UKC

DESTINATION GUIDE: Brean Down

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 UKC News 26 Oct 2004
New article - http://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/page.php?id=81

Mark Glaister takes a look at this little-known seaside sport climbing venue near the infamous flesh-pot of Western-super-Mare and finds that there is a surprising number of quality clip-ups on offer. Sun, sea, silt and plenty of 7c's!
 Adam Lincoln 26 Oct 2004
In reply to UKC News:

Very good, and qutie inspiring
5.10 Ken 26 Oct 2004
In reply to UKC News:

Shhhhh! Don't tell everyone! We like it quiet thanks!

 Paz 27 Oct 2004
In reply to 5.10 Ken:

Torpedo get's a star!? I love an article with a sense of humour.
Anonymous 27 Oct 2004
In reply to Paz: Torpedo; Got an amusing photo of you on that. Though there's an obvious amount of sand on the lense!
 tobyfk 27 Oct 2004
In reply to UKC News:

Pah. Mark has copied my notes verbatim from this thread: http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=26692&v=1#365378

The name Mountain Hardwear is entirely my invention (feeble attempt to take the piss out of Ian Parnell, possibly too subtle).
OP UKC News 28 Oct 2004
In reply to tobyfk:
Hi Toby, Mark just sent me this since he is having difficulty browsing at the moment -

"Ha! I wrote this piece before the current guide was out so searched for info and came up with your excellent post. This is where some of the names and bit of info came from. Have actually done the routes over the years and was pleased to put a name to a line (even though it was a bogus one). Hope this sheds a bit of light on why and where I got the info."
- MG
 John Alcock 28 Oct 2004
In reply to UKC News:
It'd be twice as good if Martin Crocker would give permission for the retrobolting of his semi trad routes at the right end of the crag.
 Adam Lincoln 28 Oct 2004
In reply to John Alcock:

Are these even allowed to be climbed on now?
 Ian Parnell 28 Oct 2004
In reply to John Alcock: Is the general feeling down in Bristol to gradually retro all the local crags, John? See you and Lorne on Wednesday?
James Jackson 28 Oct 2004
In reply to 5.10 Ken:

Yeah, what's with all this publicity? First the Mendip Quarries, now Brean Down... Where will it end?
 Ally Smith 29 Oct 2004
In reply to UKC News: Route 11 is called "Tide Rising" and lost holds over the summer, now F7c.
Starting up Brean Topping and finishing up Chulilla gives a power endurance F7c+ "Storm Warning"
In reply to ally smith:
> (In reply to UKC News) Route 11 is called "Tide Rising" and lost holds over the summer, now F7c.

Do you mean route 11 from the article? That is Brean Topping. Or route 7 or route 10?

> Starting up Brean Topping and finishing up Chulilla gives a power endurance F7c+ "Storm Warning"

Thanks for this.

Alan
 Ally Smith 29 Oct 2004
In reply to Alan James - UKC: Sorry for the cock up, i meant route 7 "no name" - "Tide Rising" F7c
Matt Ward 29 Oct 2004
In reply to Ian Parnell:
that would make a good story now that a guardian of the bold such as your good self has (sadly) moved north. however uz lok'ls loike a bit of urban spice so unlikely to be much support for retro'ing avon without the council's help in drilling big holes/ adding big footholds to bits like upper wall-plenty of old and young uns would oppose retroing.

the cheddar project demonstrates that retro'ing and regearing has taken place hand in hand with recleaning existing trad lines.
matt w
 duncan 29 Oct 2004
In reply to UKC News:

It's perhaps worth mentioning that there is also some quite good bouldering at Brean, especially around Cyclops Cave and Bones Chimney. There are some excellent crimpy traverses in these areas. The rock low-down gets well-washed and so is undercut and relatively solid. A shingle landing makes mats optional. I used to live within cycling distance of the place and spent many a happy evening there, getting quite strong fingers for a time.

Brean also has the worlds widest boulder problem: run-up and mantel the wave-like sea defence wall, the same move at any point for >100m!

 John Alcock 29 Oct 2004
In reply to Adam Lincoln:
Adam
Don't know of any access problem. It's just that they are protected by limited rotting insitu gear.

Ian
Hope to see you Wednesday to learn about your latest crash diet.
Re local ethics..I'm a local and I accept they are totally inconsistent in THEORY. How is it right to retrobolt natural Cheddar and not quarried Avon?
In terms of my own climbing experience what's now going on seems to make some strange sort of sense IN PRACTICE to me. I think Avon would be ruined by retro-bolting, whereas many Cheddar routes had been ruined by being climbed with limited fixed gear which then rotted or became overgrown.
I like keeping trad (place your own gear) as it was, but I'd rather climb properly bolted sport routes than climbs with limited rotting but necessary fixed gear.
The right end of Brean seems to me an area where virtually no trad climbers are going to try on-sight repeats because of the state of the fixed protection. If the first ascentionists give permission, then I think they'd be "better" as sport climbs.
Areas such as Fairy Cave Quarry have avoided the dilemma by being developed with a no fixed gear ethic..a great development in my view.
si a 29 Oct 2004
In reply to John Alcock:

interesting isnt it.

i do think though that there is an arguement for a bolt to replace all these highly dodgy pegs we have to deal with. After all they really only protect the person that put them in.

also brean would be a cracking sport venue if the whole cliff were bolted. no one seems to do them and you need axes for the top.

ducks..
James Jackson 30 Oct 2004
In reply to si a:

I'm completely against replacing in-situ pegs with bolts, unless they're at a belay which can not otherwise be constructed (ie by replacing like-for like with pegs or using fixed gear).

If a peg at Avon's bad, ab in and replace it! You'll find some nice shiney new pegs here and there - various people are doing, and have done, good work in this area.

The routes round about Central Buttress are next on my list...

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