Godrevy Bouldering Access and environmental considerations There is an important colony of seals close to the bouldering area monitored by an active research group throughout the year (see www.suesseals.eclipse.co.uk for details.) To prevent any access issues arising in the future, it is essential that the seals are not disturbed. There is only one beach that must be avoided and this is clearly marked with a no access sign. Please respect this sign. The bouldering from this beach is very limited anyway and subject to rockfalls. Location Godrevy is found in St. Ives bay in west Cornwall. Leave the A30 (T) at the roundabout at the eastern end of Hayle. Follow the B3301, towards Portreath for 2 miles until Gwithian. Leave Gwithian and after 500m, cross a narrow bridge then turn left into Godrevy. Follow the road to its end and park, entrance is 2 in 2004, free after 5 p.m. Follow the coastal path towards the lighthouse until steps lead down to the beach. Climbing is possible for 2 hours each side of low water and is on solid slate, smooth at the base, but giving better but more friable holds towards the top. There are 4 main areas of bouldering and dozens of other smaller problems in between: 1 St. Ives wall 2 The Gullies 3 The Cave 4 The Bowling Alley
St Ives wall 100m west of the steps 6 5 4 3 2 1 1 Access from the steps to the beach 2 St. Ives Wall right-hand side 3 St. Ives Wall 4 St. Ives Wall left-hand side 5 St. Ives Isolated boulder 6 The Gullies about 100 m distant
St Ives wall Right-hand side down 4 3 2 1 3 4 2 1 1 4b Step onto the easy slab and climb the harder bulge above 2 5a Follow the quartz vein, strenuous moves up and left to finish * 3 5b+ The arête direct, starting from a boulder just right ** 4 4b Climb onto a slab, move leftwards to a bulge & over this to an easy finish
Godrevy : St Ives wall 7 6 5 11 10 9 8 Down 11 10 9 8 7 5 6 5 5c The overhanging face, then a long reach out right to big holds, follow these boldly leftwards to finish up the prow. * 6 5c The overhanging face L-wards to a good hold, reach up high for a good slot, finish steeply but more easily. * 7 6b The right leaning crack, then a hard move right & up to an easier finish. 8 5b Sit start: the leaning wall and bulge by a layaway, finish up a quartz vein. 9 5b Sit start: Up to a side-hold & a long reach for a pocket, finish direct. 10 5b Sit start: Gain a ledge via sharp holds & a dyno, finish left of a boulder. 11 5b+ The R-hand side of the prow, then good holds lead left to the prow. ***
Godrevy : St Ives wall Left-hand side 15 14 13 12 16 16 15 14 13 12 12 5b The overhanging arėte direct, then on its left 13 5b The convex face to a hand rail and a step up and out rightwards * 14 6b The concave face via a complex sequence and a bold lunge to finish. A very nasty landing so be warned! ** 15 4a The easy wide crack to the left up a slab 16 4c Climb the far arėte, then move right onto a smooth slab to finish
Godrevy : St Ives wall Isolated boulder 17 18 Start: other side of this boulder 17 17 5b The steep face on friable holds 18 5a The overhanging seaward arėte by its left side
Godrevy : St Ives wall Seaward slab 22 21 19 23 20 23 22 21 20 19 19 5a Layback the arėte 20 6b Variant start 21 6a Crimp the small holds up the smooth slab 22 4c Barnacle the wet but easy crack 23 4b Easy slab
Godrevy : St Ives wall Western wall 24 25 26 27 28 29 24 25 29 27 28 26 24 4c The straightforward slab and ledge 25 5a Climb the strenuous & painful jamming crack, until a hasty exit leftwards scary * 26 6a Fingery moves, toe hook & a dyno gain better finishing holds * 27 4c The awkward crack quite strenuous 28 4a Easier bridging and jamming up the crack/corner line 29 6a Start at dead low water spring tide. From a rock in the sea, use an undercut to gain a crack-line, follow this strenuously on better holds
Godrevy : Tidal wall 30 31 32 33 34 30 31 32 33 34 30 5b Pull across the pool and climb the arėte direct ** 31 5b The leaning wall with a heel hook to finish 32 5c The corner to a good hold, move out up and right to the curved arėte and round it to finish scary and bold 33 6a The overhang on well-spaced holds a very difficult finish *** 34 5a Barnacle your way to the top
Godrevy : The gullies Sunny slab 36 37 35 38 35a 39 37 35 38 39 35a 36 35 4b Traverse, feet on line shown 36 5b Step across the pool & pull onto the slab, climbed on thin holds * 37 5c Traverse with hands on line shown, final moves up the edge of the slab above the pool can be trying if feeling weak or old ** 38 4a An easy corner and overlap 39 4a Another easy corner and overlap 35a 5a The left arėte just to its right up the slab
Godrevy : The gullies 40 41 37 40 41 40 5c The leaning wall via a sharp side hold & mantleshelf sit start 41 6a The arėte from a sit start & a slap for the top *
Godrevy : The gullies North face of First block South face of First block 42 42a 43 44 45 45 46 42a 42 43 44 45 45 46 42 3a The easy slab 42a 5c+ The short steep face 43 5b+ The hanging arėte dynamic, harder when the shingle is lower ** 44 5a Pull onto the slab then a side hold to help gain the top 45 5b+ The strenuous arėte climbed on the south side grunt * 46 5b The face o.k. when dry
