Routes in South-West England for selected grade

Follow the furthest left-hand line of pegs in Avon gorge.

The large flake in the description has fallen away so the traverse out left and thus the route will be considerably altered. Other rockfall out left too.

1. 6a, 27m.

2. 6a, 25m

An enjoyable appendage to the climbs on the Unknown Wall. The crux arête is avoidable so only warrents the grade if adhering to the true line. Possibly better done in one long pitch.

1. 6a, 27m. Men of the World pitch 1

2. 6a, 27m. Traverse right from the belay passing the line of pegs then step down slightly to hand traverse right along the good break. Up above the break and just before the corner of Urban Gorilla, is a shot hole. Reach up for this then using good layaways and holds, swing directly up the bulging wall until stopped by the blank white wall above. Tip toe leftwards and clip the peg on Blik. Taking a disciplined approach to avoid the temptation of using the Blik crack, climb the left arête of the white wall directly above the peg until emerging into the corner. Move up the corner, clipping the peg on the left before swinging up right to sensationally pull over the widest part of the overhang.

1. 6a, 42m.

2. 6a, 20m.

Large rockfall at the base. Potentially no longer possible/very dangerous to climb P1. [March 2021]

1. 5b, 45m.

2. 5c, 20m.

Alternative finish from the hanging stance on Yellow Edge.

Remarkably varied, exposed and sustained climbing from start to finish sets this route firmly in the mould of "modern classic". Start 20m up from the base of the wall on a ledge next to a short slab and below a precarious looking flake.

1. 5c, 22m. Gain and layback the flake to a ledge. Move up rightwards to a borehole and peg. Climb the borehole via some difficult moves and traverse right to a good ledge and various belays, including an old spike.

2. 6a, 25m. Flip the rope over a spike high on the right for a runner and then make fingery moves direct to a pocket and crack. Climb the crack above the pocket and gain a small ledge, peg. Stand on the ledge and move up the wall to easier ground. Traverse left to a good calcite thread, at the base of an impending corner above. Climb the corner to an awkward stance on a block with various belays.

3. 5c, 23m. Move up right and climb past old bolts to some steep moves on good holds that lead to a prominent peg and small pancake of rock (good thin sling runner). Move up to and over the bulge above and finish leftwards past a short crack and a final steep move to ledges.

1. 5c/6a, 27m.

2. 5c, 20m.

3. 6a, 20m.

1. 5c/6a, 25m.

2. 6a, 40m.

Exposure and fine well-protected climbing are the main components of this memorable high-rise pitch. Start as for Yellow Edge.

1. 5c, 26m. Yellow Edge pitch 1.

2. 5b, 22m. Yellow Edge pitch 2.

3. 5c, 22m. Head out leftwards to some pegs, and then climb the wall above past a peg to a break under a thin crack guarded by a bulge. Access the crack and follow it past pegs and then finish up flakes.

1. 5c, 27m.

2. 5b, 25m.

3. 5b, 15m.

4. 5c, 20m.

1. 5c, 25m.

2. 5b, 25m.

The huge arete on the right-hand side of the lower wall is a good but slightly bold route. Start 3m to the left of the arete.

1. 5c, 23m. Move up to the base of a small corner and traverse right across the bottom of a grey slab to the arete. Ascend the arete to an overhang, peg. Make a perplexing move through the overhang via a short hanging corner and climb a little way above to a ledge and a belay on the arete.

2. 5c, 22m. Move right and climb a short crack and wall above the stance to a thread (thin sling needed). Move left to the arete and make delicate moves to a peg from where easier climbing up the arete finishes at the apex of the lower wall.

The towering face right of the arete is taken centrally by this superb and sustained route. Start just to the left of the large corner at the base of the face.

1. 6a, 18m. Move up to and climb a thin crack and wall to a bolt. Pass the bolt leftwards via some fingery moves to a thin horizontal break. Traverse left with difficulty and move up a tiny corner to a good crack, then climb up it to the next set of ledges. Move left to a belay on the arete as for New Horizons.

2. 5c, 20m. Move back right and climb a short crack and wall above the stance to a thread (thin sling needed). Continue in the same line up a little corner, peg, to a prominent peg on the right. Climb past the peg to a lighter band of rock and a peg on the left below a small white corner. Climb the wall right of the white corner, past a peg, to the top.

1. 6a, 30m.

2. 5c, 12m.

1. 6a, 33m.

2. 5a, 10m.

An enthralling wall-pitch composed of numerous testing parts and culminating in an exciting finish. High in the grade. Start at a blank section of wall 7m right of the long corner groove of M1. Make some bouldery moves up the initial wall before moving left and climbing a corner/groove to a break and two pegs. Make bold moves rightwards up the wall to a ledge. From a short crack on the left, move up left to pockets that lead to a concrete block. Move right to a narrow groove and climb this and the wall above with difficulty past a pocket and bolt on the left to better finishing holds that lead to the ramp.

