UKC

Off to Lundy for 3 days this summer and looking for some recommendations, where to start?

Looking for routes up to about E1/2 but also lots of lower grade classics?

Any tips on approaches for a first visit?

Also the book has the Bird bans ending 31st of July, I note last year these extended until 31st August and the BMC RAD isn't clear when the ban ends this year? Anyone no better?

Ta muchly.

In reply to RFWilkie:

I am very interested in the replies to this thread as this is the grade I will be aiming for this year.

Last year there were two standout routes for me, American Beauty at HVS and Indy 500 at E1.

Indy 500 is absolutely fantasic, and I think it is one of the best routes I have climbed. This is my blog post from last year: http://www.masterplan-mountaineering.co.uk/2013/10/lundy/

In reply to RFWilkie:

Good choice! WE went two years ago and are headed back this year too. Not sure about the bird bans. But we were climbing mainly in that grade band. Agree with Alistair, American Beauty was brilliant! Immaculate Slab was also really good at HVS, but a bit stiffer.

The best route of the week was Dark Power though. It was everything expected of Lundy. Wild, exposed climbing out of the deepest darkest zawn we could find! Headline also looked amazing, but the sea wouldnt let us near unfortunately. Hopefully get on it this year.

In reply to RFWilkie:

Agree that Indy 500 is absolutely must at E1. Was my first extreme so I've got a particular soft spot for it.

Albion followed by Devils Slide/Satan's Slip is essential.

Enjoy!

In reply to RFWilkie:

When you get to the Island, go to the office and seek out the warden, he/she will have the only up to date list of where bans apply and what are supposedly banned but are ok because the birds are not there this year.

In reply to RFWilkie:

digging out the old list of what I've done I'd recommend any of these

HS: Constable Original, Horseman’s Route
VS: Albion, Roadrunner p1, Zed, Scafoid, Eclipse, Black Hand, Mersey Trout, Valentia, Shamrock
HVS: Formula One, Double Diamond, Grand Falls Road, Immaculate Slab, Holiday in Cambodia, Centaur, Wiggy Trip on Jugs, Leprechauner p2, Shark, Pearl, Harbinger, Albacore, Mary Patricia Rosealea
E1: Satan’s Slip, Meninirons, Fifth Appendage, Headline, Dark Power, The Serpent, Promises, Asafoetida, Indy 500, The Ocean, Udderwise, Fear of Faust, Deviant Pelmets (Pelmets of Delirium starting up Demian), American Beauty, A Separate Reality, Caught in the Act, Bulletin
E2: Tempest p1, Venus Flytrap, Stop Press, Spacewalk, Quatermass, A Night out with Doris, Ice p1, Destiny, Saffron, Scorched Earth, Aristotelis, Shagtastic
E3: Rampart, Promised Land, On the Beach, Golden Gate, Matt Black, Great Divide, Bender
E4: Midnight Hour, Coast to Coast
E5: Antiworlds

some of the above is probably wrong eg. I don't think Spacewalk goes anymore

basically you can't go wrong with starred routes in the guide & there's plenty of great unstarred routes as well

Don't know about bird bans but as Al says - worth checking with the warden

In reply to Carless:

Formula One has suffered a major rockfall and I believe it is no longer climbable

In reply to RFWilkie:

For American Beauty a 100mtr ab rope is useful
An unsung gem with an exciting start is Nonexpectis Jugsimisius HVS 5a
also Diamond Solitaire VS on FLying Buttress or better Double Diamond HVS 5b

In reply to Carless:

For "clean" E1, Fifth Appendage.
For the best adventure on the island (excluding the Limekiln routes) - The Ocean.

In reply to RFWilkie:

Another shout out for Indy 500. Simply Brilliant!

Over on the Slide, Albion and Satan's Slip/Fear of Faust are well worth the effort! As is actually abbing in to the bottom of the Slide... Routes around the diamond are good too: Diamond Sollitaire and Double Diamond. On my first visit I found locating the areas quite difficult, and time consuming.

In reply to Duncan Bourne:


Or do it properly; go down the other side at low tide, scramble around into the base of the zawn and enjoy the feeling of commitment once the tide comes back in.

I can't imagine anything that would spoil the route more than having a f*ck off great ab rope hanging down the middle of it while I was climbing.

In reply to RFWilkie:
Here's a tip. Pack your climbing gear separately from the bulk of your gear and keep it with you on the boat. That way you can go straight to the climbing as soon as you arrive rather than wait for the hold to be unloaded which takes ages.

They will leave your hold gear by the camp site for you during the day so you can put up your tent and unpack that evening

In reply to Pagan:

I wondered if that was possible

In reply to Pagan:



It doesn't hang down the route, not sure why but it's well to one side.

In reply to RFWilkie:

The bird ban went on to August last year because of the very cold late winter, shouldn't be a problem this year as its been very mild.

If you've only got 3 days check the tides carefully and leave the west facing zawn routes till the afternoon when the sun gets on them, things like 5th Appendage and Shy Tot are fantastic in the sun but feel much more serious if its at all damp or in the shade.

If you do American Beauty then do Road to Moscow and Seperate Reality too, all the same area and using the same approach.