Acheron

Acheron HVS 5a**

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150m, 6 pitches.

 

This route meanders its way up the huge raged arête on the left-hand side of the buttress. Route finding can be complex and the climbing is varied. The rock on the whole is very good and after the initial section of the first pitch, the amount of vegetation does not impose on the climbing too much.

1. 4c, 34m. Starting just left of the main corner, climb rock and vegetation to a bulge that guards access to a slab. Make a hard move up onto the slab and follow its left side to a belay ledge beneath a left-leaning corner/groove.  Or climb part way up P1 of Doom then traverse across.

2. 4c, 26m. Climb to and up the corner/groove to where it steepens and then traverse right across the wall to a rib and climb this to a grassy ledge. Continue traversing rightwards to a belay in a quartz corner.

3. 4c, 20m. Climb leftwards across a slab to a ledge on the arête. Climb a short but steep groove on the other side of the arête and then head left and down to ledges under a corner-crack.

4. 4c, 18m. Climb the corner, taking care with the rock and traverse right to the arête. Continue to a belay below a flared chimney/groove.

5. 5a, 30m. Climb the excellent chimney groove and rib to its right before heading rightwards up vegetation to a large tree below bulging rock.

6. 4b, 20m. Pull steeply onto the wall above the right-hand end of the bulging rock and climb a short way on rock before grass and heather lead up to belays in boulders.