Lustleigh Cleave 130 It is hard at first to describe the veritable lost world that is Lustleigh Cleave. This is the kind of place you expect to see large beasts roaming Lower North Bovey Sanduck 2½ miles ½ mile through the woods, although you are only likely North Harton P LAYBY to see deer and ponies nowadays. Nestled THE ORGASMATRON kilometre North along the steep and wooded hillside above the DI SU Moretonhampstead 4km HUNTER’S TOR Higher Combe S ED A382 postcard-perfect village of Lustleigh are several FORT R AI FIELDS LW outcrops which, between them, yield the highest AY FIELDS concentration of hard routes on Dartmoor and South Harton Casely CARTOONLANDS some excellent, though rarely visited, boulder- Foxworthy Court ing. There has always been some confusion Foxworthy RAVEN’S ROCKS Bridge STILE Kelly Cross as to the location and name of the outcrops, RAVEN’S TOR LAYBY something this guide intends to resolve once HARTON CHEST Kelly BRIDLEPATH SIGN Hammerslake and for all with the map, topos, grid references SIGN Bovey LUSTLEIGH CLEAVE GATE BRI Tracey and even GPS co-ordinates. The idyllic setting of DLEW LAYBYS THE SACRIFICIAL AY 3 miles the climbing in Lustleigh Cleave really is worth VIRGIN BOULDER SHARPITOR & P Brookfield emphasising; the path leads through the woods THE NUTCRACKERS R ive SIGN Waye Farm to a breathtaking view of the moor, with wild r B PO The Cleave Inn ov THE BUTCHER’S flowers and ponies. Listening to the wind in the ey P BLOCK Lustleigh trees and the sound of the river far below you’ll FIELDS

Pethybridge

wonder if an undiscovered classic or the climb

Water Rudge D

I of your life is lying in wait for you down in the S

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E depths of the Cleave. The trees protect the rock D

R Rudge Cross A I from the elements so it tends to be less well L W A weathered than moorland granite, take care on Y the sometimes snappy feldspar crystals. More Houndtor Wood

so than for their moorland cousins, routes are ok Becka Bro worth an inspection and clean first. Becky Falls Lustleigh lies three miles north of Bovey Tracey BECKA BROOK BOULDERS on the A382 Moretonhampstead road. From Beckaford Bridge River Bovey the A382 take the turning for Lustleigh at Kelly LEAT approach to the Cross where a lane wends its way to the village. Trendlebere Sacrificial Virgin Boulder P Down In the centre of the village by the church are a small shop, a world-class cream tea shop and the Cleave Inn (TQ13 9TJ), which serves good Sadly North Bovey’s delightful Ring O Bells with its picturesque thatched roof is no more after grub and beer and has a lovely fire to warm a recent fire. Hopefully it will be rebuilt soon and once again you can enjoy free roast spuds with cold and sore fingers. your Sunday afternoon pint.

LUSTLEIGH CLEAVE overview from the south

Hunter’s Tor

Ridge Path from Lustleigh Foxworthy Bridge HARTON CHEST HARTON CHEST BOULDERING RAVEN’S ROCKS SHARPITOR & RAVEN’S TOR THE NUTCRACKERS

The Sacrificial Virgin Boulder trending slightly rightwards for 250 metres. 1 f4+ SX 781 816 The boulder is visible up to your right in a field. Cracks on the left of an overhung scoop. It isn’t clear if the boulder lies on private land or This is the easiest place to find in the area and 2 f5+ Wall. contains a handful of boulder problems and a not, so be discreet and if you are challenged be couple of more committing highball challenges. courteous. 3 f5+ Wall just left of a round metolius. Park in the centre of Lustleigh close to the church 4 f6a Wall further left without using the and walk past the Post Office down the short THE SACRIFICIAL VIRGIN rounded metolius. BOULDER 5 DESCENT dead-end road into the small park. Follow the 5 f4 Descent. footpath through this and through the woods 6 f5+ Wall just right of a rounded rib. North 4 7 f6b The right-hand rib of the large 3 overhanging scoop. 8 Desire f6b Boldly climb the flake 2 Desire 6 and right-hand wall to a scary top-out on some 9 8 very sharp crystals *, highball. Currently the young tree below this problem is getting a bit in 1 10 7 the way. * The author still bears the scars… Approach from Lustleigh 9 f6c Climb the overhang direct past an interesting chicken head-shaped nubbin. Scary, bold, and definitely highball. The final move can be chickened out of leftwards, which 8 Desire f6b is barely easier and equally scary. Dave Henderson DH collection 10 f5+ Climb the wall left of the scoop on small nubbins. The Sacrificial Virgin Boulder 131 Lower North Bovey North Harton Sanduck 2½ miles ½ mile P THE ORGASMATRON kilometre North

