UKC

There are so many historically important classics on the north crag of Castle Rock of Triermain, but I'd not climbed there before... For a long time, due to rock instability pre- and immediately post-2020 rock fall. I did go for a peek one time, but it was damp, forbidding and dirty looking.

I was climbing yesterday on Castle Rock south crag, and went with my mate for a look at the north crag. From below, it looked desperately overgrown and dirty, but we decided to give Overhanging Bastion a go, as it has had a few recent ascents. What a mega classic! It's got to be one of the best VS/HVS routes in the Lakes, especially the long ramp pitch. Brilliant... If you're an HVS leader in Cumbria and you haven't done it, then put it at the top of your wishlist!

I will possibly get slated for this ("don't wait for someone else to do it!", "you want someone else to do the hard work for you?", "the vegetation is part of the adventure!", "don't remove rare plants!", "it's not Stanage!"), but the crag really does need some TLC.

I'm tempted to go back myself with a stiff brush and some secateurs, but in my mind it's an enormous, daunting and skilled job. I'm not sure if others are similarly motivated...  If someone has the enthusiasm and, importantly, the know how, feel free to message me and maybe we can work out a weekday this August (I've a bit of spare time at the mo).

Anyway... it's a shame to see it disappearing under mud, lichen and scrub. But, some of the routes are much cleaner than they look form below

Don't think I've climbed there since the 1980s when I climbed several routes between severe & E1 over several short visits. At least in my memory it was always clean & the routes free of vegetation other than the odd tree.

It's a bit different now... Hard to tell from the ground, but it looks like a good trim back and a good scrub would be beneficial. Lots of slightly more "technical" problems too, e.g. dead ashes and loose rock. These feel like a bit of a conundrum, with regard to leaving or removing.

It's had 200 logged ascents since 2019 so I'm guessing the functional holds are clean

It's always got a lovely wild feel when belaying at the bottom of the n. buttress, buzzing with insects and torrents of flowers and foliage.

That's a valid perspective... In the humidity, it felt like we were scaling Roraima yesterday.

Cf. above: "the vegetation is part of the adventure."

That sounds a bit of a shame, I lived in cumbria in the 1990's and it was a great crag. North Crag eliminate with the tree pitch, was one probably my favorite climb in the lakes.

I've found the climbs are all clean but it does give the impression of neglect from the base, especially if you remember how it was 20 years ago.

I lead The Ghost last year and it was plenty clean enough, as was Rigor Mortis. The fixed abseil at the top was replaced recently too as it was looking very tired last summer.

The Ghost (E3 6a)

Rigor Mortis (E2 5c)

That's good to hear

Some routes are definitely getting done a reasonable amount. Others, e.g. May Day Cracks (HVS 5a) don't seem to be.

It’s hard to see why - it’s one of the best VS’s in the Lakes.

Just guessing, but it seems to be a drainage line. So... often wet, prone to becoming filthy? 1 - 3 ascents per year logged here, with mentions of moss, slime and dirt. But, it also sounds like a great and historically important climb.

I remember doing this - I wouldn't have described it as one of the best VS's anywhere It not being very good and not being VS! I remember reading the logbook comments when I logged it, one saying something like "where do they bury the VS leaders that set off up this", made me chuckle.

I remember the ramp pitch of OB being of superb quality - very sustained, on perfect rock… About 50 years ago.

I've just had a look at the logbook page and the photos look epic! Think I might add that to my wishlist

Rigor Mortis (E2 5c)

I'm sure this was given E1 when I did it about 30 years ago. Am I mistaken? Anyone know if it has got harder? Seems to be widely regarded as a stiff E2 nowadays. Superb climb, along with the others mentioned.

Do! It's awesome

Basically still true! There's one loose hold in the middle of the ramp that possibly needs trundling, and you pass through a rock scar, but pitch 3 is excellent. 1 and 2 are a little dirty, but not enough to impede. 4 is a bit of a non-event and has solid rock, but quite a bit of mud on the rock (still easy to climb). Ash trees on the crag all seem to be dead, sadly.

Did Overhanging Bastion pre-rockfall. How has the route changed? (I'm assuming it's different, not just a bit dirtier).

Reading around, it seems there used to be a yew tree belay and a final pitch leftward, from which you could admire/gulp at the gaping maw opening up at the top of the crag. Now, instead, after the long ramp, you move up and right to a ledge via a perched pinnacle. From here, it is possible to finish direct at c.5b or to head rightward to easy rock (VDiff) and pick a line to the top. The whole top pitch from the belay after ramp traverse is only 10 to 15m, plus wandering across some grass to dig out a belay. Does that help?

It's good to hear that the rockfall hasn't stopped OB being a classic route; my log (1987) agrees with you about how good the ramp pitch is.

Not sure. Probably need a local to explain also what it was like before. (Can't remember a huge amount, other than that it was good!)

I went to do OB once, about 25 years ago, but with the impeccable timing I once had for these sort of things, a summer rain storm hit just as we got to the base. It was so heavy we never even tried to unpack our bags. 

So what's the deal with crag now? At one point didn't the BMC have a measuring device to see how much closer half the cliff was coming to detaching itself and crashing down? Has that all happened? Or is there more bits likely to peel off? I would imagine if people aren't climbing there, it isn't very safe currently?

IIRC (and confirmed by my pre-rockfall guidebook), at the top of the ramp you did an exposed leftwards traverse across a sort of shield - not particularly difficult compared to the ramp itself - to then go up to the belay. The pitch after that basically being an "easy" escape.

I think that exposed traverse and up bit has gone - not sure what it's been replaced with but I think that sort of shield was part of the rock that came down.

The big bit that was on the far side of the gap being measured all came crashing down years ago (I was thinking 2 or 3 years ago but apparently it was 2018!!!).

UKC crag notes - those that remain have been reclimbed and the rock is mostly stable although care is still needed

Ditto Gordon. Almost certainly my first ever Lakes route circa 1970, and I got to lead the ramp pitch. But surely it was only VS in those days? Today with harnesses, belay devices, modern protection equipment, better ropes and sticky rubber, why is it upgraded to HVS? This doesn't make sense to me!

However the tree bit of North Crag Eliminate was truly frightening and the topmost branches almost broken off. I bounced on the tip to get extra height to reach the holds on the wall. And that was also about 50 years back. Memorable!

Thanks both. Seems the ramp pitch hasn't changed much then, just the wee bit above.

Yes, it was definitely graded VS, was considered ‘quite hard for VS’, but not unduly so. (With modern gear and pro it should probably only be given MVS )

I never did NCE, but many of my friends, and my brother did, and I think just about everyone had some kind of epic with that tree, IIRC.

Have done May Day Cracks , Thirlmere Eliminate , Harlot Face , it’s direct finish , Triemain Eliminate etc all in the past two years and Ghost and White Dwarf looked similar to how they were when I did them some time back. The crag looks a bit overgrown but the climbs a generally clean. Haven’t done OB since the rock fall though ! 
What a great crag 
 

Ha! That sounds like every one of my attempts to climb this "summer", Toby!

In 2020 (IIRC), an enormous piece fell off! You can boulder on it now, if you're so inclined!

It took the original finish to OH with it, but if I understand correctly, it was only a VDiff exit pitch up rickety flakes anyway and the best bits of the route remain unaffected.

If you're sensible, it seems fairly safe now - and pleasurable. Obviously the word "seems" is doing a lot of heavy lifting, here. Who knows what more might go in a hard winter. If you're ever keen for it again and lacking a partner, drop me a line

Thanks! That's good to know and confirms what John Kettle said above.

Well, hopefully reading that the holds are clean will encourage people. It certainly encourages me