Godrevy : The gullies Central Block North face North Gully 47 48 50 51 52 54 55 56 57 53 49 47 53 48 50 51 52 54 55 56 57 47 5b The bulging crack then a rock-over to gain the top * 48 6a+ Sit start matching on a sloper, up leftwards then up right to finish an intricate little sequence *** 49 6b Hang the first sloper & dyno for a pocket - crank hard to finish 50 5b The face on pockets and smears to start excellent *** 51 5c+ The face not using holds on adjacent problems blinkered! 52 5b The bottomless flake hard to start ** 53 5b The side hold and a slap for a ledge & the top 54 5a Overcome a smooth start to gain good holds and the top 55 5c Sit start: use positive holds & cunning footwork to gain slabby finish ** 56 5b Sit start: use good holds then a sloper gain the top 57 5a The steep crack/layaway
Godrevy : The gullies North Gully 58 54 61 60 59 62 54 58 59 62 61 60 54 5a Overcome a smooth start to gain good holds and the top 58 4c Over the bulge on good holds 59 5c The crack through the overhang a tough finish ** 60 5a The arėte moving slightly left onto the slab, finished direct 61 5c Hands & heel on the overhanging edge until a rock-over right onto the slab allows an easy finish * 62 4c The smooth slab using the feint crack-line
Godrevy : The gullies South Gully 64 65 66 67 68 69 63 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 63 6b The blunt arėte, fingery and powerful moves to a mantleshelf finish 64 4b The wall using a big hole at chest height then jugs to finish 65 5a The groove just right, move left & up a cracked slab 66 5c Step up onto the ramp then move right onto the quartzy wall & up 67 6a Start beneath an overhang, step left and heelhook onto the quartzy face, a long crank/dyno gets a sharp edge to finish on ** 68 5b The strenuous jam crack leads out rightwards a good grunt ** 69 5a Pull onto a slab and trend left steeply finish just right of 68
Godrevy : The gullies Lighthouse end 70 71 72 73 74 75 70 71 72 73 74 75 70 5a- The ramp leftwards leads to an easy slab 71 5c+ A fingery pull leads to a jug, steep moves up & left slap to finish ** 72 5c+ A fingery pull leads to sloping holds and a scary finish * 73 5c+ A barnacled horror, linking pockets to climb the face directly hard 74 4c The slab, then the wild looking edge on good holds all the way ** 75 3a Easy way up or down
Godrevy : The Cave area 77 81 80 78 79 76 81 80 78&79 77 76 76 5c The blunt edge on often wet holds 77 5b The wet crack and dyno for a ledge surmount this to finish easily ** 78 6c Fingery and gymnastic moves up a crack/corner-line * 79 7a Start as for 78 then tackle the rounded handrail out right 80 6b The well cleaned line of holds on the arėte climbed dynamically ** 81 5a The wet and limpet filled rightwards leaning corner crack
Godrevy : The Cave area 82 81a 81 80 86 85 84 83 82 81 80 86 84&85 83 80 6b The well cleaned line of holds on the arėte climbed dynamically ** 81 5a The wet and limpet filled rightwards leaning corner crack 82 5b Harder when shingle is missing, jam and layback the gritstone-like corner crack *** 83 6b Just left of the edge, grade dependant on height of the shingle often not possible to even touch the start when the shingle is low 84 6b A campus board start leads to an easier finish rightwards 85 6b A campus board start leads to an easier finish leftwards 86 5b The corner groove - hard to start
Godrevy : The Cave area 88 87 87 89 89 88 87 6a The strenuous right left hand traverse out of the cave. A much tried line for many years, it goes in summer when dried out well *** 88 6a Often a jump & heelhook to start, move left along the traverse line then get stood up & climb the overlap to jugs, finish to left easily ** 89 6b An awkward traverse round the nose to the crack often damp
Godrevy : The Bowling Alley area Approach from the lighthouse end of the gulleys, or along the coastal footpath, until a steep path down gains a promontary of rock which forms one half of The Bowling Alley The Bowling Alley from the coastal footpath 97 96 95 94 93 92 91 Easy way down 90 95 94 93 92 91 90 97 96 90 5b The arėte climbed dynamically ** 91 6a The face avoiding easier options of escape bold 92 4b The rather perfect little corner crack a Godrevy special *** 93 5a The slab avoiding any easier options each side * 94 5b The edge of the slab hard to start 95 4b The little wall starting off a small ledge 96 4c The jam crack ouch! 97 6a The impressive leaning face from the initial ledge very bold ***
Godrevy : The Bowling Alley area Left wall of The Bowling Alley 98 99 100 101 102 103 103 98 99 100 101 102 98 5b The strenuous wall on good holds, moving left at half height 99 5b The strenuous wall on good holds 100 5b Sit start then finish direct 101 6a Thin undercut crack 102 6c A tenuous line of small holds dry conditions & talent essential Start on a good hold at chest height, reach right for a crimp then right to finish 103 6b Campus board move
Written by John Hooper 0ctober 2002 Tel 01736 757258 1 Colver close, Connor Downs, Hayle, Cornwall, TR27 5LP