Major new Mendip Crag

Fairy Cave Quarry is a stunning new venue very close to Holcombe. The crag consists of large slabs, up to 45 metres high which are natural bedding plains exposed by quarrying. Some climbs were done by members of the Cerberus Speleological Society in the early nineties but access problems restricted development. This year has seen the full potential of this, the last best crag in England, be developed by several local climbers. Richard Broomhead and Jack Stanbury have develop the superb Glacis. This is a glacier smooth slab full of top quality routes from V.diff to E4, pick of the bunch being Glacial Point a very smooth and bold E4 5c. The rest of the quarry has been developed by Mike Raine, Mike Hammill, Ian Butterworth, Pete Clarke, Richard Nadin, Ruairi Thomson and Martin Crocker. There are 65 routes from Diff to E6 with five being confirmed as three stars. Interestingly all the routes have been done in traditional style and there is no fixed gear on the crag. Most of the routes are slabs, but there are one or two steep routes in between. Full details will be in the forthcoming Avon and Cheddar guide, for which the final photographs are being taken right now, and one of the reasons for the lateness of this guide is to include this superb new crag.

QuellePlanetFear