UKC

Any recommendations? Not worried about classics or anything like that. I don't mind bold routes but not when I'm pushing grades. I don't want a repeat of Maltravers p1!

In reply to Cheese Monkey:

all of suspension bridge buttress is super safe routes. And very good.


I think all are E1 5b -

Limbo
Earl of Perth
Baby Duck
Clan union
How hard

Unfortunately, they're all currently bird banned.

Outside of that the only one I can think of is M1. Which is a nice safe route and good climbing too.

Unfortunately I cant think of any others...might well be though. Lots of very safe E2s if you want to push the boat? Certainly Banshee and New Horizons II you can count as sport route safe. So take the falls and work the sequence

In reply to Cheese Monkey:

also thinking about it. Till the bird ban comes off (I cant recommend those 5 routes enough, they're all 2/3 star awesome) Goblin combe might be the better bet for safe E1's. Very close to Bristol.

Gollum is a good E1 5b

In reply to Cheese Monkey:
As you've mentioned M1, what about M2 next to it ? Arguably easier and doesn't have the tricky traverse of M1. I'd say M2 was borderline HVS/E1.

Or go over the severn bridge to Wintour's Leap and do the top pitch of Surrealist. A classic. The top bit above the break is a bit intimidating the first time you do it but the gear is great.

Or walk over to North Buttress and do Notung. Good gear at the bottom which steadily thins out as you go higher (but the top feels more like VS/HVS).

Or walk over to Fly Wall and do Wurlitzer. Gear next by your hip on the first crux (the traverse on p2) and a wire by your nose on the second (the last short wall, with the finger slot where you have to crank and smear).

In reply to Kemics: cheers! Right then Gollum will have an ascent this week! Think M1 is banned too right now due to Unknown area issues. SBB will have a good session asap

In reply to Mostro: Ah cheers got a Wye trip planned Wednesday n all. Will have a look at these!

In reply to Kemics:

At Goblin Combe, I thought Gollum was hard at HVS, Gundabad easy at E1 and Bullroarer pumpy.

At Avon, M1, M2 and the Suspension Bridge routes mentioned above are good.

In reply to Cheese Monkey: No Musketeers Direct at Shorn Cliff has one hard move (no more than 5b if you are over 5'10"), this is protected by a good nut at shoulder height. There is lots at E1 at Shorn Cliff, but the only other one I've done is Spanish Inquisition (HVS climbing with spaced but decent gear).
Simba at Lion Rock Cheddar is fairly tough, but has bomber gear all the way and excellent climbing, highly recommended. Dinner Date also on the North side of the Gorge looks reasonable at E1, but I've not done it so can't comment on the gear.
The Firebird at Wyndcliff is quite bold to start (VS/HVS section) but the crux has a peg plus back up and the upper groove is well protected
Bad to the Bone at FCQ is probably HVS 5b but gets the E1 grade, well protected (take slings and cams).

In reply to Cheese Monkey: Lovely thanks guys plenty to go at over the next few weeks

In reply to Cheese Monkey:

Trouble is with a post like this, although many people will very helpfully answer your original question (specifically about well-protected routes), some will just recommend routes they happen to have done, or happened to enjoy.

Some of the above recommendations are adequately protected at best, others are well-protected but the gear is strenuous or awkward to place. One or two suggestions are downright bold! For example, in the light of your OP I would NOT recommend Notung, which has several long run outs.

At Goblin Combe the easiest and best-protected E1 is Gundabad (take plenty of small wires). Gollum is fair at E1 5b and pretty well-protected, but be aware that you have to hold a slightly strenuous layback position to place a crucial piece (in the base of the flake). If you fail to place this piece (or it falls out) then the route becomes bold. Black Riders is a similar story - plenty of gear but some has to be placed mid-crux.

At Shorn Cliff, Side Effects and the Bone are pretty well-protected, but a couple of placements on these are a bit fiddly. On the same buttress is Tigers Don't Cry, which is top end HVS and awkward, but very well-protected.

Bad to the Bone is bottom end of E1 and well-protected. The other E1s at Fairy Cave are significantly bolder.

In reply to bpmclimb:


A fair point. Though in defence of Gollum i'd say it is strenuous to place the crucial gear, but it's really easy to traverse back to the no hands rest. I spent ages whimping back and forth to fiddle in more gear

In reply to bpmclimb:

Gollum was HVS when i did it and i think it still is.

In reply to The Pylon King:

I think you're a sandbagging evil b*stard

In reply to Kemics:
Don't get "preciousss" about Gollum.

In reply to Kemics:

No seriously, i did it when it was given HVS 5b and distinctly remember thinking that was spot on

In reply to The Pylon King:

I don't know, hvs 5b to me says hard but very safe/easy to protect. While I think the crux is protectable, it's strenuous and fiddly and it's a crucial piece. I think it's adequate rather than bomber which hvs 5b suggests. If there was a thread of something there instead then definitely. But I don't have the best eye for small wires in limestone and tend to underrate them, so it's very possible I'm just a whimp.

Personally it felt harder the limbo or m1 at the same grade. But I think they're both consider fairly soft touches

In reply to Cheese Monkey:

Depravity? The technical crux (first pitch) seemed pretty safe; can remember absolutely nothing about the other pitches, but they're presumably easier. Was going to suggest Kranz but I see it's E2 - still pretty safe though. The downside is that I'm trying to remember from 30 to 35 years ago, so more recent opinion would probably be welcome.

In reply to Kemics:

Fair enough, i was onsighting E2/E3 at the time so it would have naturally felt straight forward.
I'd struggle on it now though!!

In reply to The Pylon King:

Actually, thinking about it, I find the first bit of Gollum the hardest, and the steep bit relatively straightforward.

In reply to bpmclimb: I find that as well - the initial moves are really tough. Once you get to the flake the question is mainly if you've got enough juice left to place the gear and pull through.

In reply to Cheese Monkey:

There are surprisingly few to choose from. M1, Dinner Date and No Musketeers direct all fit the bill. Notung is very good but is not my idea of well protected. King Kong? The hardest bits are are short and can be made safe, but both P1 and 2 will be a challenge and you need a reasonably steady team.

In reply to Ian Parsons:
>...Depravity... the other pitches... they're presumably easier.

The other pitches are definitely easier than the first.