Sourton Tors - Dartmoor Bouldering

Sourton Tors (SX 543898)

A superb-looking collection of rocks from the road fails to live up to expectations. It is, however, home to one of the Moors best pumpy traverses and a handful of other worthwhile problems. Handy as a stop-off on the way to/back from Cornwall.

Approach:
From Exeter/A30: Take the exit for Tavistock on the A386. About 1/2 mile after leaving the A30 you come into Sourton village. Drive slowly so you don't miss the sneaky left turn to the church car park.

From Tavistock/South: Take the A386 from Tavistock towards Okehampton to the village of Sourton. Take a sneaky right into the church car park.

From the car park walk on the track up onto the Moor where Sourton Tors are smattered over a steep hillside. A number of scrambly problems can be found all over the hillside and a good look may reveal more!

Towards the right hand end of the hill-side side is a large traingular shaped wall on the downhill-side of a boulder:

1 4c Climb the centre of the face. A tad dirty but with a good landing.

Of particular note is an alcove of mostly hard problems found on the very top of the hill... sort of on the right hand side as you walk up! On the right is an obvious lip traverse:

2  V7 6b An excellent right to left traverse of the very lip of the right hand boulder, finishing to the left of the hanging arete. First climbed by a "Northern" raiding party (well, Bristol).
3  V5 6b Bum start on the very overhanging wall of the left boulder (opposite the traverse). A tough pull on good undercut and long reach/slap to the top. Also goes with sneaky use of the boulder on the ground - a bit easier!
4 V3 6a In the cave at the back left is a traverse out along the holds to gain the slab!!

Just up and right of the previous problems is a steep blocky wall:

5 V0 5a Climb the wall.

Other problems exist - these are left to your own discovery.

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