UKC

Hey ya,

Thinking about climbing Avernus but I'm lost about how to get to it in the first place! It says to scramble down but I can't see any safe way to do so. Is it posable to ab in or have I missed something along the ledge.

Also I can not remember what the rules are for wild camping in the area. Is it posable to do so or is it strictly campsites only.

Thanks,

Dan Mc

In reply to DanMc:
Access requires a low tide. Abseil down using the stakes above Freda (if available) onto the ledge at just above sea level at the foot of the the pedestal. It is just a simple traverse around from there.

Edit: the simple traverse is not challenging, it has a good walk way with holds into the cave with a little bit of scrambling once inside the cave

In reply to DanMc:

I assume the scramble down is by the easy route up the side of the pinnacle (diff ?) Getting to the route won't happen near high tide and doing the route on a really hot day may not be brilliant as it gets remarkably greasy in the cave!

In reply to DanMc:

Please use a campsite there are plenty in the area. Wild camping will upset the land owners and give climber a bad name. All in turn doesn't help with access issues.
Thanks Marti access rep

In reply to DanMc:

It is a very busy and popular holiday destination and you are right on the tourist trail at Durlaston where Avernus is. Wild camping is not a good idea

In reply to Marti999:

Do you know what the status is of California farm for camping ?

I backed off Avernus last year.

I'd climbed it many, many times before over the last 30 years, but it was completely full of slime for 20 feet. Even put my hand onto a rotting dead bird. Not nice.

Does this often happen, and at certain times of year?

In reply to David Coley:

I've climbed it once but been into the cave on a few occasions, I suspect the best time for Avernus is after a really good storm because it does get pretty unpleasant in the cave at times!

Any idea what the route up the left hand side of the cave is like, I've looked at it a couple of times but common sense/unwilling seconds have got in the way of trying it?

In reply to DanMc:

Tom's old field is probably the nearest place to camp. There is a scramble down the pinnacle but not obvious to find if you haven't done it before so ab down Freda is advisable.

I don't know if it ever really dries out so I would just go for it and take a headtorch to find placements along the roof.

In reply to DanMc:

Thanks for all the advice guys! With the ab down, do you go past the main belay ledge to the rocks at the sea or does the traverse start from the main ledge?

We will be using campsites when we go. Did think this was the case but couldn't remember.


Dan Mc

In reply to DanMc:

How to put this gently? I think there might be a few seasoned Swanage climbers wondering how your going to get on on the route if getting there is such a challenge.

In reply to jimtitt:

How to put this gently? I think that everyone else was very helpfull with how to get to the climb as it is hard to work out from the guide book but you just felt like being a tw*t with your very unhelpfull post. It was defentely worthwile just ab-ing from the top of the diff rather than attempting the down climb. Thank you to all that helped out