UKC

Well, amed with the new South Devon guide and its helpful photos of the boulders, I finally made the effort to visit Bovey Woods 26 years after starting to climb in Torbaydos.

I could see the potential.  But it was very green, dirty and unhelpfully damp. The top outs looked horrendous (Waller Slab was one thick green carpet hiding holds, especially the right hand end).

It didn't help that having driven down from Extropolis, I arrived at the boulders to find that I'd brought two right 5.10 pinks from my shoe box and no left...

And that was after failing to read the clear access description for Berracleave in my eagerness and, instead of taking the first left just past the gate, shooting along the big wide path to hit the bridleway the other side - which confused me for a moment...

Are there good times of the year when it's better and cleaner?  Or is it very conditions dependent (and if so what are the best types of day to go)?  Or do I just need to filth up?

Despite not being able to climb, I used my time wisely for 'orientation' purposes for future visits.

Definitely wait until the leaves are off the trees, and it's cooler and drier.  I'd imagine it was like a jungle in there today.  A cool winter day, and it's a great place to climb.  A lot of the good problems are spread out and take some finding, but that adds to it's charms I think.  Definitely worth spending a rainy day walking round finding all the areas and problems you'd like to try without lugging a pad with you.  Lovely walk.

Thanks Ged.

I was wondering whether less leaves and cover would help.

Thankfully, the good problems at my lowly grade are less spread out - though it still took a while to find the quickest routes to and between them. 

I'll go armed with the English grades next time too because those font things are even more confusing than those V things to an old trad bumbly like me.