Cliff Guide for Kitten Wall

Feeling the Ceiling

A novelty with a good bouldering move.

Start: Start on ledge below cavernous roof at left end of Kitten Wall.

FA: Bud Green, James Falla, 1988

Bottomless seam with bouldery start down right of Feeling The Ceiling.

FA: Kim Carrigan, 1979

A Piece of Flake

Surprisingly hard.

Start: Start at right-leading flake towards left end of Kitten Wall, not far right of Feeling The Ceiling.

FA: Greg Child, Kevin Lindorff, Tony Marian, 1978

Worthless.

FA: Mark Moorhead, Takashi Akegawa, 1983

Something of a mirror image of 'Indoctrination' without the quality.

FA: Roland Foster, Dave Vass, 1989

Indoctrination

A fingery start then good climbing is initially protected by not-the-best cam placement in the world. Some climbers preclip the bolt from Claw but you are kidding yourself if you do.

Start: Start 1 metre left of the prominent crack of Claw.

FA: Kim Carrigan, Mark Moorhead, 1979

Claw

Excellent clean jamming after a thrutchy start. Originally climbed with "the aid of two slings on joor jammed nuts".

FA: Ted Batty, Peter Jackson, 1965

Puss 'n Boots

A solid, intimidating lead with just enough protection.

FA: Dave Neilson, Rod Harris, 1967

As classy as the name.

FA: Guy Cotter, 1981

Siamese Crack

The middle of the three prominent cracks on the wall is a daunting layback if your jamming technique is lacking.

FA: Peter Jackson, Ted Batty, 1965

The name says it all.

FA: Kim Carrigan, Louise Shepherd, 1981

The right-hand of the 3 prominent crack-lines starts with a character-building thrutch. Most people will opt to do the Right-Hand Variant or 'Cheshire Cat' instead but it could be worth testing your technique on this.

FA: Ted Batty, Peter Jackson, 1965

Manx Right-Hand Variant

A good, fairly direct, way of doing Manx without the thrutching.

Start: Start at the diagonal crack 1 metre right of Manx.

FA: Unknown., 2000

Cat Cracker

The climb originally started up the easy, thin diagonal crack 1 metre right of Manx, now Manx RHV, but it is now done via the initial wall of 'Hard Nipples', which makes the climb more consistent. The climb originally went free up the diagonal crack and then aided up to and through the roof.

FA: John Davis, Jim Smith, 1967

Hard Nipples

More like hard forearms. Not a good idea to fall off the initial wall from a height.

FA: Mike Law, Kim Carrigan, 1978

Cheshire Cat

This good combination gives another way to approach the nice overhang on Manx. Some people prefer Manx RHV and others prefer this.

Lynx

A very nice girdle-traverse but you have to like this sort of thing.

1. 18m (15) From just left of gnarled old conifer go up left to traverse line and go left into "Manx". Continue left past "Siamese Crack" to an airy pedestal beside "Claw".

2. 32m (15) Cross Claw and continue along horizontal break.

FFA: Pitch 1 : Peter Jackson, Ted Batty, Reg Wiliams (1 aid).Keith McNaughton, Peter Headdles 04-1968., 1965

FA: Pitch 2: Geoff Schirmer, Keith Lockwood., 1977

Armed Forces

Armless.

Start: Start at right-most end of 'Cat Cracker' ledge, lust left of old conifer.

FA: Rod young, Ant Prehn. Mark Moorhead, Jon Muir eliminated the rest. Kim Carrigan, Chris Shepherd added start as described., 1982

Dramatic architecture but not very enjoyable or sustained.

Start: Start 5 metres right of the conifer.

FA: Chris Dewhirst, Phillip Stranger, 1967

Security Jerks

As steep as they come.

Start: Start below the "Beware of this Block" message.

FA: Geoff Weigand, 1984

Cruel Britannia

A good warm-up for the steep stuff.

Start: This used to start beneath the "Beware of this Block" block and undercling it but start to the right instead.

FA: Jeff Lamb, Dennis Ismay, 1980

Hendrix

Surprisingly steep climbing. Take the time to make sure that the protection in the horizontal breaks is secure as you are going to come very close to the ground, and the block, if something pulls.

Start: Start from the big block right of the overhung area.

FA: FRA: Matt Earl, Bruce Craig, Poven Pather. Had been climbed before by mistake, may even be the original line of Footloose., 1991

In a similar style to 'Hendrix', it can be amusing to watch pumped leaders lose form and begin to flail for the top.

Start: Start 3 metres right of 'Hendrix' at easy crack.

FA: Kevin Lindorff, Rod Young, 1977

Bushy, mossy rock to start.

Start: Start 4 metres right of bent-over old tree.

FA: Andrew Smith, Chris Baxter, 1967

Practical Cats

Fairly good route despite the fixed wire.

Start: Start below thin seam with fixed wire where the track dips down.

FA: Lincoln Shepherd, Natalie Green, 1982

Dodgy pro on bottom wall

Start: Start just left of overhang, 4 metres right of 'Practical Cats'.

FA: Chris Shepherd, Nick Plishko. Louise Shepherd, Mike Broadbent had climbed the upper flake earlier the same day., 1982

Tactical Cats

An enjoyable, intricate route.

Start: Start 8 metres right of 'Practical Cats', just right of overhang at ground level.

FA: Chris Shepherd, Nick Plishko, 1982

Kitty Litter

Climb wall, crossing diagonal crack of 'Alley Cat', to ledge. Up to bulge and technical seam and carry on straight to top.

Start: Start 5 metres right of 'Tactical Cats'.

FA: Kim Carrigan, Andrea Hayes, 1985

Mangy.

FA: Chris Dewhirst, Bruce Osborne, 1966