DI SU Moretonhampstead 4km HUNTER’S TOR Higher Combe S ED A382

RA ILW AY

South Harton 132 Casely CARTOONLANDS Lustleigh Cleave 132 Foxworthy Court Foxworthy RAVEN’S ROCKS For the Lustleigh Cleave crags turn left out of the Bridge STILE Kelly Cross RAVEN’S TOR LAYBY centre of the village just after passing the church HARTON CHEST Kelly and follow the steep and narrow lane to Rudge BRIDLEPATH SIGN Hammerslake SIGN Bovey Cross. Turn right and drive for one mile past LUSTLEIGH CLEAVE GATE BR Tracey IDLEW A LAYBYS THE SACRIFICIAL Pethybridge and Waye Farm to a widening in the Y VIRGIN BOULDER 3 miles SHARPITOR & P Brookfield lane where there is space to park on the left. This THE NUTCRACKERS is about 250 metres before Hammerslake so if you R ive SIGN Waye Farm r B PO The Cleave Inn reach Hammerslake you’ve passed it. ov THE BUTCHER’S ey P BLOCK Lustleigh Walk along the lane towards Hammerslake and FIELDS take a footpath into the woods on the left. This is Pethybridge

just after a red gate on the left and before ‘Grove’. Water Rudge D

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S U Follow the path steeply through the woods to S

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D

R reach the crest of the hill after 10 minutes which Rudge Cross A I L W is shortly after some large and mossy boulders on A Y the left. Houndtor Wood DS

ok Becka Bro Becky Falls 8 BECKA4 BROOK3 BOULDERS 7 Beckaford JC Bridge River Bovey LEAT The Cleaver Trendlebere P Down Hunter’s Gate on Cleave 6 footpath at Hammerslake 2 1

3 4 5 The Cowboy Butcher

FAINT PATHS THE BUTCHER’S BLOCK to the Cleave Crags 2 1 MOSSY BOULDERS

3 JC MARKER Approach from POST Lustleigh via 0 metres 50 100 Hunter’s Gate

The Butcher’s Block SX 774 815 This small area is found to the left of the approach to the main Cleave crags and has a few excellent problems on high quality granite. There are two alternative approaches. Either take the left- hand path immediately after the gate and follow this until below the crest of the hill where a small path leads rightwards to the boulders; or from the main approach path turn left at a marker post and cross- road in the path then turn right after 100m before a couple of large mossy boulders are reached, the Butcher’s Block appears in front of you after 50m.

1 f6a The steep jam crack. 2 The Cowboy Butcher f6c A classic, powerful moves from sitting lead to a nervy and sloping top out! Eliminates abound. 3 f5+ The left-hand arête of the block is good fun. 4 Kneel Before Zod f7a+ A hard problem where funky footwork leads to success. 5 The full sloping traverse awaits and will have a high grade 6 The Cleaver f6b Another classic problem up the prow.

Around the hillside is a nice Careless Torque style prow: 7 Careless Whisper f6c The fine prow from sitting, f6a from standing. 4 8 Conscientious Twix f6a The left-hand side of the arête.

There are more problems hereabouts, left for your own discovery.

