UKC

Any good (reasonable) suggestions for well-protected, or well-protected cruxes, E2s or E3s in the UK?

In reply to GeorgT:

I aint done many, but Regent Street at Millstone is an amazing E2, the best I've done in the Peak so far, so if you're in the Peak get on it. Bomber wires all the way.

In reply to GeorgT:

There's a lot of classic and safe-as-houses e2s/e3s in the Welsh mountains.

Foil is classic and a decent tick at e3. It's got more gear than Charlie sheen on a night out. Left wall direct is excellent as well.

In reply to GeorgT:

Mountain routes/grit/North/South/Scotland/Wales/cracks/slabs/... etc etc?

In reply to GeorgT:

I don't do necky routes so all of these should be reasonable with a little care and a decent rack:

Deranged - Pembroke
German School Girl - Quarries
Bracken Clock - Pavey Ark
White Ghyll Eliminate - Langdale
Black Wall Eliminate - Almscliff
Preposterous Tales - Pembroke
Frost in the Shadows - Brimham
Timeless divide - Slipstones
Brightside - Froggatt
The Arch - Brimham
jk

In reply to GeorgT:
If your profile is correct and you are in Bristol, get some trips over to Pembroke south, so many quality well protected routes in that range. stuff like Brazen Buttress (E2 5b)Deep Space (E2 5b)First Blood (E2 5c)Deranged (E2 5b)Daydreams (E2 5b)

with the weather starting to get colder and shorter over the next month or so a trip up to the peak might be another good bet with classics such as: Regent Street (E2 5c)Billy Whizz (E2 5c)The Rasp (E2 5b)Quietus (E2 5c)Black Hawk Bastion (E3 5c)Five Finger Exercise (E2 5c)Fern Hill (E2 5c)

this tick-list has some other good suggestions of classics to go at (though not all are well protected obviously): http://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/set.php?id=764

ps I don't want to sound harsh but if your logbook is correct and you have only done a couple of E1s and a handful of HVS i suggest you try and get some more mileage at those grades before getting yourself into a situation you can't handle - you should easily be strong enough if you can climb 7a but E2/3 can get quite serious if you don't have a natural ability or practice at placing reliable gear. I'm sure you'll be fine and climb harder than I ever have!

In reply to GeorgT:


In the UK? Do you not need to be a little more specific about where you are likely to be travelling to if this is a serious query?

In reply to GeorgT:

Most e2s and e3s have plenty of gear, unless obviously bold. Gritstone e2 5b and e3 5c are often bold (potential groundfall often), but it's never a surprise if you have a guidebook handy.

With the grade, description plus ukc database comments, you shouldn't ever find yourself on a route screaming to your belayer "there's no f*cking gear"!

In reply to GeorgT:

N Wales:
Left wall
Foil
Resolution Direct
Quasar
Stroll On
The Strand
Quartz Icicle

Peak:
Five finger exercise
Fern hill
Regent St + most of the Millstone classics
Insanity
Soyuz
Queer Street
Billy Whizz
Brimstone
The rasp

Lundy
Quatermas
Destiny
Redspeed

Pembroke
Chimes of Freedom
Brazen Buttress

Cornwall
Xanadu
Mastodon
Bow Wall
Kafoozalem


There's a couple of sandbags in there but I think they're all pretty safe..

In reply to jkarran:

How can brightside be a safe E2? It's a 12m solo with the crux at 9metres.

In reply to jkarran:

I wouldn't have included Brightside on that list.

I'd go to millstone for safe E2/3 cracklines.

In reply to deacondeacon:
Are you sure you've got the right route? Bright side at Froggatt has good gear and is a safe route.

In reply to Martin Haworth:
You're right. I owe you an apology jk. I'm thinking of sundowner lol

In reply to GeorgT:

A suggestion for something a bit different but might fit your bill.

When I was breaking into this grade I personally found Blasphemy (E2 5c) to be the midpoint of all the E2 5c grit routes I did around then. The top feels exposed but plenty of gear can be thrown in just before the crux.

Unfortunately, Wimberry seems to have fallen out of vogue as an evening crag in recent years and so the routes are often now a little dirty from what I hear. I've not climbed there for quite a while but I ran past it earlier in the summer and it looked like it would benefit from traffic. It might have had that in the past couple of months?

Also up there Pinball Wizard (E1 5b) is now nominally E2. I'd disagree with that but if the crag isn't currently covered in deep pile greenery and micro ball bearings it might be a good warm up and is a quality route at whatever grade you consider it to be after having done it.

