UKC

Hi All,

Living on the South Coast, I am keen to embrace any opportunity to climb anything that a) is more interesting than the local(ish) Sandstone and less than a 4 hour drive away.

With that in mind, I have been looking at what some have been doing around the Saltdean/Newhaven area on the chalk. This also has the added benefit of getting more practice in with the ice tools (an improvement of 2 days a year!).

Before I did however, I just wanted to ask a couple of questions:

a) Does anyone still do it?
b) have any routes been climbed/bolted recently (if so where?)?
c) Where are the best places to practice getting used to the technique without risking damage to the fragile/bolted routes (I have ice climbed but appreciate that chipped ice comes back and ruined stone does not)?

Any help gratefully received.

Cheers,

Ian.

In reply to Ian84:
There loads of great traverses west of the Smugglers Rest (low tide only). Theres some nice bolted routes east of Smugglers on the less tidal side. They're easier and less scary. Theres placements marked out to follow.

The west side bolted routes are steeper and scarier I've found #onlyforthebrave
I'd be keen for some leading down there over easter maybe! I'm based in Guildford now so don't get down enough. People climb on Sunday mornings quite a lot around 7/ 8 am.

The chalks amazing, abit scary for most plastic Brighton climbers though... :-/

Get some mono points if you go traversing tho.

In reply to andy33:
Thanks for that.

I live about 20 minutes away so let me know if you're ever planning to come down.

In reply to Ian84:

Hi Ian, I'm always around and down there, live in Seaford, give me a shout if you want to meet, Il happily show you the spots etc.

In reply to Ian84:

This will give you a starting point:

http://www.climbers-club.co.uk/downloads/chalk.pdf

If the topo does not look right, it's because it's fallen down!

In reply to esoteric:

Thanks for that.

Considering Sat/Sun if you're about at all?

In reply to Ian84:

I used to do quite a lot there, 7 or 8 years ago. Great fun, if a slightly bizarre vibe - unusual mixture of relaxed cragging and seriousness. If you're struggling to find people, let me know and I'll put you in touch with some folk.