Bear Wall & Secret Garden

Bear Wall

A great little find with a handful of very worthwhile little pitches. The face dries in about mid April, can suffer a little seepage after rain and can also be plagued by midges in humid weather. Put off now are you well don’t be, it provides great face climbing on a spring or summer evening.

1. The Bear Necessities (7a) ★
Technical bulge and blind crux.

2. Bear Faced Cheek (7a+) ★
Further small holds and hard moves.

3. Bear it All (7a+) ★
The most technical of the three.

4. Bearly (5+) ★
Wall and fine crack.

5. Bearing All (6b+)
Technical wall and hanging flake.

6. The Water Method Man E3 5c
Tricky start and pleasant crack.

7. Setting Free the Bears E4 6a
Same start, right-hand side of smooth wall.

8. Palestine (6c)
Short lower wall and pillar.

100m to the left are two isolated routes: Lariam (7a) ★ a blunt rib and then Get it Wired (7a) a thin crack.

Secret Garden Crag

The new routes on this little crag were a welcome and surprising discovery in a very tranquil setting. Certainly worth a visit and can be combined with any of the other crags in the upper half of the dale.

1. Costa del Soul (6c+)
Short difficult bulge.

2. Mosquito Coast (6c+)
More of the same just right. No BRs at present.

3. The Birdcage (7a+) ★
Left-hand side of smart wall.

4. Valley of the Birds (7b) ★★
Right-hand side of wall. Fine climbing.

5. Quiet, Shhh, Hush (7a)
Fingery and technical though short.

6. Secret Agenda (6c) ★
A fine sustained route. Lower from tree.

7. Pillar Torque (6b)
Obvious by name at end of wall.