In reply to GeorgT:
Sandy Crack, Sandy Crag. As safe a route as any.
http://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/c.php?i=90817

In reply to GeorgT:

You don't have to go far! Off the top of my head, within striking distance of Bristol: Run for Home (Shorn Cliff), Zulu, The Don, Shaft (all at Wynd Cliff), And The Crowds Went Wild (Wyndcliffe Quarry), The Goblin King, The Israel Blues, Shagrat (all at Goblin Combe) .....

........ to name but a few. The Ivanator may well drop in directly to suggest a few dozen others

In reply to GeorgT:

Lazy Sunday Afternoon (E2 5b) at Fall Bay is a well protected one move wonder.
Mrs McGregor's Crack (E2 5c) at Dennis Grove has solid gear throughout
And if you're just after the tick, then Therapy (E2 5c) is (IIRC) almost completely protected by bolts after the first ten metres or so.

In reply to GeorgT:

Rain Shadow and Eczema at Shakemantle in the Symonds Yat guide. Both fully bolted but retaining E2,5c. But rather defeats the object somewhat IMO.

Al

In reply to James Oswald:
































Good list, I would delete Queer St though and add the following from Peak Lime:
Darius, Delicatessen, Absent Friends, and Adjudicator Wall if feeling strong.

Also if he goes to do Mastadon, Behemoth is also well protected.

And in N Wales, I would add The Weaver (better than Vector IMO.)

In reply to Si dH:


Agree. Would also delete Quietus (suggested by someone else above) for the time being.


Also agree. Much more pleasant climbing.

Mick

In reply to Mick Ward:

But lacking one feature of a classic IMO ; to find the line of least resistance through impressive scenery while remaining inescapable. I've done both and prefer Vector. It has the added bonus of providing more footage of climbing as well.

Al

In reply to Mick Ward:

The Weaver is great, but I still don't think it's as good as Vector! Definitely 3 stars, but not as impressive in my opinion. I also don't think it's 'well protected' compared to some of the other routes that have been listed.

In reply to GeorgT:

Safe. The ramp at Avon has a few good route e2 to 4 with great gear.

Swanage. Ocean boulevard. Can you get better protected e3s?

In reply to Jon Stewart:


I should add: and yet somehow it still happens...

In reply to GeorgT:

Seeing as you live in Bristol I'll recommend

All are Well or well-enough protected and great

N Devon
Crimptyphon
Out of the Blue
Sacre Couer
Chudleigh- combined ops and machete wall
New Horizon 2 - Avon
E2-3s at Split Rock
The don - Wyndcliff
Wintours has many

In reply to GeorgT:


Too many to mention!

In reply to GeorgT:

For a young HVS / E1 climber, aspiring to E2 and E3, I can't think of a less suitable climb than Preposterous Tales....

In reply to HappyTrundler:

I was thinking that! You want to be having fun on wet three dimensional rock in the dark to enjoy that - I did and it was brilliant. Winter climbers have no problems, but as a pushing the grade thing....errrr....no. Rescue out of there would be challenging, probably be found by the next team, whenever that was.

In reply to deacondeacon:


Not how I remember it at all, as I remember it there's a little runout with gear that would catch you for the cruxy wall bit but it's years since I did it, perhaps my memory is letting me down.
jk

In reply to philhilo:

Preposterous tales is more like old school v diff chimney, a little niche. Well, quite a large niche really..
There are more honest rock climbs in pembroke, and imo more enjoyable ones too. But each to their own, I suspect I'm in a minority for not enjoying it that much.

In reply to HappyTrundler:

We need to give this Law a name ie the unerring speed in which a suggestion on UKC diverges from the OP request.

In reply to Bulls Crack:

I didn't notice a divergence, someone suggests something others don't agree. Surely this is relevant?

Anyway, before this becomes a divergence..... buccaneer at swanage, e2, crux is well protected, rest is like other swanage outings.

In reply to HappyTrundler:


Yeah, fair point for the inexperienced. It's a bit of an adventure for sure and you're out of appealing options if you bottle it at the back of the cave but it's protected and never desperate at least in only moderately gopping conditions.
jk

In reply to Owen W-G:




Compass Point is shifting around at the moment after serious rock falls in the last couple of years. Looks from recent logs that it may have settled but do check for the latest.

http://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/c.php?i=2393

In reply to Kevster:

Plenty of folks don't like it - more than do I suspect. Is it an honest rock climb, not sure what that is but it is an adventure, with many non hold pulling considerations. I like multiple challenges, makes up for my lack of climbing ability!