Ravenscraig
From ScottishClimbs
The hidden germ of Fife bouldering, Ravenscraig park sits in the lovely town of Kirkcaldy. The bouldering is entirely on the sea front with much of it over soft sandy landings.
The climbing conditions are not of the highest quality, as the course sandstone has a tendency to hold water and seep on contact, making some of the tidal problems slightly wet. Furthermore it is important to check your landing because it is so close to the sea, the area underneath problems can collect debris.
All of the areas receive a cooling sea breeze and at high tide many of the problems are perfect for water bouldering. Best for spending a sunny afternoon bouldering with not a care in the world.
As the crags are mainly overhanging the general feel of the crag and its climbing is thuggy and quite brutal. The majority of the problems are set on good rock, however there will be a few that have a predisposition to crumble.
The rock here ranges from slabs to overhangs, so you can expect to find delicate problems as well as burly strength problems with the odd dyno thrown in for good measure.
Photos of the routes can be seen at (and added to) the media page
Please note: harsh nylon brushing, any wire brushing, and dry tooling are completely unacceptable on this rock. it is soft and easily damaged!
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Approach
From the centre of Kirkcaldy, drive north north-east, along the coastal road (the road closest to the coast)until you pass Ravenscraig castle (underneath is another possible wee crag), shortly after you will come to a car park, park here. Please note, it is not the Harbour master's car park, nor the one with houses around it. It is the one with the big green signs saying "Ravenscraig park" on them.
Walk along the path towards the castle, you should quickly meet a small hut (with toilets, 30p a go apparently) with a path leading down the hill to the left. Following this path will soon take you to a junction with 3 choices, one paved, two red chip. The right path leads for access to "Unused 1". The left red chip path will take you to the 1st unexplored crag after approximately 20m. Continue along this path and you will eventually reach a small field, with a wee tower and the sea wall, "Unused 2" is located beneath the tower. Further along the path you will be able to see the main overhang, to access this descend from the path past a few steps and through the sea wall (small doorway), the overhang can be reached by following the wall left. If you continue along the red chip path you will see another, steeper, path down to the very obvious area that is "Unused 3". The last section of rock can be reached from the path like the other outcrops and is easily spotted due to the small damp overhang on the beach.
Access
There are no current issues with climbing, other than the illegality of climbing on the castle itself, but please try not to bring a bad name to climbers, as the head groundsman of the park is very grumpy and will probobly set an outright ban.
The problems
All problems are listed left to right, and areas described east to west (I think).
Unused 1
The left hand side of this is a nice, easy highball slab. The right hand side (other side of the wall) is a steep and sandy red wall. The upper half of this is quality rock, with the lower half being poor and prone to crumbling. If the lower half cleans up nicely then it could hold some quality routes.
Unused 2
No actual problems have been set here, but it's been used plenty for water bouldering and just a jump ledge (make sure you check the depth, often shallower than it looks).
The Overhang
Easily the best climbing in the park and the only part owrth visiting. The steep, course sandstone makes for really great climbing. The only negative aspects are it's tendency to seep on contact on the rightwards problems and the possibility of holds breaking.
1)No rest for the wicked V2 5C Mark Jarvie 2005
Starting on good holds, move up and right to the obvious rail then dyno way out right to the corner and traverse right to top out as for Flakasaurous Rex. (badly crumbled holds in overhang, May 2010).
2)Flakasaurous Rex V0 5A Magnus Johnson 2005
Climb the obvious flake to the top, then go for the beached whale top out (prior inspection of top out holds helps)
3)Dynosaur V4 6B(Morpho) Magnus Johnson 2006
Starting on two good left facing jugs, about 5m right of the flake, dyno (it's huge) stright up to the huge pocket, then traverse rightwards to top out in the right facing corner.
4)Project V?
Starting on the pale undercling, 1m left of Orion, move up for the small 2 finger shallow pocket, then up for a juggy finish.
5)Orion V1 5A Magnus Johnson 2005
Starting below the obvious ledge, 2 feet left of the big left facing corner, with two left facing pockets, head straight up.
6)Ursa V2 5B Mark Jarvie 2005
As for Orion, but when you reach the first ledge, traverse right, out and around the sloping corner and protruding ledge and mantle up.
7)Fury V4 6B Magnus Johnson 2006
starting 1m right or Orion, with left on a shallow 2 finger pocket, and right on a good undercut, head straight up via a good edge to the pair of slopers and then continue dynamically straight up to mantle as for Ursa.
