John should have been there - Chair Ladder

Terrier’s Tooth - HS 4b

John looking nervously out to sea - he's right to

Half way up the “new” first pitch of Terrier’s Tooth, I was finally making progress after a period of uncertainty over exactly where the established route was these days, since the rock fall of 2014 took away the lower section. 

With a choppy sea lashing spray all over the place we’d nervously abseiled and traversed the rocky shelf to the base, confident in the knowledge that it was practically low tide and no waves were washing properly over. 

But nature has it’s own way; hearing an unsettling whumpf, deeper and louder than the background wave noise we’d become accustomed too, I turned to glance down. John should have been there but all I could see was a wall of spray with ropes rising from within. “No!” was all I could involuntarily utter as I winced and waited to see the outcome. Not sure what to expect I gripped the sidepull tight and watched as he reappeared from his white water wash. 

Understated in his response, he simply shrugged and told me I could keep climbing. I thanked him for letting me take the first pitch. At least it was a warm evening.

Unsatisfied with the pitch, we explored other ways of climbing that section and couldn’t match up what others had logged at this grade but determined to have another attempt at a different line that might line up more with the original.

“Are you sure you want to go back down the base ledge?”

“Yeah, it was just one freak wave wasn’t it?”

Abbing off to finish Terrier's Tooth

A second try didn’t really open up any new lines, so our route followed the corner to a block and then a delicate traverse left along a horizontal break took us back onto the original. That traverse and the steep, jug-filled crack above made astoundingly good and satisfying Hard Severe classic climbing, full of flowing pulls and technical moves without being sketchy. John, by now drying off, finished the exposed pinnacle face in style to complete the climb.

But even then, the adventure was not over; at venues like these, getting to the route and getting back off the route can be just as adventurous as the climbing. An abseil from the pinnacle ended what felt like a pretty big day at Land’s End, having already visited Sennen in the morning and climbed Pendulum Chimney before this.

Pendulum Chimney - S 4b

Pitch 1 Pendulum Chimney

Ignore the guide book at all but low and calm sea conditions. It says the start can be accessed by scrambling down the side and around the base of a buttress, but we got into a right situation attempting it, a couple of hours before low tide, with a bit of sea swell. We nearly climbed the wrong bit, nearly scrambled to the wrong ledge, backed off a serious move that was probably harder than the climb itself, before going back up and abseiling easily and directly to the start of the climb. Like I said, just getting to routes on cliffs like these is a true adventure.

After that 30 minute ordeal, actually climbing was strangely calm and comforting, even amongst the intimidating sea cliff environment. Although on paper a 5 pitch climb, it seemed suited to running together pitch 1,2 and pitch 3,4, so we did it in 3.

Just enjoying great climbing

A “classic” route should remain a good line with consistent challenge throughout and this absolutely fits the bill. Wide crack leads to v-chimney and on through a delicate wall to a ledge seemingly equally popular with incontinent fulmars and climbers. For me, a familiar stench of seabird guano, having grown up near Bempton cliffs in Yorkshire.

Continuing to offer a steep climbing experience beyond, but with enough feet and jugs to rest and feel comfortable, the exposure of the sea cliff environment on this route is brilliant. A final top out onto a pinnacle gives a rewarding finish to enjoy the views from. 

An absolutely top-class day of climbing and the first of 3 days in the South West.