New set of guides for West Cornwall
Samson Arête (Sennen, E2) Richard Waterton – Photo Simon Cardy
Volume 1 – Bosigran and the North Coast – Andy March and Heather Ohly
The next generation of Cornish guidebooks from the Climbers’ Club is off to a terrific start with publication of the definitive Bosigran and the North Coast. Extensively researched by local activists with years of rock climbing experience on the north coast of West Cornwall, this thoroughly revised Climbers’ Club definitive guidebook includes:
- Edited by Des Hannigan
- Photodiagrams Simon Cardy
- Maps Don Sargeant
- 311 pages
- Over 1200 routes, at all grades
- Covers the coast from Wicca Pillar to Lands End
- Includes Bosigran, Kenidjack and Sennen
- Detailed maps and access information
- Full colour photodiagram coverage
- New climbs and new areas such as Echo Zawn
- Inspiring full-page action photography
ISBN 978-0-901601-99-5
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Sample Pages – Bosigran Central Main Face Area
Coverage for Vol 1
The new guide, Bosigran and the North Coast, is the work of local activist Andy March and comes some fifteen years since Nigel Coe and team’s previous Climbers’ Club guides to West Cornwall.
Published in the popular A5 format, Bosigran and the North Coast has been comprehensively updated. It includes extensive photo-diagram coverage by Simon Cardy and a new set of outstanding maps from Don Sargeant, all of which will make approach to the cliffs and the identification of climbs, even easier, especially at more remote venues.
Classic Routes
Just in case anyone needed a reminder this guide includes some of the UK’s best classic climbs such as Little Brown Jug (VS), Bow Wall (E2), Doorpost (Hard Severe), Bosigran Ridge (V Diff) Saxon (HVS), Demo Route (Hard Severe), Longships Wall (E3) and Lands End Long Climb (V Diff).
What new crags are covered in the guide?
Two new areas stand out. Firstly, Geevor, or as it is more affectionately know as Midge Zawn, and the Echo Zawn. Geevor is a short stroll from the car park at the Levant Mine. The first climbs on the left wall begin with some excellent short easy routes on massive holds and solid protection. It’s a great place to take beginners or to grab a more relaxing session in the evening sun. Further down the zawn Sara Scaife and Chris Griffiths fast emerging cult route Midgey, Midge, the Midge is one of those unique routes you won’t find anywhere else. Repeat ascentionists have raved about it and warned about its hard, but thankfully short, second pitch. Secondly, Andy March, Des Hannigan and friends have been beavering away in Echo Zawn during 2013 and 2015 just a stone’s throw beyond Kenidjack. They have come up with several quality routes as well as recruiting Pat Littlejohn for another of his 2-pitch E3 5c gems Old Gold.
Are there any new routes?
Whilst the Lizard peninsula has seen an explosion of new route activity (still under wraps and due to appear in Volume 2), the north coast has none-the-less seen a steady trickle of often remarkable new lines. High end offerings include International Kidney Dealer (E7) at Robin’s Rocks from Alexis Perry, who also climbed the trad-protected 7:27.13 (E7)through the central overhang at Carn Vellan and straightened out Sennen’s Tears of a Clown with his Tracks of My Tears (E8). At Land’s End, Devon main man Ken Palmer has come up with Rubber Dinghy Rapids (E7) while the perennial Mark Edwards has added Heart (E8) to his existing portfolio of ultra hard Sennen routes. Worth mentioning are routes such as Neil Foster’s and Clare Reading’s The Coffin Level (E6) and The Man Engine (E1) in Zawn Dredd and Ivory Coast (E6) at Freedom Zawn. Down on Bosigran’s main face, Graham and Ruth Everitt found two amazingly independent new 2 star climbs; The Radjel (E3) and Wilde Coyote (E3) either side of Beowulf. Hard to believe that these lines had to wait until 2011 before they were found.
Pete Greening on pitch 2 of Aerial (VS) on Wolf Buttress at Chair Ladder, photo Tom Last
Volume 2 – Chair Ladder, The Lizard and the South Coast, and the large number of new routes on The Lizard.
- Edited by Des Hannigan
- Section 1 Covers Chair Ladder and the South Coast by Paul Harrison, Pete Greening and Tom Last
- Section 2 Covers The Lizard Predonnock Head to Coverack by David Hope
- 423 pages
- Detailed maps and access information
- Full colour photodiagram coverage
- Enhanced photodiagrams to the major areas
- Artwork by Simon Cardy, Mark Davies and Don Sargeant
- Inspiring full-page action photography
ISBN 978-0-957281-53-0
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 Chair Ladder and the South Coast |
 The Lizard |
Coverage for Vol 2