UKC

Hi, I have recently got my first trad rack and am planning on going to the roaches in the next few weeks, I've been shown how to make top rope anchors, so was planning on setting an top anchor up on some routes where there are lots of oppurtunities for gear placement, so me and my partner can practice placing while having an anchor we know is safe. I mostly climb indoors so if anyone could suggest some nice routes at the roaches which I can look up in the guidebook that would be great
Thanks in advance to anyone who gets back to me

In reply to michael90cr:

Welcome to real climbing

Given that you're looking to practice placement on top rope then I'd suggest you go go to Windgather where many people do just that. The routes are short so the two of you can communicate easily and it's a friendly crag i.e. not too daunting for your first trip. Gear placement for anchors can be a little tricky in places but there's plenty to have a go at.

If you're set on the Roaches then avoid the upper and lower tiers as they can get busy and the routes are quite long. Personally I think your best bet for the Roaches is to head to Skyline buttresses like condor and kestrel. You'll be away from the crowds so you can hog a route for practice without annoying anyone and there's plenty to have a go at.

Hope you have a great day.

In reply to michael90cr:

Yes, the alpha area of the skyline should give a little privacy so you feel you can go at your own pace; routes like alpha, sennapod crack, breakfast corner are short pleasant enough climbs, with plenty of gear and good anchors at the top.

Prow corner on the lower tier is great for that as well, good gear placements all the way up, but as advised above, the area is usually busy. Still, might not be any harm to have someone around if you want to ask anything.

You'll love it!

In reply to michael90cr:

There's a little cluster of routes just behind and to the right of the Don Whillans Memorial Hut at the Roaches which would probably be perfect for you:

Prow Corner (VD)
Prow Corner Twin Cracks (HVD 4a)
Prow Cracks (VD)
Captain Lethargy (HVD)

Very short, easy, pleasant, lots of good gear placements, possible to build obviously bombproof anchors at the top, and right next to an easy descent/ascent so you can nip up and down quickly.

(And if you're staying in the hut, you can nip back in for a cup of tea afterwards.)

Yong (conveniently next to the steps) also seems to get recommended for beginners a lot:

Yong (HVD 4a)

In reply to GargoyleFeet:

That was a helpful post, and I respect the fact that you took the time to put together some useful information for the OP, but that one little remark is just terrible, and emblematic of everything that is wrong with British climbing.
Trad is great, and it's my preferred style too, but to suggest that anything else isn't 'real' is sheer stupidity. In most other countries in the world, the ability to shuffle up a succession of ledges, placing gear every two metres, is generally considered to constitute the absolute nadir of climbing, the antithesis of a pursuit which is supposed to be both exhilarating and athletic. The OP says that they are predominantly an indoor climber, in which case they may well have done some outdoor sport and bouldering and so enjoyed climbing in nature just as much as you and any other hex-wielding bumbly, albeit in a slightly different fashion, but even if their forays into the outdoors have been quite limited, they are still just as much a 'real' climber as you - so long as they've been enjoying themselves moving on rock or plastic, most likely with their mates.
Denigrating indoor climbing isn't cool, it reeks of an antiquated mindset which trumps heritage and past glories over getting out and getting shit done, regardless of the style. So, to the OP: Try some trad, I hope you enjoy it! If you don't, don't worry; not everyone likes it, and if you find that you still prefer indoor climbing/sport/bouldering/literally anything, that doesn't make your experiences any more or less valid than anyone else's.

Edit: Oh, and I'd second slab_happy's recommendations, with the caveat that those routes follow cracks, and so will feel hard if you're not used to jamming. You could also consider routes like Maud's Garden and Heather Slab on the Upper Tier, which involve lots of slopers and smeary feet (good for getting used to grit technique).

In reply to Valkyrie1968:

Did you seriously take the time to write that response? Having a bad day? It was a tongue in cheek remark, hence the smiley. If you had checked my profile you'd have seen that I climb indoors, trad, sport and boulder - love them all.

Chill out.

