UKC

Hi all

I am after some information about Zennor Head. I plan to visit with a non climbing belayer whilst on holiday the week after next.

Is it easy to access the upper crag? Also is it straight forward to ab down to retrieve gear on  climbs like Rosebuds in June?

Many thanks

Laurence

Heya, if memory serves the top is very easily accessed to rig an ab rope if necessary. Theres obvious points to rig from when you're there (cam, nuts and sling). Have fun

Scrambly path down but fine. Easy to get to the top to anchor. You'll be reyt.

You can easily walk onto the flat top of the buttress to set-up a top rope.  There's a path down to the base  to the left, looking out to sea.

From above, finding the right bit of rock is not obvious.   If memory serves me right, there's a small metal plaque on the rock, near the path that goes past the top.

We saw an adder there in April...

There's a path ,/ scramble down....can be overgrown with gorse! 

I have done the gulley route and two harder routes on the right in the manner you suggest.

Just to add to the above, I guess make sure your partner is happy with belaying from a steep grassy slope above a massive drop. That's how I remember it anyway, it would be easy (to imagine) a slide into Horse's Back Zawn without an anchor for your belayer.

I too remember the crag being more exposed than I had expected with that drop. So a non climbing belayer might perhaps feel that depending on how they are and whether they’ve been in similar places before. 

But it was an enjoyable morning on The Royal Forester and Rosebud in June. 

We were there at Easter.  There is a massive area between the upper crag and the seaward cliff.  Its a pretty safe and pleasant place for chilling out IMO.

There's a decent platform for bags and the bottom of the routes a few feet away has a reasonable flat patch. There's just one step when moving between them that might spook a non climber, but it's not that bad compared to a lot of the coast path.

Plentiful boulders on top for anchors. Take a couple 240 slings and it's quick and easy.

Thanks everyone for your responses. I will be staying nearby so will sneak down to check it out first. Sounds okay though and the route descriptions read as if they are more ameable than some Cornish routes. If anyone is around for the two weeks from 26th July I would be up bigger routes on Bosigran, Chair Ladder etc.  

Rosebuds in May is a great little HVS. I've always thought its no harder than the VSs there.  Yet to get down to do any of the sea level routes.

There is a big drop but it’s easy to stay well away from it. If you scope it out I reckon you’ll be fine. I’ve not done the HVS but the VS is v gd and worth the trip. It’s a good bit of coastline. And the pub while a bit foody is also worth popping into:

Ah, the Tinners. Great pub, wasted many an hour there, although it gets a bit busy at times nowadays. 

  Yet to get down to do any of the sea level routes.

Don't!

Agree with the others... chasm of doom below might produce more exposed experience for the novice belayer

Why, out of interest ? That HVS looks like a nice line.

I've done both of the starred routes on the lower cliff and they were both mighty unpleasant experiences. I suspect the fact that they have only 9 logged ascents between them speaks volumes! 

Rock quality or something else ?

Mainly rock quality, but also a lot of vegetation. 

Real climbing!