UKC

I'm in Bristol next weekend with my girlfriend, and we are planning on going for a bouldering session.

From their websites, bloc climbing and TCA bouldering look to have the most bouldering, but does anyone have a recommendation as to which we should choose? The only requirement we have is that there are a decent number of beginner routes for my girlfriend.

We have a car, so getting to either should be straightforward.

In reply to DiscoBoy:
They are both good, and will both have more than enough to go at for one session. I find Bloc a bit easier to get to but it's pretty marginal.

In reply to DiscoBoy:

they are both very good. For a one off visit one of the main differences won't matter to you (Bloc reset by panel, TCA by graded circuit). My vote would probably be for TCA as they have a bit more variety of wall angle and the wall is not so high. Hard-core boulderers might appreciate higher walls but personally I find Bloc too high off the deck and they have a habit of putting rock-overs on minging feet as a final move too! Horses for courses I guess.

In reply to DiscoBoy:

If you are a newbie then I'd choose TCA as the height of Bloc can be a bit scary. For the more experienced they are both really good but personally I'd prefer Bloc.

In reply to DiscoBoy:

I generally prefer TCA but in this situation Bloc may be better as I think it caters more for beginners (as in, it's mainly vertical/slabby) but if you're girlfriend likes steeper stuff then TCA has lots of that at all grades. As mentioned, it's not as high as Bloc.

In reply to DiscoBoy:

The setting is really poor at bloc. Problems with high insecure moves at the top with the prospect of hitting holds on the way down. I used to use it but not any more. TCA is much better and they have a moon board if you are into that sort of thing.

In reply to DiscoBoy:

Im a bloc man myself. I find the setting more interesting (can't say I've noticed it being particularly dangerous in the 2 years I was going there.) As others have said it is higher than tca.

In reply to remus:

I went to Bloc once. It was a weekday lunchtime and there was a group of young mums having coffee while there toddlers pretty much had the run of the place. There was also a couple who looked like they climbed a fair bit. They had their baby with them in a car seat. They'd move it from route-to-route with them as they went along.

I doubt there insurance covers that sort of setup.

In reply to Xavierpercy:

Yeah this is a good point. I do find the setting quite odd at Bloc, several times I've encountered what you mention - horrible semi-dynamic moves on tiny feet with the prospect of getting castrated by a friendly green jug on the way down if you fluff it.

Strangely I hadn't really questioned it until I read your post...

In reply to alexm198:

I think you've all missed the most important factor which is who plays the worst music. And that's both of them.
Best music at Redpoint.

In reply to alexm198:

I have to say that I very selective of the problems that I try at Bloc, after still struggling with the after effects of spraining an ankle, when my foot slipped off a thin crap hold and landed on a pair of massive blocks underneath it. Flipping me on to my head.

In reply to DiscoBoy:

Thanks for the input, all. We'll be going to TCA, I think. The slightly lower walls at TCA, and tales of sketchy last moves at bloc have definitely sealed it; my girlfriend is 14 months in to a serious ankle injury from falling when bouldering, so TCA certainly sounds better.

TCA also has the benefit of being the first place I ever bouldered, so there is that as well!