8)Rage V4 6B Magnus Johnson 2006
Starting on a left facing half moon like hold for your left and a sloping ledge for the right, move up to the pockets (sharp) in the thin break, then throw desperately for the jugs and hope you hit something. Finish via a mantle, the difficulties are not in finding the holds but in finding anything for your feet.
9)Project V?
at the right end of the red wall, jump to grab the obvious quartz jugs, and follow the up and left, then mantle (crux). not yet proven possible. SS also deemed possible off a tiny but positive pinch, and a wee hold, go up for the left facing hanging pocket, then up to the jugs.
10) Seized Glory V4 6B Mark Jarvie 2006
Sit start with left on long pocket, and right on awkward side on sloper. Move straight up, using the 2 finger pocket and other holds in the overhang.
11)Crossroads V3 6B Magnus Johnson 2006
Start 1m right of Glory, on 2 obvious sloping pockets, move up and slightly left, making use of a left facing sloping small hold and a crimp on the face.
Variations
SS to Crossroads V4 6B The obvious complete problem, start sitting on the two lowest sloping pockets and move up into the original problem with your feet starting on an edge underneath the bulge.
Road To Injury V2 after getting the left facing hold, reach up and right to a deep pocket on the right.
12)Meds V3 6A Magnus Johnson 2006
starting on the obvious eye-shaped protrusion, go right slightly until you can get your left into the small pocket on the flake, then dyno for the sloper on the lip with your right, then right again for the ledge.
13)Come Fly With Me V5 6B John Wayland 2008 (possibly done before)
Start up the flake on the very left, and traverse along the sloping lip all the way to Orion and top out.
Unused 3
There are only two problems done here:
1)V2 5B Mark Jarvie 2005
Start on the bottom right, and traverse up and left along the lip to top out on the top left.
2)V2 5C Mark Jarvie 2005
Start on the left facing half moon like hold with left, and right on whatever irregularity you can find, then go up with your right from another small crimp, then straight up. Watch out, the top half of this can be loose.
The Slab and Small Overhang
Heaps of easier problems here, many of which are really quite fun and crumbly, take care when bouldering here.
1)Gully V0
Climb the obvious inlet mini-gully thing.
2)Warm Welcome V2 5B Magnus Johnson 2005
starting straight below the edge of the gorse, move up onto sloping holds on the lip, head left, then straight up the fact to jugs at the top, then traverse right to avoid a gorse bush top out.
3)"Mark's" Bane V2 5B Magnus Johnson 2005
Starting below the obvious left facing corner, climb up the arete to a mantle top out.
4)Kieshmhul V4 6B Magnus Johnson 2005
Start about 1m right of Bane, with hand on the protruding black corner, head up to the juggy lip, then use the desperate side pull with left to move up to the ledge for a mantle finish. Or dyno to the lip jugs for a V3 6B. (This problem is crumbling 2008)
5)Venom V2 5B Magnus Johnson 2005
Starting on the undercut below the start of the black upper wall, move straight up.
6)Direct V1 5A
Starting 1m left of the stepladder, climb direct up.
7)The stepladder VB -1A
Climb up the ridiculously easy, juggy slab.
8)False Security V2 5B Magnus Johnson
Sit starting below the obvious large pocket in the middle of the smooth slabby face, move straight up, avoiding the holds on the left, until you use a crimp on the man made wall for top out.
1)Small overhang
There are loads of eliminate routes on this fun little overhang.
2)Labeled X V4 6B
We've got a wet one people. This is only possible just before the tide is in, after it's had the most time to dry. Starting way down deep inside this beast, follow the right facing ledge to the lip then head up the face on crimps.
Good Route Ticklist
The top ten rated problems.
- Fury V4 6B -Overhang
- Rage V4 6B -Overhang
- Flakasaurous Rex V0 5A -Overhang
- Orion V1 5A -Overhang
- False Security V2 5B -Slab
- Dynosaur -Overhang
- Crossroads V3 6A -Overhang
- No Rest For The Wicked V3 6A -Overhang
- Come Fly With Me (As far as possible) -Overhang
- Meds V3 6A-Overhang
Future Development
There are loads of other climbs around the area, and several areas that are not listed here. One unmentioned face is the small yellowish face next to the harbour, as it falls apart in huge blocks.
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