Cookstown Quarry

== Checked this Climb on 16/5/13 has been partially filled in with a large fence put directly at the bottom of the crag which is completely over grown. The position of the fence makes climbing impossible. Also the directions to find it are nearly useless due to the addition of new buildings and removal of others. Another crag lost forever :( ==

This information is taken from New Climbs 1980.

Steep Sandstone. GR 812 765 Sheet 5.

Entering Cookstown from Dungannon pass roundabout to bridge over river. Go up hill and park in front of house on R before petrol station. Cross road and climb bank. Cross field on L to quarry behind bungalow.
The rock face is steep sandstone with a pond at R side and rising bank on L. Routes are described from L to R. (All grades are provisional).

Willow 5m. S. First crack line R of corner at top of the bank.
M. Smith (solo) 1979.

Pathos 6m. VS
Start: 1m. R of 'Willow'
Climb to sapling from L then up sharp flake to top.
M. Smith (solo). 1979.

Wild Side 9m. VS
Start: 2m. R of 'Pathos'.
Climb up R of sapling to overhang (piton runner) and layback up L to top.
M. Smith, R. Cole. 1979.

Carabou 9m. MVS
Start: 2m. R of 'Wild Side'.
Straight up to ledge on R and short wall above.
M. Smith, A. Carden. 1979.

Brain Wash 13m. XS
Start: at water's edge.
Climb rib and crack above until hands are on 5cm. ledge. Traverse L then up to sentry box. Layback up crack until possible to make a grab for good jug up R.
M. Smith, R. Cole. 1979.

Brick in the Wall 13m VS
Climb rib as for 'Brain Wash' but traverse R over pond to ledge. Climb crack above to easy ground. Climb 5m. wall above, on the L or straight up.
M. Smith, A. Carden. 1979.

Step out of Time 18m. VS
Start: as for 'Brick in the Wall' to ledge and continue traversing R and step delicately round to next line (hard). Up past sapling to bulge which is climbed on the L.
M. Smith, R. Cole. 1979.

The following information is taken from New Climbs 1984.

David Smith, who submitted these climbs, has introduced a new notation (SR) to indicate a Side Runner. He maintains side runners and pre-placed pegs are essential in the quarry as conventional protection on some climbs is non-existent.
The pond at the base of the quarry has now been filled in (1983), creating access to much more rock. Protection is poor when available and several pegs are in place.
Routes are described from R to L.

Clay Corner 10m. VS4c
Start: first corner at R-hand end of quarry.
Climb short wall to dirty corner and continue straight to top.
A. Devlin, M. Smith

The Corner 10m VS4c
Climbs broken corner L of 'Clay Corner'.
M. Smith, D. Smith.

Little Crack 10m E1 5c/6a
Takes thin crack L of 'The Corner'.
Gain crack from small ledge on R and climb it using poor finger slots. Reach holds at top of crack and gain blocks and ledge, finishing up cracks on R.
D. Smith, A. Devlin.

Big Crack 10m E1 6a
Start: 2m L of 'Little Crack'.
Awkward moves to gain high layoff edge. Move R to base of crack. Layoff/jam up past pod in crack to ledge. Exit L to top. Hard, but safe.
M. Smith, A. Devlin.

Adrian's Route 10m MVS 5a
Climb white bulge L of 'Big Crack' using jugs to reach loose block and stump on L. Move up R past large bush to finish as for 'Big Crack'.
A. Devlin, M. Smith, D. Smith.

Plum Jam 12m E2 5b
Start: up small corner L of 'Adrian's Route' and climb to loose jugs at 3m. Reach high on L to thin crack on slab. Step L and up cracked slab to finish L of bush.
D. Smith, M. Smith, A. Devlin.

The Crack 12m VS 5b
Start: under overhanging crack L of 'Plum Jam'.
High reach to base of crack. Jam up crack to jugs. Up easily to top.
M. Smith, A. Devlin

Diagonal 12m HVS 5b
Start: as for 'The Crack'.
Move L from base of crack on layoffs and climb to small sapling. Up to ledge and move R to climb awkward using high jugs.
D. Smith, R.E. Lawson.

Walkover 12m S.
Start: L of ledge 3m L of 'Diagonal@.
Awkward mantelshelf onto ledge. Up obvious cracks to a bulge which is climbed on the R to gain ledge. Step L and up cracks to top.
M. Smith, A. Devlin.

Buttress Right 12m E1 5c (SR)
Start: route takes blank buttress L of 'Walkover'.
From foot ledges 1m L of ledge move straight up to first of two horizontal breaks. Gain second break and peg on R. Up L oof peg to top. Siderunners placed in 'Walkover'.
D. Smith, A. Devlin, M. Smith.

Buttress Left 12m E1 5c (SR)
Start: as for 'Buttress Right'.
Move up slab for 1m before delicate traverse L to foot ledge below thin crack and obvious, dubious peg. Move up to peg and traverse R to peg in 'Buttress Right'. Move L then up to top. Side runners in 'Walkover' and 'Step out of Time'.
M. Smith, D. Smith.

Step out of Time See above under New Climbs 1980 (direct start now possible.

A Level Blues 12m E3 5c
Start: at L side of a ground level bulge 2m L of 'Step out of Time'.
Climb up L with difficulty to a small ledge below a blank slab. Gain a stance on ledge (crux, unprotected). Up blank slab to an overlap which is climbed on the R using high jugs. Move L and straight up to top. D. Smith, T. Benson.

Brick in the Wall 13m VS 5a
Start; at the bottom of the bank at the L of the quarry, just L of the overhangs.
Climb rib to foot of ledge at 2m. Travers R using finger edges to a ledge. Climb crack above to easy ground. Climb wall above by L or straight up.
M. Smith, A. Carden.

Big Duck 12m E3 5c
Start: as for 'Brick in the Wall' to finger edges.
Move straight up blank section to sandy patch and peg on R. Gain foot ledge L of peg and finish straight up with poor protection to small sapling on edge of face.
D. Smith (SUTF).

Right Hand 12m E2 5b
Climb rib to hand ledge and rusty peg at 9m. Climb up R under bulges to finish at sapling on edge of face.
M. Smith, A. Devlin, A. Devlin.

Brain Wash 12m E1 5c.
See description above, in New Climbs 1980.

Big Slabber 9m E1 5b (SR)
Start: climb first cracks up the bank until possible to step down R onto slab. Climb up R using large nobble to small corner and up to top. Side runners very advisable.
N.B. Climb routes marked (SR) without them at your peril.
N.B. It is possible some of these routes may have been retro-bolted in the years since 1984.