UKC

Hi,

I'm off to Portland for a week on sat and am after some suggestions for good routes 7a-7bish

God knows whats going to happen with the weather but would be good to have some pointers!

Cheers in anticipation!

In reply to Graham Booth:

That's probably the best grade range on the isle!

I think the best i've done is Sweet Smell of Success (7b)

but all of these are brilliant also

Superfly Guy (7a)
England's Dreaming (7a+)
Victims of Fashion (7a+)
Troll Team Special (7a+)

In reply to Graham Booth:
I'll second England's Dreaming (7a+)
Also on the same crag is Wolfgang Forever (7a)
and Spanner Eyes (7b)

If you want to push hard, Zinc Oxide Mountain (7b+) is probably my favourite route on the island of any grade.
I did Useless Generation (7b) a couple of months ago and thought it was a little gem.
To Wish the Impossible (7a) is good, and I thought Psychosomatic Addict (7a+) right next to it was even better.
Portland Heights (7a) is a nice long one and very onsightable.
Twangy Pearl (7b) has so far eluded me but it's a great line.

At that grade there is so much to go for, if the conditions are calm I would try to get to Wallsend or Coastguard cliffs for some of the best climbing with the least crowds.

In reply to Dandan:

Cheers Guys, Englands Dreaming was defo on my list

Zinc oxide looks amazing, tricky?

In reply to Graham Booth:

Zinc's straightforward enough. Pumpy with a tricky move near the top. In my humble opinion, racing line (on the same wall) is better, the crux Boulder problem is superb.
I would avoid those climbs that involve a lot of flow stone as its gross in the summer.

In reply to mark_wellin:

The best routes tend to be down by the sea. Wait until early afternoon for them to dry out though.

Do Colors - a gift at 7b+ and really excellent (not sure if it's bird banned though - better check that out).

Also very good is Halfway to Heaven (7b), Realm of Chaos (not too bad for 7b+), Ariane V (7b) and Bad Moon Rising (7a). Although some of the flowstone features look impressive, I find they climb less well as they are often really slippery and polished.

In reply to mark_wellin:

Oh yeah don't touch Medusa Falls (7a), slimy flowstone horribleness.

In reply to Dandan:

Yeh don't really like flow stone so will avoid that!