Cemetry Gates, E1 5b, 4c

This legendary route was first climbed by Joe Brown and Don Whillans in September 1951.

"I led the first pitch and took a stance just above the holly tree and hung on to slings attached to the poor spikes sticking out of the rock. This was the first stance in slings that we had taken. The position on the face was very sensational and frightening. I brought up Don and he was flabbergasted. " Christ this is a gripping place" he muttered hoarsely. Neither of us seemed able to move, and then it started to rain...all the way up it, little flakes of rock broke off when we pulled or stood on them." J Brown

September 2007:

I had climbed Cenotaph Corner in April and so was looking forward to how this compared but in actual fact spent more time comparing it to King Kong in the Wye Valley (E1, 5b, ) that I had climbed the daye before. The approach to Cemetry Gates is fun involving an exposed scramble from the foot of Cenotaph corner and and squeeze down a chimney to the belay ledge. There were two folks ahead of us on the route so we had to sit and wait with fingers getting increasingly cold in the overcast weather. A fim crew had turned up that morning to film someone on Right Wall but it had been deemed too wet. Nevertheless we were surrounded by rockstars with folk climbing the Corner, Left Wall and Resurrection.

As I started climbing it started drizzling but the route remained pretty much dry and it did not come to much. The first pitch is the 5b pitch and it is sustained but all of the holds are their. There was no single part of the climb that had me stumped, holds appeared where you wanted them and gear was plentiful. I took my time and rested as much as I could and enjoyed it. The last few moves to the belay ledge are pumpy and the world slowed down a bit as I made them but it went without drama!

The second pitch is 4c and is very pleasant taking you to the beautiful grass garden that is the belay ledge at the top of the Gates, Right Wall and Cenotaph Corner. It feels like a hallowed place to be and the abseil off is spectacular.

Cenotaph Corner, E1 5c

This is another Joe Brown route that was put up the year after Cemetry Gates. This time Joe was partnered by D Belshaw.

"I was climbing in socks and vainly tried to hook my feet onto rugosities below a large patch of moss, oozing with water. Until then I had forgotten that the conditions on the cliff were bad and the corner was very damp." J Brown

April 2007: The good weather has come to an end this afternoon with heavy rain set for the next couple of days. Friday and Saturday were spent with Bill and Andy. We climbed Crackstone Rib, Skylon and Dives/Better Things on Friday and then Tennis Shoe & the first two pitches of Ordinary Route on the slabs on Saturday. I climbed Cenotaph Corner on Friday night with a friend of mine, Pete. Having wanted to climb it for some time I was intimidated whilst stood at the bottom of it but overjoyed to reach the top!

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