Upper Tier

Approach

The Upper Tier is best approached by taking the high righthand path which splits off from the main path into the quarry before entering the quarry proper.

There are 5 topos on this page listed in left to right order and numbered from 1 on the left to 5 on the far right. There are also a few more routes on the Africa Buttress Upper section.

1. Upper Tier far left

If you follow the Upper Tier terrace the continuous rock wall eventually runs out to a more vegetated and broken section. Carry on past this to where the rock is more continuous again with a series of slim walls and corners.

N.B. the very far left of the Upper Tier is covered by the Africa Buttress page. Some of the routes there are best approached by climbing up from below or abseiling in from above.

1. Bird Island pitch 2 (6a)
The second pitch climbs the pleasant arête. (See Africa Buttress for pitch 1)

2. Brew Thyme (6a)
The crackline right of the arête.

3. Thyme Out (6a)
A wide crack and V niche.

4. What’s the Thyme (6a)
The next crackline just left of corner.

5. Bridge Over the River Thyme (5)
A corner line.

6. Bit of Spare Thyme (5+)
The wall right of the corner, almost on the arête.

7. Fat Betty (4+)
Easy corner line.

Take Your Thyme(5+)
Right wall of corner.

8. Porridge (4+)
Slim corner line just left of arête. Pleasant.

9. Crunch yer Nuts (4) ★
Fine wide crack system.

10. Soggy Bottom Boys (6b+) ★
Vague arête from left-hand end of terrace. A couple of hard moves

11. Man of Constant Sorrow (5+)
Climb left-hand side of arête via crack low down.

12. Big Rock Candy Mountain (6a) ★
The right-hand side of fine arête.

13. Everett’s arête (5+)
Takes the sharp arête on left-hand side.

14. Repulse (5)
The left-hand line of the orange wall.

15. Prince of Wales (5+)
The right-hand line.

16. That Old DA Look (4)
The short wall, groove and bulge just right of the orange wall.

17. FOP (6a)
Climbs the isolated face to the right with a tricky finish on a slight nose.

2. Upper Tier Left

1. In the Jailhouse (6a)
A tricky start from a grassy ledge leads to easier ground and and an overlap.

2. Po Lazarus (5+)
Straightforward jug-pulling and jamming to an overhang above.

3. No Way is Patience a Virtue (6b) ★
Stiff fingery start to easier ground on fine rock above

4. Whilst the Cat’s Away E3 6b

5. Oh Brother Where Art Thou’ (6a) ★
Pleasant climbing with a tricky start from the obvious ledge.

6. Dapper Dan (6a) ★
The excellent arête to a tricky finale. Stretchy first clip from ledge.

7. Babe the Blue Axe (6a)
Tricky starting wall to ledge then much easier climbing above.

8. The Cretan (6b+)
The arête taken on right-hand side to ledge. Easy above.

9. Corinthian Spirit (6a)
Straightforward crack system with awkward move left onto ledge.

10. Theseus-Saurus (6c)
Easier lower wall to ledge then very tricky finale. Requires l-o-n-g reach!!!

11. It’s all Greek to Me (6b)
Very pleasant bulging crackline to ledge to easier finale.

12. The Miner Tour (6c+)
Hard start (throw) to ledge. Slabby wall is good. Start can be avoided on R

13. Olympiakus (6c)
Goes leftwards into hanging groove left of Her Aklion.

14. Her Aklion (6c)
Exits cave to gain hidden delights in hanging groove. Good when dry.

15. Almost There (5)
Climbs the right arête of the cave system on incredible bubbly jugs.

16. Into the Labyrinth (5+) ★
The front face of grey tower, recently retro-bolted (naughty but nice).

17. By Zeus (6a+) ★
Right arête of grey tower with technical start.

18. Spiteful Rain (5+) ★
Pleasant face and tricky finish.

Commiseration (5)
Slim groove to belay of First Pryse.

3. Upper Tier Central

19. Consolation (5)
Overlap and pleasant face above. Crux at start.

20. Tawny Owl Pie (5)
Awkward, right-facing groove with leftwards exit.

21. The Owl (6c)
Tight line on face to right with difficulties surrounding upper section.

22. White Dove E2 5c ★
Excellent thin crack system (trad.). Use belays on left or right.

Two FLAT Whites Direct (6b)
Start up Null and climb the crack through the bulges

23. Null in Mundo Pax Sincera (6c+)
Tight line squeezed onto rounded arête to right.

24. Supplementary Question (4+)
Prominent shallow corner line to excavated finale.

25. A Liberal Smear (6c+)
Contrived right of corner. Desperate finale.

26. Labour Relations (6c+) ★
Slabby wall direct (no groove) and fine finish via overlap.

27. PM’s Question Time E3 5c ★
Thin crack traversing right to avoid top wall and finish via bold scoop, BR.

28. Avoiding the Issue E4 6a ★
Direct finish to PMs via vague rib and BR. Technical.

29. Booker Prize (6a)
Front face of pillar to tricky exit on the headwall.

30. Sir Pryse (6a+)
Slab with tricky strip roof at half height and fingery finale.

31. Oy Missus (6c)
Takes the left-hand side of slab above ramp avoiding the corner on the left.

32. Mr. Blue Sky (7a) ★
An eliminate requiring deft footwork up the right-hand side of slab. Climb the slab staying out of the blocky crackline to the right.

33. Esso Blue HVS 5b
Crackline to slabby finale

4. Upper Tier Right

Some routes here have been debolted due to unstable rock. These routes are marked with yellow dashed lines.

34. Smoke Gets in your Eyes (6b+) ★
Left-hand side of prominent arête with occasional move on right. Finish via thin crack.

35. Esso Extra (E1 5b)
Old trad route up a groove and slab and moving left to finish up the previous route.

36. Shell Super (6c)
Hard boulder problem if taken direct on side wall.

37. Mumble Jumble (7a) ★★
Slim pillar and difficult roof. Fine test-piece.

38. Fargo (6a+)
Thin crack system with awkward moves. Can finish at belay of:

39. Blue Sunday (6a+) ★
Pleasant face climbing starting left of the cave.

40. Do It Yourself (6c)
A harder but similar technical face to right.

41. New Bolts and Yankees (6a)
Steep start with crackline above.

42. Kushti (6a)
Thin crack system on left wall of corner.

43. Lovely Bubbly (6c+)
Left wall of corner with some good technical moves. Short-lived.

44. Slabby but Nice (5+)
Right wall of corner with good moves on upper section.

5. Upper Tier Far Right

45. Sam and Mary (5)
Crackline to steep finale.

46. Ma Marmalde (6a+)
arête to ledges and tricky finale.

47. Slam the Jam (5+)
Prominent jamming crack.

48. Jam Slice (6b)
Wall and shallow groove.

49. Don’t try this at Home (6c)
The face to the right. Hard finale and high in grade.

50. Red Rum (5+)
The corner line.

51. Najinski E2 5b
Slabby wall with fine climbing. Difficulties short-lived.

52. Part Animal (6b)
arête of wall. Hard on right (true line) 5+
on left.

53. Cafe Bleu E3 5c ★
The centre of pleasant face. RPs required.

54. Dinky Toy (6c) ★
Thin crack and technical wall on right. Good.

55. Corgi Registered (6b)
Final line via blunt rib. Good hidden holds.

Hornby (6a+)
This takes the steep wall with overlap 10m further right.