UKC

Hi, I have been looking to try find info on ghyll scrambling and canyoning in the UK, basically I love scrambling, climbing and also love watersports so....scrambling up streams and rivers is the perfect thing for me. Basically I have found very little info, I found places where people do it but not much info on the routes. I know scrambling books have some ghyll scrambles in them but they explain it as if you are staying out of the water as much as possible.

two years ago I went canyoning in the Pyrenees and over there they had guidebooks which had routes in detail, where to jump, abseil, not to jump, things to watch out for etc.

I just don't think it's sensible to go out there and start getting in deep/fast water with no knowledge of it first.

I don't really want to be paying for guides each time I want to go, is there courses that are just for people to learn the basics?

Anyone glued up on this subject out there?????

In reply to mc2006:

I'm not too sure how much is on offer for canyoning in the UK. Given whats on other geographically in the UK it seems to be more coasteering (someone please tell me otherwise though).

From my experience of canyoning, if you were wanting to do it unguided, the main skill you need is a great working knowledge of the knots involved in the rope work, the suicide knot springs to mind as this is one of the knots I remember our guide using when I went, as well as confident adseiling and possible rock rigging, altough, again, from my own experience, on popular routes certain amounts of fixed gear is in place for your to ab off.

Personally I would look at doing the activity in countries with greater mountain ranges, such as the alps.

When I went it was in Bovec in Slovenia, it was really good fun. The route we did is shown in the link below (not my footage):

youtube.com/watch?v=SDiqqhZyfa4&

Highly recommend it!

In reply to chrismcd:

Thanks for the reply, yes I know there is alot more further afield but Id like to think I can do routes a bit closer to home as I can't afford to shoot off abroad to do it.

It's mainly the water side of things i'm not too sure on (where top jump, what hazards to look out for etc)
the rigging and abseiling will be fine.

In reply to mc2006:

Could try some gulley scrambles in the pouring rain? When I've done this it reminded me of canyoning a bit haha.

I have just found this online:

http://www.ghyllscrambling.co.uk/canyoning

But to be honest it doesn't look overly exciting though!

In reply to chrismcd:

Thank you I will into it, but I do agree nothing in the UK look as exciting as the canyons in the Alps, Pyrenees etc.

In reply to mc2006:

I know of a couple, and would like to know of a few more if anyone knows any?

Hell gill in the north dales is great, if short. Approx an hour with 1 small jump/ pitch in the middle and a bit of swimming. You could just go in a wetsuit and you'll be ok if it's not too rainy.

I know another near meantwrogg (not sure of spelling) in north Wales. About 3 pitches at the top (2 are slopes) and then a good 7m jump about 500m beyond which you can climb round and repeat to your hearts content. It's all bolted, again wetsuit needed and I'd take 2 x 50m ropes so that you can rig ahead.

Also there is one in the lakes near Keswick with 4 small pitches and a toboggan. Good fun with a footpath right next to it so you can check it out in advance. Stoneythaite gill I think?

Have seen bolts on cautley spout too but not tried it yet.

Hope that helps.

Would love to know of any others, great for a rest/wet day

In reply to RM199:

Cheers for them mate, will look into them!

In reply to RM199:

Cheers for the suggestions, I will also get these looked into!

In reply to mc2006:
I've done plenty of gorge and stream scrambling in north Wales. Never really got into canyoning though. All being well there will be a gorge scrambling guidebook out next year. In the meantime, searching the forums here will bring up some past discussions on routes.

For the Lake District, the Cicerone scrambling guides cover plenty of routes.

In reply to Mike Peacock:

Problem is though Mike that in the Cicerone scrambling books they are scrambling to the side of the water and trying to keep as dry as poss with the odd wade through shallow water.
I am wanting to be going direct through the water climbing up and jumping in etc so they don't really help.

I will look out for this gorge scrambling book next year then.

In reply to mc2006:

Fair enough. Afraid mine might disappoint as it will focus more on scrambling and less on taking a swimming/jumping route.

It seems that a lot of the knowledge is passed down through staff at outdoor centres, and very little gets written down or passed on to the general public. It may be that you have to do the exploring yourself.

Over the years I've discovered routes by looking over maps, then using the Geograph website to look at photos of potentially interesting gorges.

In Wales there are some I know get descended. One is the Afon Prysor at Maentwrog. There's also the Afon Trystion on the west side of the Berwyns. Quite a few in south Wales but I don't know any details there. Probably loads of really epic ones in the heart of mid Wales too.

In reply to mc2006:

We have a bit of info on our site: http://www.mountain-journeys.co.uk/gorge-scrambles-of-the-lake-district.htm...
There'll be more info in the blog too if you care to have a look.

Might be worth a look on here too for training courses: http://www.outdoorsafety.co.uk

In reply to Mike Peacock:

Cheers Mike and I think your right about the knowledge been kept within the outdoor centres.

In reply to Mark Eddy:

Cheers Mark I will have a read of them now.

In reply to mc2006:
If you can climb extraordinarily traditional VDiff (i.e. VS) in the wet and love suffering you could always do Great Gully (S) in the rain... :P albeit there isn't even a stream as such at the bottom, just wetness (maybe there is when it was wetter, I had the good luck to do it when it was merely quite damp!).

Just look at the comments:
"Without doubt the worst route I have ever done." - Gibbo
"A waste of a time." - carl_123
"Jeezus." - Harri777
"wet shit hole!" - The Green Giant
"Horribly wet, suffering from mild hypothermia. Left cursing Thomson & Ken Wilson..." - Alex Thompson
"Amazonian adventure! 3.5 hours in flippers" - wilkie14c (don't quite understand this one?)
"Dirty, moss filled, water fall full of dead animals. Absoluelty superb yehaa" - A Crook

I'm sure there are other similar horrors around the country

In reply to andrewmcleod:

that provided some great entertainment...! here's my favourite:

I very rarely give up on a route but this one was so unpleasant I turned back after the 4th pitch. I squelched through copious amounts of veg, put my foot in the hidden carcass of a dead sheep, climbed the odd bit of slimy rock then decided that was enough. It might have been better with a partner although I'm not sure black humour could have improved this 'climb'. Is this a classic? A classic of what? Character building? It's just a revolting gully that would normally be avoided but someone called it a classic and put it in a guide book.

you don't get that at stanage...