3

2 The Cowboy Butcher f6c Jason Maddick JAMES CLAPHAM

The Butcher’s Block 133 Sharpitor & The Nutcrackers SX 773 815 Lustleigh Cleave 134 This excellent area has some nice bouldering and several good routes, a few of which are metres Approach path from Lustleigh somewhat fierce. The large outcrop of Sharpitor 0 25 50 SHARPITOR & THE NUTCRACKERS is an impressive piece of rock and dotted around ridge path to North are many smaller boulders that sport some short Harton Chest 350m and routes and problems. Getting around between Raven’s Tor 700m LARGE WALL MICK’S WALL HOLLY TREE the boulders can be a bit ‘hectic’ (read awful) 26 and the best paths are marked on the topo, the 27 best way is usually the most indirect. There are 28 two approaches. The best for the whole area viewpoint 29 except the Mick’s Wall boulder is described first. Mick’s Wall 30 THE SLOPEY 31 From the crest of the hill follow the path right- BOULDER 5 THE PILLAR wards beside a wall and fence where you have The Rockover 2 4 to duck under a large drooping holly tree. Turn immediately left and drop down into the woods 3 POLLY BUTTRESS on a small path. If you reach a clean boulder wooded hillside 1 15 16 with a view west nestled between two holly trees 14 then you’ve just overshot the path. Follow the 7 13 Crystal Maze path down and left, passing right of an over- Bear Arête 6 8 9 grown block. On the left, through the trees, the 10 Bamboozled SHARPITOR PINNACLE clean nose of the Slopey Boulder can be seen Lev and a faint track leads up to a group of excellent boulders. Clockwork Orange 18 The Slopey Boulder 17 19 KEV BOULDER The right-hand (downhill) side of the 2 HOLLY TREES 21 Sylvie Guillem boulder is a lovely slab when clean, f3. 20 Kev THE SLOPEY BOULDER 1 JC 1 Ivanov f6b The steep side of the right-hand arête is climbed from a sit-start on NB only major boulders are shown on small crystals to gain a small flake and then a this topo - there are many other rocks hidden away in these woodlands. runnel. It is a bit easier from standing. 2 The Rockover f6c Start hanging on NBTBA the good sloping hold on the lip and use the 5 BOULDER poor slopers up to the right to somehow gain the top via a tricky rock-over. A sit-start can be 22 4 JC added from the arête down and left if you want THE PILLAR to the 23 25 to extend the problem. Back of Beyond 24

3 T.B.L. f7b A hard traverse; start up 9 Lev 18m E6 6b Ivanov and move leftwards on huge but poor This route has proven the most popular of slopers to gain the good hold on The Rockover. the hard additions to the moor. Take care on Tricksome moves lead down and left around the the lower unprotected section as a fall could arête to finish up the short groove. have serious consequences for your kneecaps. A few metres beyond The Slopey Boulder are an Without resorting to pads or side runners it is obvious pillar and an overhanging boulder. probably E7. The striking upper arête is easier, although very bold. From the base of the gully The Pillar make a committing traverse leftwards to reach 4 The Pillar f5+ Climb the front face the rounded arête. Follow the right-hand side of of the pillar with some good moves clamping on this to reach a deep break at half-height. Stuff both arêtes. this full of gear, breathe deeply and commit up the left-hand side of the upper arête to a round- There are some powerful challenges to be had ed finish with excellent long fall potential. under the little cave/roof next to the pillar. 9 FA D Henderson, S Seale 1.8.98 5 Over the Hill f7a From undercuts 10 Split Pinnacle 20m VD underthe roof stretch out to the break and arête This meandering route finds the only really above and a sloping finish. amenable way up to the summit of the pinnacle. Sit start Over the Mountain 7c+ 8 Start up and around to the right of Lev and These boulders are just above the summit block climb the flake/crack to a ledge then traverse of Sharpitor, however, those routes are best leftwards into the corner. Step up and into a SHARPITOR JC reached by returning to the approach path and chimney, which is wriggled up until you reach heading around to the bottom of the rocks. the height of the main block. Traverse leftwards Sharpitor The main track continues down and left past to an ivy-strewn crack and follow this to the top 8 Bamboozled 18m E4 6a some overgrown and overhanging boulders to – up the middle of the split pinnacle. deliver you at the foot of Sharpitor. The main To the left of Lev is a large overhang split by FA 1950s an off-width. This route has still not seen many features are the devious crack of Bamboozled Level with the top crack of Split Pinnacle are ascents and success hangs in the balance until and the arête of Lev. three unprotected and scary arêtes. The following problem is tucked away left of the the very end. Do battle up the wide crack and main rock on a low, overhanging boulder with a pass the overhang using a flake on the right. 11 Sloping Beauty 7m E4 5c rail at half-height. Continue up the narrowing crack until it peters The fall from this is likely to be more than out and place gear, before exiting rightwards double the length of the route and would be 6 Bear Arête f6c The arête seen on and blasting over the bulge above on small inadvisable. Climb the unprotected right-hand the left as you approach Sharpitor. crystals to glory. * side of the arête to the left of Split Pinnacle (the 7 The Slap f6b Sit-start low on the right FA S Cook 1990 top arête of Lev on its right-hand side). arête and make a big slap up and left onto the * Or, like the rest of us, lob off FA R Linsey 14.11.00 juggy rail. Reach up to a good hold on the top and an easier sloping top-out. Sharpitor & The Nutcrackers 135