UKC

Hi all, GF & I are planning a three week van tour of UK,some bikepacking and climbing. Would like to know your tips for must-visit sport crags (best with most climbs around f6a-c),but also easier trad short and multipitch. I only know the grit,and welsh slate. Malham cove looks great but too hard i gather. what is to find e.g. in scotland?perhaps seastacks/seacliffs climbs?

any guidebooks to recommend?

many thanks for any tips (also welcome are bikepacking routes tips)

In reply to Paternoster:

Here some starters for Scotland trad: 

https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/old_man_of_stoer-300/original_rout...

https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/beinn_trilleachan_etive_slabs-535

https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/buachaille_etive_mor-387

https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/destinations/reiff-2050

https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/shelterstone_crag_moray-32/the_nee...

https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/lochnagar-24/eagle_ridge_summer-55...

https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/ben_nevis-16877/tower_ridge-563

https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/beinn_eighe-774/central_buttress__...

https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/diabaig-773

https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/creag_dubh_newtonmore-37 (some great climbing but often less protection)

There is also a lot of must do routes on Skye

In reply to Paternoster:

In England you could have a cracking trip doing sport on Portland and the trad in the SW. Check out stuff like:

https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/bosigran-199

https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/sennen-198

https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/gurnards_head-197

https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/lower_sharpnose_point-691#maps

https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/the_dewerstone-206#maps

In reply to Paternoster:

The one stop guide to long easy multipitch trad in the UK is Mountain Rock, https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/books/mountain_rock-2223

In reply to Paternoster:

Northumberland is a must:

• Bowden Doors /  Back Bowden Doors
• Kyloe Crag (Kyloe Out)
• Simonside North Face
• Crag Lough /  Peel Crag (for deviants)

In reply to tehmarks:

Simonside and Crag Lough in a list of top must visit crags in the whole of the UK>???!!!

In reply to GDes:

Simonside is a brilliant place, and it would be bordering on criminal if the OP were to drive past the county on the way to Scotland and not stop off at some of the best sandstone in the entire country. Simonside is one of the best lumps of sandstone for the low-grade leader anywhere in Northumberland, though I may be a bit biased as my first lead was there.

I've always considered Crag Lough an impressive place for reasons other than the climbing. The outlook is remote and beautiful, and the climbing is different and interesting. Would I drive from St. Just to visit? No, but I'd definitely recommend it to someone who was already driving past.

The fixation on 'the best' climbing is the reason why so many perfectly nice crags are overgrown and perfectly good routes are buried while the relative handful of *** classics are trashed beyond recognition. Climbing is an adventurous sport, and I think Crag Lough is a great place to have an adventure.

In reply to Paternoster: Starting point is what do you normally climb on , and do you want something different or a bit the same?

In reply to GDes:

Definitely. Great climbing in beautiful surroundings. (and plenty of easier trad as the OP requests). 

In reply to Paternoster:

Diabeg.

In reply to Paternoster:

Just get the Rockfax app, much cheaper (and lighter) than buying multiple guidebooks for different areas. There are some gaps, notably in Scotland, but plenty to keep you occupied.

In reply to GDes:

Depending on how resilient the OP's ego is, he could swap Simonside for Ravensheugh Crag seeing as they're so close...

In reply to CurlyStevo:

If you're recommending a trip to Skye in the summer to someone from abroad, it's at least polite to mention midges!

In reply to Paternoster:

Where are you planning on bikepacking? That could have an impact on where would be good to go climbing. So for example lots of good off road possibilities for bikepacking in the Peak District, and then loads of climbing both trad and sport, although trad on gritstone is probably what most visitors come from. But if you want to do one of the big bikepacks up in the Scottish highlands, then obviously some of the great climbing up there up there is more relevant to recommend.

In reply to Paternoster:

"Lots of easy trad" - cue someone recommending going to Northumberland. I quit trad for about 6 months after visiting Northumberland.

In reply to Paternoster:

Thanks for all the wonderful suggestions, the past few days I looked at the possibilities and they are simply endless. Definitely will be buying the Rockfax app. There is absolutely no plan yet, we want to do some 4-5 days bikepacking loops and climb in between, probably moving south to north.

In reply to Paternoster:

I'd recommend Arran for a visit. https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/cir_mhor-13421

you could report back on the amount of abb-tat that's kicking about on Sou'wester Slabs (it's one of the very best VD grade routes in the UK)