UKC

Restricted Access

The south side of the gorge is privately owned by Cheddar Caves & Gorge and forms part of the Longleat Estate. It is not Open Access land under the CRoW Act (2000), unlike the National Trust owned land on the north side of the Gorge. Cheddar is unique in the fact that many of the crags are directly above a busy road which forms part of a major tourist attraction in the area. Unlike many crags, where a dropped piece of gear or rock is unlikely to have any impact on a member of the public, in Cheddar it has far greater potential to injure a visitor or damage a car. 

Because of this, for climbing on the south side the year is split into three seasons according to the number of visitors to the gorge.  During the busiest periods, all crags on the south side are closed, during the moderately busy periods only the restored routes (which have been cleared of loose rock as far as possible) on the south side are open, and during quiet periods all routes are open. These seasons are based on school and public holidays so change slightly every year.

Anyone climbing on the south side of Cheddar Gorge must carry civil liability cover of at least £10 million. This comes as standard with BMC or MCofS membership or can be organised separately. BMC/MCofS membership cards or details of your individual policy must be carried as proof of cover whilst climbing on the south side of the Gorge and the climbing warden and CC&G staff carry out frequent checks. Civil liability is also recommended for anyone climbing on the north side of the Gorge, but is not a requirement.

The BMC Cheddar Gorge Access Map has full details of which areas can be accessed during which periods. This should be considered required reading for any climber visiting the Gorge, regardless of which side or area you plan to climb on. A trial for 2019 allows additional access to some areas so check the map before you visit as new year round access is available on three crags, but climbers need to demonstrate an ability to follow the agreed restirctions to make this a permenant lifting of restrictions.

The latest guide to the Gorge - 'Cheddar Gorge Climbs' (M. Crocker, 2015) – has a definitive list of restored routes on the south side as well as routes on the north side. It is available from The Gorge Outdoors shop in Cheddar village, as well as other climbing and outdoor shops in the area.

The latest guide to the Gorge - 'Cheddar Gorge Climbs' (M. Crocker, 2015) – has a definitive list of restored routes on the south side as well as routes on the north side. It is available from The Gorge Outdoors shop in Cheddar village, as well as other climbing and outdoor shops in the area.

It has been reported that there is some confusion or misunderstanding of the use of the terms "restored" and "unrestored" routes in relation to access.  Restored routes are trad routes that were cleaned and equiped with lower off bolts, and sport routes that were  bolted or rebolted and equipped.  This work was carried out as part of the Cheddar Gorge Climbing project between 2003 - 2005.  All these routes are described in the current guide book  - Cheddar Gorge Climbs by Martin Crocker.  The access agreement for 2019 only includes routes found in this guide.  Some restored routes in the guide remain as winter only routes. This includes most of the multi pitch routes in the gorge. Full details are in the guide.  The climbs on the South side listed in previous guide books and not found in the current  book, including the previous CC guides are winter access only - 1st October -- 15th March.

Annual loose rock removal carried out by the landowners has nothing to do with access changes for climbers and has no bearing on on the climbing access agreements.  It is carried out entirely in the interest of safety for visitors to the gorge.

Seasonal Restrictions

Dates: 16 March to 30 September

Reason: Public Safety

Due to the proximity of Cheddar's cliffs to the road and tourists below, there are complex access restritions which vary depending on the time of year and section of cliff on the south side of the Gorge. These restrictions are fully detailed in the BMC's Cheddar Gorge Access Map, including the 2019 trial of an extension to year round access for certain crags.

Please ensure you follow the access agreements detailed on the map to ensure that future access is able to continue. It is imperative that climbers self police otherwise access permission may be withdrawn by the landowner Cheddar Caves & Gorge.

100m, 7 pitches. As described in the MCrocker guide this is restricted and is a Winter Route, (WW) only permitted from Oct 1st through to 15th March, so is out of bounds at all other times!

