramp left of the base of the corner, into the corner then the thin crack/flake line direct to the pointy pinnacle. Wouldn’t recommend the direct flake bit as is crumbly and more like dodgy 4c (good moves though, just probably unsafe- top rope from the pinnacle?). In stead, either traverse left just below the thin crack line to join the wide juggy crack line to a secure but hanging belay where the old ledge was, or press on rightwards to sit at the pinnacle, or avoid traversing altogether and just climb the lumpy right arête of the chimney to the pinnacle.
βeta?
Show beta
βeta: We abbed in off a big pointy pinnacle about 1.5m up and 2m to the right of the original P1 belay pictured in the rockfax. To get to this you need to step across the top of the corner/chimney to the right of the tower climbed by this route. For P1 we climbed the ramp left of the base of the corner, into the corner then the thin crack/flake line direct to the pointy pinnacle. Wouldn’t recommend the direct flake bit as is crumbly and more like dodgy 4c (good moves though, just probably unsafe- top rope from the pinnacle?). In stead, either traverse left just below the thin crack line to join the wide juggy crack line to a secure but hanging belay where the old ledge was, or press on rightwards to sit at the pinnacle, or avoid traversing altogether and just climb the lumpy right arête of the chimney to the pinnacle.
glaramara 12 Jul, 2020 Show βeta
βeta: Traversed in to avoid lower death trap. I found this route intimidating for a v diff.
Show beta
βeta: Traversed in to avoid lower death trap. I found this route intimidating for a v diff.

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Route of Interest
Box of Delights

Grade: HS 4b ***
(Vicarage Cliff)

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