Carn Sperm, West Cornwall

Submitted by: Barry Clarke
Crag: South Coast Carn Sperm (p 25)
Date of ascent: 12/05/2016
Climbers: BJ Clarke (solo)

Escapement

Length/grade/stars: 19m S

Start location:

Start 6 metres below and right of Immaculate Groove.

Pitch descriptions:

4b Move up right for a metre or so and follow the short left-trending crack in the steep black wall for 2 metres. Escape left and amble up the slab to the top.

Tapestry

Length/grade/stars: 16m VS

Start location:

From the foot of the VD down-climb to the Sea-Level Cliff, scramble down to a barnacle ledge at low tide level. Move right (facing in) for 5 metres below a fine wall to reach a right-slanting crack; start here.

Pitch descriptions:

4c Climb the right-slanting crack to a ledge. Step left and move up a short wall to gain flakes at a break. Finish up the thin black seam above and left.

Niwlenn

Length/grade/stars: 25m VS

Start location:

Approach as for Tapestry, but continue rightwards for another 6 metres, around an awkward rib to gain a small ledge below a barnacle corner (low tide and calm seas!); there is a dark roof 8 metres above.

Pitch descriptions:

4b Climb the barnacle corner and gritty crack above to ledge below the dark roof. Follow the groove right of the roof to a niche, step up left to a small ledge and use flakes to gain a large ledge. Keeping right of the recess, climb the entertaining steep wall and left-trending ramp to the top.

Additional info:

The name means fog bank in Cornish!

Date of ascent: 30/05/2016
Climbers: BJ Clarke, R Seymour

Miss Goodnight

Length/grade/stars: 15m VS

Start location:

Start at the remains of The Immaculate Runner, 6 metres around and to the left of the left-hand start to Launch.

Pitch descriptions:

4c Climb the smooth wall to the left of the arête to a break. Pull rightwards over a bulge and continue up a right-trending scoop to a finish up cracks in a short steep wall.