Diverse and mostly amenable climbing on a direct line that ascends the full height of the Pinnacle Bay. The climb is well bolted throughout. It is possible to abseil from rim to floor – 70m rope required (note: first abseil is exactly 35m so be careful). Shoot Gully is the scramble descent recommended in the guidebook: while it is okay at first it quickly becomes treacherous - very loose and slippery and there are two notices warning people of trees that might give way. Trying to scramble down could easily be fatal. There are some good trees to ab from, and a 60m rope gets you down in two abseils, or three if you want to go all the way to the rock catch fence.
(1) 20m. F6a+
Ascend an initial easy slab then make a stiff pull diagonally leftwards through the bulge. Follow the easy corner above to a good ledge and belay at a double ring abseil station on wider ledge just above. Eight bolt runners.
(2) 20m. F6b+
Climb the elegant technical groove before continuing more easily up rightwards on large holds to a semi-hanging stance at a three bolt abseil station (with two rings). Seven bolt runners.
(3) 7m. -
Pull up onto the slope above and scramble up to a tree belay (with a belay bolt just above)
(4) 16m. F6b.
Move up onto a raised ledge (peg runner) then step up and swing around onto the left side of the arête. Follow the arête to a pleasant mid-height resting ledge. Clip a high bolt runner on the right before continuing up the left side of the arête and finishing leftwards to a ledge and double ring abseil station in a short corner. Seven bolt runners.
(5) 7m. –
Make a final move up the short corner to gain a narrow ledge above, then step across to the right and scramble carefully up the grass slope to reach the walkway and bolt belays on the left of a clean corner. One bolt runner.
(6) 30m. F6a. Surmount an initial bulge to gain a slight groove and continue straight up on the wall on continually surprising holds to reach a slight upper groove. At the top of this step across to the right on a wide ledge and finish up an awkward scoop to a hanging stance at a double ring abseil station. Thirteen bolt runners.
(7) Pull over onto the summit and walk up the slope to belay in the welcome sunshine at a convenient tree.

FA: (Pitches 1-5) Gordon A Jenkin, Yvonne Jones 14th January 2007. FA: (Pitch 6) Gordon A Jenkin, Martin J Crocker (both led), Yvonne Jones 3rd February 2007.

Ticklists

Cheddar Intermediate , The Longest Sport Routes in the UK , Cheddar Road To 7a Ruins , The Cheddar Nose , 3 Star sport climbs below 7b within a 25 mile radius of Bristol , All multi-pitch sport routes (England and Wales) , 6Bs with stars near Bristol

Feedback

User Date Notes
Kris suriyo 3 Mar, 2022 Show βeta
βeta: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjCX3T7wPaQ
Show beta
βeta: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjCX3T7wPaQ
12Holds 27 Feb, 2022 Show βeta
βeta: Great route. Nearly went up a wrong line of bolts at the start. To save time you could avoid the two bolt belays before the little scrambles. Didn't find them too scary and would have avoided extra change overs. Do so at your own risk though. Take radios as traffic noise makes coms qute hard, but not impossible. For desent, walk away from the cliff top to the well trodden path. Left to the top of gorge, right to Cheddar.
βeta?
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βeta: Great route. Nearly went up a wrong line of bolts at the start. To save time you could avoid the two bolt belays before the little scrambles. Didn't find them too scary and would have avoided extra change overs. Do so at your own risk though. Take radios as traffic noise makes coms qute hard, but not impossible. For desent, walk away from the cliff top to the well trodden path. Left to the top of gorge, right to Cheddar.
Adam Psyched 25 Jan, 2022 Show βeta
βeta: Got a bit lost at the top...go right, not straight up into the bush
βeta?
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βeta: Got a bit lost at the top...go right, not straight up into the bush
tovilgreg 7 Nov, 2021 Show βeta
βeta: Lovely technical climbing
βeta?
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βeta: Lovely technical climbing
jw_climb1 30 Dec, 2019 Show βeta
βeta: A foothold broke near the top and showered down rocks near my belayer. Be careful on the last pitch near the belay
βeta?
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βeta: A foothold broke near the top and showered down rocks near my belayer. Be careful on the last pitch near the belay
Hal Mungbean 27 Oct, 2019 Show βeta
βeta: The belay for P3 includes one bolt and a very corroded peg we avoided. Potential gear placements (wires?) to back-up.
βeta?
Show beta
βeta: The belay for P3 includes one bolt and a very corroded peg we avoided. Potential gear placements (wires?) to back-up.

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