The Eight Outcrops Walk.

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In Edward Pyatt's 1947 guide, he mentions a seven outcrops walk, climbing one route at each outcrop taking 6 hours. The outcrops visited and climbs done were:

Bulls Hollow - Slab Variant
High Rocks Annexe - Nose Two
High Rocks Continuation - Port Crack
High Rocks - Anaconda Chimney
Eridge Green - Toadstool Crack
Harrison Rocks - Wellington's Nose
Stone Farm - Stone Farm Chimney

This has become a Climbers' Club annual event although everyone is welcome.

The walk has mutated into a 16 mile circular (or figure of eight) traverse of eight outcrops and takes place annually in September. In recent years, the route direction has varied but has started and finished at High Rocks. Stone Farm (near East Grinstead) has been dropped and Bowles Rocks and Happy Valley substituted. The longer traverse takes in High Rocks, Harrison's, Bowles and Eridge Green and the shorter loop High Rocks Annexe, Happy Valley, Bulls Hollow and The High Rocks Continuation. A route is still climbed at each outcrop. Routes are left to the individual although at some outcrops, there are favourites (or maybe that should say only a few routes are possible!).

Click here for a Description of the route.

In 2004, the event took place on Sunday 19th September. About 12 of us started at 9am from the High Rocks Hotel car park and eight finished the complete route at 7:45pm by which time it was fairly dark. Good weather although it had rained the day before.

Routes and outcrops:
HRC - Stalactite Wall, Limpet Crack, Drunkard's Dilemma.
Bulls Hollow - Possibility Wall, Apis, Bramble Corner, Knott (note: the Bulls Hollow Restoration project had been completed and the crag was in great shape!).
Happy Valley - Sandstone Safari, Brouillard, Various short problems
High Rocks Annexe - Nose Two, Spleen Slab
High Rocks - Advertisement Wall
Harrisons - NW Corner, Wailing Wall, Birchden Corner, Boysen's Arete
Bowles - Drosophila, Banana
Eridge Green - Genesis, Romulus
Time - 10:45

The 2005 walk took place on 25th September 2005. The High Rocks Restoration Project had taken place earlier in the year and the difference was very noticeable. The weather looked threatening but was forecast to clear. Whilst we were climbing at the High Rocks Annexe, the heavens opened - luckily, the outcrop is shaded by Yew trees... It cleared after that and we had a good day.

High Rocks Annexe - Nose Three, Nose Two..
Happy Valley - Malcolm McPherson is fantastic.
Bulls Hollow - Centurian's Groove.
HRC - Stalactite Wall, Limpet Crack.
High Rocks - Celebration.
Eridge Green - Scooped Slab direct.
Bowles - Hate
Harrisons - Orangutang.

The 2006 walk took place on 24th September. 15 of us started from The High Rocks Car Park at 9am. The short route was first - counterclockwise. It had rained overnight and consequently the High Rocks Continuation Wall was pretty damp. The Turret was fairly dry, being isolated from the mainland and saw a few ascents. Stalactite Wall and Limpet Crack were as popular as ever. Things dried out a bit as the day wore on.

HRC - Stalactite Wall, Limpet Crack, The Turret.
Bulls Hollow - Centurian's Groove, The Wall, Bramble Corner.
Happy Valley - Hidden Gem and Doug's Come-uppance (well, we tried it!).
High Rocks Annexe - Leg Stump, Middle and Off.
High Rocks - Coronation Crack !!
Harrisons - Belt and Braces, The Niblick, Sossblitz.
Bowles - Devaluation, Hate
Eridge Green - Battlement Crack.
Finished 19:25, just as it was getting dark.
(pictures Clockwise from top left...Sweeps Caves, (Happy Valley), Centurian's Groove (Bulls Hollow), Coronation Crack (High Rocks), Battlement Crack (Eridge Green), Sossblitz (Harrisons).