Easy slab to funky groove climbing where a new staple protects. Escape rightwards after clipping old bolt for 2nd.

E4 without the bolt The route now has a lower bolt so is a clip up

A thrilling pitch combining a head-spinning position with faultless wall-climbing. Start at the top of the ramp. Traverse left for 3m along the break to a tiny ledge. Climb slightly rightwards up the wall, past 2 pegs, to good nuts in the cracks above. Move up leftwards with difficulty to the base of an open groove and a peg on the right and proceed up the groove to where it fades. Finish up the fingery final wall passing a peg.

E5 if hidden wire found.

A good pitch that takes on a fine corner-crack. Start at a right-facing flake crack 10m down from the top of the ramp. Climb the corner past some difficult moves midway, to where it ends at a short steep headwall. Traverse right to better holds and easier ground leading back left to belays. The short headwall can be climbed directly via a long move at 6a.

An upper wall testpiece that features a well-protected crux. Start at a right-leaning crack, the base of which disappears into a hole in the ramp. Follow the crack pleasantly to a hand-ledge. Continue more steeply to where it thins, and make a couple of urgent pulls up the wall just left of the crack to an easy finish up a tiny corner.

A smart climb. Start at a pocketed yellow streak just left of Banshee's thin crack. Reach up to the pockets and take these to a peg. Move up to another peg on the right (on Banshee) and reach a flat hold at the base of a slim groove, peg. Climb the left wall of the groove to meet a horizontal crack and finish on good holds to the right. Abseil station above and left.

A really tight eliminate between Rancho Cucamonga and Banshee, finishing to the right of that pitch. Climb the fingery wall using the edges of crystally pockets and (carefully) brittle sidepulls on the left until a final long move gains jugs and the peg with the maillon. From the break on Banshee (more gear) climb to the right of the parent route via a thin move and a good crimp in the middle of some black stuff and finish direct.

A neat pitch. Start at a thin crack in the grey wall 2m left of two rock anchor bolts. Climb the crack until level with two pegs on the left. Step left to the pegs and then climb the left-hand side of the shallow arete above to a final mantel onto a sloping ledge. An abseil station is a few metres up to the left.

Up and Left from the slot.

An old school gem, straight out of the 70s. The short technical arête right of the top section of Low Profile. Start from the abseil point above Who Me?, after an underlying pitch. A number of advanced belaying options are possible from here, perhaps belay using the rope as far below the metal thread as possible to reduce the fall factor (from two, if the RPs rip). Move up carefully to a questionable block just right of the arete and awquardly place around 6 RPs in a crack in its right. On your return, pretend you're Seb Grieve on Parthian Shot - but maybe don't fall off - and make a slightly blind reach left around the arête and stand up into one of the most exposed shake outs in the gorge. Gain the lip using a stuck on block on the left, find a good borehole above and top out.

Eliminate. Try and climb the pocket line just to the right without using the corner itself.

A borehole to the right of the top pitch of Banshee is the line. Climb it with left facing layback. Committing.

Climb the obvious corner at the back of the Problem Pages, at the eponymous Pinball Wizard Walls. This is now described in the 2017 guide as an independent pitch, giving perhaps the softest E2 in the whole gorge. In previous guidebooks it formed pitch 1 of Dark Crystal.

Start as for The Metaphysical Flake but move straight up the little groove. Make surprisingly tricky moves into and out of the niche

Steeper lower arête leads to slab with slim crack. Feels bold as gear (Friend 3.5) is hidden out of view.

E4 without the bolt.

Cross the slab up the shallow groove and make blind moves up the steep wall using holds just the other side of the arête

E5 without the bolt.

1. 5b, 25m.

2. 5c, 18m.

3. 4a, 12m.

1. 5a, 20m.

2. 6a, 20m.

3. 4a, 12m.

1. 5a, 9m.

2. 6a, 24m.

3. 4a, 20m.

1. 5c, 35m.

2. 5a, 15m.

1. 5c, 27m.

2. 5c, 20m.

1. E1 5a, 12m. Hugh's Groove

2. E4 6a 15m. Bisector Wall

3. E3 5b 25m. The Exterminating Angel

Pitch 2 of The Featherless Biped.

1. 5c, 12m.

2. 6a 35m.

A fine, sustained and safe pitch on good rock. Starting mid way along Gronk traverse at the 2 peg belay. Pull over the small roof on good holds, bolt. Two more bolts lead to a very hard sequence and another bolt. Easier climbing leads to 2 pegs and finish just left of the protruding ledge. The climb now has 4 new bolts in the lower section.

start above a bush, 6 metres left of arete on the left on graffiti'd wall