In reply
Good old internet - always someone on hand to pounce upon any lighthearted casual remark

In reply to michael90cr:

Thanks for everyone for all the suggestions after all the suggestions, I've noted them all down and will have a go at a few of them, talked to an experienced ctrad climber at my local centre and they also suggested Windgather, so I'll probably go over there and then have a go at so of the ones round the roaches. Now just got to get out there!

In reply to Valkyrie1968:

Maud''s garden start and particularly Heather Slab are VERY bold.

In reply to Landy_Dom:

I'd second the suggestion to go to Windgather first, it's a good place to acquire confidence before heading to the Roaches where climbing is generally bolder and more er... special. If you have to start there, go for the few routes that have relatively narrow vertical cracks to help you protect (and large hexes might be useful). Alternatively Ramshaw might be a possibility, there are a few very safe and enjoyable routes (Boomerang springs to mind) that feel a lot less like a struggle to me, and it's quieter.

In reply to michael90cr:
Considered these?

http://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/set.php?id=84

However, I'm not sure htat the Roaches is an ideal place for a beginner who has mostly climbed indoors.
As well as the pressure of trying to place pro, the style of climbing at the Roaches is exactly the kind of climbing that totally baffles (and possibly puts off) people who have climbed indoors. Gritstone is about friction, including jamming, and many 'holds' won't be in anyway obvious if you're used to 'grabbing' things. There are gritstone Severes that indoor 6b climbers can't do, or really struggle and claim they're 'sandbags', where the issue is really that the style is different.

Jerry Moffat has written how, when he was climbing some of the hardest limestone routes in the world, he couldn't climb a HVS crack, so it's not an uncommon problem, or one to be ashamed of, it just takes a learning curve!

However, I think you'd do better forgetting the top rope, and doing these at Harborough Rocks
http://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/set.php?id=113

Harborough is a low and easy limestone crag. Limestone tends to be about edges, which probably translates better from indoor climbing. The learning curve on the style of climbing will be lower, and consequently you can think about pro more. I suppose I should add that as limestone isn't as 'high friction' as grit, some of the pro won't be as 'bomber', but as you'll be leading well below your [assumed] technical grade that'll be fine.

Then, go try these:
http://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/set.php?id=50
Which is a nice easy gritstone crag, you'll find the pro easier to place than on limestone, but with a bit more of a challenge working out some of those gritstone moves.

And then go to the Roaches and do easy routes.

It'll put your head in a much better place in the long run, I think.

In reply to slab_happy:

Although they're slabby, they do tend towards jamming to really get the official grade. Indoor climbers on a first go on grit might find them a little harder. However, iirc, they all have good pro- and yes good top ropes.

In reply to Ander:

Good point -- I'm not trying to sandbag anyone! I don't recall Prow Cracks requiring any much/any jamming, but the others all have at least a bit.

Mind you, I suspect they're also pretty good routes to get some easy jamming practice on, especially on a top-rope.

But it's definitely worth knowing in advance that it's something that takes a bit of learning, and that you won't have had a chance to learn indoors, so you don't get disheartened.


My memory is that as an indoor climber having a first go on grit, I found everything hard. *g*

In reply to Valkyrie1968:


I'm sure there are people in all over the world that look down their noses at low-grade trad climbing (I presume that's what you're referring to), but I wouldn't necessarily say that's a common attitude.

In reply to 1poundSOCKS:


I love low grade trad climbing....

In reply to Landy_Dom:


What do you count as low grade, non E grades?

In reply to springfall2008:


I don't climb E grades. I can lead VS-HVS depending on route and rock type but I also enjoy V Diffs too. Even (shock horror!) The odd mod when taking friends out...

In reply to Landy_Dom:


I can only manage low grade trad!

In reply to Landy_Dom:


Nor do I, just wondering as "low grade" is subjective...

In reply to springfall2008:

Indeed it is. Lower than what? To me, low grade means severe or below, to others it might mean VS. To others it might mean low E numbers because anything below E isn't worth bothering with? Each to their own mate. Get out there and enjoy yourself!