UKC

Heading to Croyde this bank holiday and in amongst camping, surfing and other activities, was hoping to get in a route or two.

As we are holidaying with some non-climbing friends + kids, just wondering if having a picnic somewhere at the top of the promontory is safe enough for the young-uns. Four of them aged 1-6 that will have parental supervision, whilst the missus lowers me in to do a couple of climbs on top-rope + vice versa.

So yeah, is there a nice flat spot up there, or nearby, perhaps a bench even? doesn't look too bad from the pics in the west country rockfax, but one of the friends kids is a right tear-away and pretty much needs 1-1 supervision, probably 2-1 if right near a cliff edge.

Cheers.

Oh, and are there stakes at the top or what is the set-up?

In reply to Derry:

bump

In reply to Derry:

From what I recall, there isn't much space at the top of the routes and, if busy, it's even worse. There isn't much to stop you falling off the top, but, as you'll have ropes, you can put the kids on belay

There's much more room further back from the edge, where they can run about a bit.

Further round the coast path, there's a wooden look-out tower - maybe arrange to meet there?

I'm sure those with better memories/more recent experience can advise better.

In reply to Derry:
There's a large* and fairly flat area on the top of the Promontory - no bench that I can recall, though. Whether I'd want to have a bunch of young children running around up there for a couple of hours is a different matter!

It's not a venue I'd recommend for top roping though - there are some stakes towards the landwards side (for Sexilegs?) - but for quite a few of the routes the only belay option is to run the ropes over the ridge and to wedge yourself into one of the grassy hollows on the other side.

*Compared to the Long Rock. Not big enough to have a football match on, but big enough.

In reply to Derry:

I would say not a good place for picnicking with young kids especially as there are two excellent beaches on each side of the Point. There are some stakes above the main slab on the Promontory but many more above the Left-Hand slab (Ben, Marion etc.) and many parties top rope but the belay ledges are getting quite eroded so care is needed.

If you all want to go out and have a picnic then probably best to take the upper path just beyond a pond. This does lead to open and reasonably level heath well above the crags.

In reply to Iain Peters:

Thanks Iain, very good advice

In reply to Derry:

Whenry could have possibly got the Prom and Long Rock swapped over; there's history in the guide book that these two were once swapped in name which caused Coastgaurds a headache in emergencies!
There are stakes in the right places above the Promontory (the first bit near Croyde) and you could have fun on anything from Freddie to Straight and Narrow. Long Rock has a committing access - ab / safety rope needed to get to the ab rope.
Watch the tide times too... as the left will give wet feet (and there are waves due) and the right will need a long rope.

As for space... not above the cliff... but the VERY top of the hill, either path will do, there's plenty of room but I'd go with Iain and go for Croyde - NT cheap car park, sand, rocks, pools and ice cream and the climbs are a 20 minute walk away. Vodafone coverage is variable from the cliff top so agreed times is best.

I can also put you in touch with someone to belay and climb?... also on holiday?!

In reply to Derry:

Worth pointing out several routes/crags will be bird banned at the moment. See for details

http://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crag.php?id=38

Cheers

In reply to David Staples:

http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=614828

Apparently lifted from the 1st May this year and is climbable ...and then I read somewhere on UKC that they're not bird banning this cliff anymore. I'll check that and come back to post here.