Warwick Castle

Climb broken ground to crack on left hand side of the Possum Claws arête. Climb crack direct (crux).

Start as for This One’s a Twenty Two Too Chris and move right and surmount the small overhang then continue up the arête directly above. Continue up bolted line on sharp arête to top. The moves keep one thinking. The old, naked bolts - which require hangers or wires - don't look too flash, needs a rebolt.

Climb the right side of the first sizeable buttress of rock encountered. Climb the easy slab to the left trending hand crack. Hand-jam this crack through the bulge (sharp crux) at two thirds height.

A very pleasant route up the prominent open corner. Follow the wide shallow groove with the thin crack in the back of it. Climb past the peg, over the bulge and into the corner.

Starts in a short broken left facing corner to the right of Anti-Climax. Surmount a large flake at two thirds height which is solid.

Starts in a short right facing corner to the right of Cardinal. From the top of the large block move right onto the arête and past the bolt at three-quarters height. Delicate moves over bulges with excellent pro at horizontal cracks.

This is the crack up the centre of the buttress to the right of Cardinal. A crack in a sloping ledge leads up and left to the crux. Follow obvious crack to the top.

Up the large right facing corner to the top. Double bolt and abseil chain at top.

Climb the face between Sunrise and Five Mill, exiting directly through the overhanging blocks.

Move up the crack over the diamond shaped moss patch until under the overhang. At the top, traverse right into the next crack to avoid the overhang. Not a classic.

Climb the thin crack through a gentle overhang. After a steep and fiery start the crack is climbed direct.

Surmount the distinctive large triangular overhang to a ledge. Then climb the groove above with the crux at two-thirds height.

This route takes the crack 2m to the right of Friend. Climb the overhang (adequate protection may be difficult to arrange) then climb the easier crack to the top.

Climb the left hand corner of the groove onto a ledge. Then continue up the corner, over a rock spike to a large mossy ledge. Then climb the easier angled rock above to the overhangs. A direct route through a cleft in the overhangs (15) is possible. So too is an easy exit out right (13) but the original exit was between these. A deep two-finger hold solves the problem. Note: now very mossy!

Take the crack right of El Cap which runs just right of centre of El Cap Groove.

Direct start project - 2 bolts. The face arête with lots of bolts. Maybe hard for the grade if you keep on the face and out of the crack on the left.

The crack right of the El Cap Groove which splits the prominent pillar. Jam and layback the crack. Excellent sustained climbing.

The arete between Le Climb and Jam Gambit. Start on the left of the arete, in the LC corner (a 0.4 Camalot placement is available here if you want it). Excellent balancey and smeary climbing on friendly holds all the way to the anchor.

The crack right of LNOE. Climb the shallow square backed groove via the left hand crack. Technical climbing leads to a small ledge. Continue up on superb jams to the top.

You had better hope you’ve got it!! (so says the notes). Takes the right hand crack in the square backed groove to the right of Jam Gambit. Technical bridging and finger tip locks and layaways with marginal pro. Take lots of large RPs, thin fingers, three cam units, small wires; a RP #6 would be handy. Beyond this group of cracks the crag steps in about a metre, with impressive overhangs running at 3/4 height. Needs a clean. Unclimbable at present due to vegetation.

Climbs the square cut pillar right of Diplomatic Immunity. A series of compression sequences lead to a bouldery crux at 2/3rds height. Double ring anchor.

This route takes the corner on the left hand side of the section below the overhangs. Climb the left facing corner to the overhang. Turn the overhang by the crack on the left edge.

This is the crack one to the right of The Quick. Climb the crack to the roofs at three-quarters height which are then exited by traversing to the right and finishing up the thin crack.

The thin crack immediately to the right of Dig This. A tricky start leads to some balance climbing with some superb bridging at the crux. Finish the same as Dig This.

The arête left of Tees Line. Start from the mossy ledge to the right. Climb up and left then on up to a bulge. Crank up past the crux and continue – still on the arête – all the way to the top. Rebolted 1 March 2020.

Crack and groove to the left of The Disappointed. One peg is in place at the crux. Superb route. Mostly small and medium wires.

About 19m down El Cap Groove are a pair of large blocks, leaning over to the left, one on top of the other. Start from on top of these blocks. Using the crack on the right, climb the wide flat backed groove to the top. A fine route for the grade—considerably better than The Elated.

This route shares its middle third with The Elated. Start up the crack left of The Elated which leads you into The Elated. At two thirds height tend left into the groove.

Starts 2m to the right of the base of the leaning blocks, the start of this climb is by a steep broken face. Then climb up over the blocky bulge into the awkward crack out to the large ledge (possible belay). Climb the obvious crack above, turning the bulge on the right. Good jugs lead to finish on easier ground. Rope drag and running out of pro can be problems when this climb is done as a single pitch.

Climb left up the ramp to gain the finger crack. Surmount the roof (crux) then follow the crack. Interesting moves.

Located by the distinctive arch-cum-roof just above the track. Use the crack to ascend the left hand side of the roof. Then continue up the crack. Hand jamming to half height.

Starts to right of same roof as for Firing On. Climb right hand crack through roof (crux). On first ascent the initial crack under the roof was full of mud, and a single point of aid was used get off the ground.

A chow-mein of Bop Girl and Aerobic Delight—a variant taking the easier sections of both routes. Commence Bop Girl but follow the strong left trending feature into Aerobic Delight.

Climb the crack above the detached leaning flake, about 3m to the left of a large overhang. Where the crack divides, start up the left crack, and then swing into the right crack, a shallow pod. Difficult moves (crux) lead to a crack followed on bridging moves to the top. Excellent thread belay. Climb onto the top of the crag or abseil off.

Takes the prominent and open corner and roof to the right of Bop Girl. Climb the crack up to the groove below the overhang. Climb the groove, then take the overhang out left and up the left hand crack.

The last line before a 30m section of broken and grassy ground. Climb the moss for about 6m to a groove with a loose block below a small overhang. Climb the groove then move over the overhand on good jugs to small cracks. Take the left hand crack (crux), then up onto a one move fist jam crack, and onto the top!

Travel to the bottom of Warwicks Castle. Approach from the AMC via the ridge leading to Sunnyside Wall or descend from Warwicks Col following the South Face. From the eastern-most edge – the lowest point: move 10m to the north and begin ascending steep moss and tussock ledges. Keeping near the edge. (watch for holes and loose boulders), ascend the ridge to gain the wide-open moss field. Central in this area are two large rocks which could offer a nice lunch or camping spot. Continue along the narrowing ridge to where the spine becomes jagged and rocky, move along the top of the rocks and descend slightly to the top of El Cap Groove. Sidle along to the southern side of the ridge until it widens out at the top of sunrise. Abseil off here or continue: move along the ridge for 5m past the abseil chain then descend the north side for 3m and squeeze between two large rocks. Step along the blocks and finish with a layback to the south and down the moss slopes. Climbing the last part in reverse to the belay chain provides quick access to the top of Warwicks Castle.