High Rock, Honister

Written by LakesBloc Friday, 12 March 2004 00:00

A couple of sessions in the Honister Pass have lead to the re-opening up of another good boulder in the valley. According to Keswick corespondent and local history guru, Trev Suddaby, these boulders were originally opened up around 5 years ago by Ian Turnbull and Duncan Booth, who they climbed all the easier problems and an excellent hard traverse of the caves lip. These are high quality problems and after being re-cleaned are worthy of a visit.

The "High Rock" sits on a scree slope on the SW side of the valley about 500m past the road side boulders, and around a 5 minute walk up the hillside. There are in fact two boulders, although the higher of the two is where the best and hardest problems are to be found...

Ian's Lip (7c+/V10)- Start at the far right of the cave on a shelf, now traverse rightward into a sloping lip and into the last two thirds of Occam's Razor, awesome! (FA Ian Turnbull 1999)
Fallen Idol (7a+/V7) - Start on the far right of the cave lip, on a big shelf, traverse left into the sloping lip, a tricky rock up now allows access onto the headwall slab.
Occam's Razor (7c/V9 - Starting low in the center of the cave/roof, pull up to the lip via a weird crimp and good side-pull, without the blocks for feet. Get both hands on the lip (hard), now traverse left to where a difficult dyno/slap up and left allows access to the headwall slab. (FA Greg Chapman 2004)
6c/V4 - Start left of where the previous problem finishes. From a good undercut and crozzly crimp go up and right to a good hold, finish direct. (FA Ian Turnbull 1999)

There are around another six easier problems on this boulder and the one below which were all climbed by Ian and Duncan back in 1999. We have produced a topo which can be used in conjunction with the topo already on the 'Crags Page'.