UKC

A simple post really. That there must be many climbs that have really fantastic climbing on them but are infrequently climbed so what and where are they?

I'll start off this post with my recommendation...

The Daisy Chain

https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/clogwyn_yr_eryr_crafnant-2604/the_...

This is a tremendous climb in a stunning exposed position that traverses across many E3/E4 climbs at a relatively modest E2, and low in the grade at that in 6 pitches. If it were not located in some rarely visited valley it would be an instant classic. Am I the only one that has climbed this magnificent route?

Photo:  © Mark Reeves

In reply to Sean Kelly:

https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/cadair_idris_-_penygadair-13781/pe...

I'm sure pancakeandchips will be along any moment, to sing the praises of this Cadair Idris gem!

In reply to Myfyr Tomos:

Ha you got here before me! But I was actually going to suggest Doom (VS 4c).

In reply to Sean Kelly:

Cordelia (HVS 5a) and thank you so much for allowing me the opportunity to once again  promote this (very) hidden gem. 

I've decided that my UKC target for the year is to give this route a mention at least once a week, even if it involves derailing the odd thread.

Other than that, Pulpit Ridge (HVS 4c). One of Arthur B's absolute finest  .

In reply to Sean Kelly:

Scenic Cruise (HVS 5a)

In reply to pancakeandchips:

I"ve actually done both of these!

Pencoed pillar handy for the gardeners amongst you..

In reply to Sean Kelly:

Pretty much everything on Carreg Fran Isaf.

In reply to Sean Kelly:

I remember doing this with Phil Blain in the 80s.  I think it was HVS in the Snowdon East guidebook!

Gobeithio is excellent as well, as is Phoenix.

In reply to Sean Kelly:

Dungeon Hill

In reply to Sean Kelly:

Pannanich Wall (E2 5b)

As good as anything in the Pass of Ballater. Long neglected because it was minging but now getting more attention after a massive clean up by Jules Lines.

In reply to Sean Kelly:

Blundecral (E4 5c)

I thought this was a tremendous, character filled route on a big, hairy arsed cliff.

Not sure why it says E4? There's an E5 variant but the original is E3.

In reply to Sean Kelly:

In a similar vein to Doom how aboutAardvark (HVS 5a)

In reply to Sean Kelly:

Anything in Guernsey. There's plenty of 3 star routes that see less than one ascent a decade, often not more, purely due to a lack of local climbers, especially operating in the higher grades. Even the island's most classic classic (Floating Rib VS 4c) gets less than one ascent a year on average. 

In reply to Sean Kelly:

Cwm Cowarch has always been a backwater but is a wonderful place to climb. The 1990 Paul Williams guide included a couple of three star routes that have fallen out of favour - Dream Racer (E2) first pitch would need some digging and I see that Strobe (E3) was cleaned in 2022. Both are very much “out there” routes and well worth doing. As an aside, I see that Lubyanka and The Skull only got two stars in that guide!

In reply to Rupert Woods:

And even more of a backwater than Cywarch is nearby (as the crow flies) Gist Ddu. To Aardvark, mentioned above, you could add https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/gist_ddu-2857/voie_suisse-105962

In reply to Sean Kelly:

Loads of lesser trod classic out there. I think there used to be a UKC tick list of not logged 3* routes in the UK but i can't find it any more.

I think Underneath the Arches (E2 5c) & Chimnastics (E1 5b) were on the list the later has a few ticks now.

I expect most routes in this thread will have common characteristics with at least one if not many of the following applying to them that stops them being regularly ticked compared to the honeypot routes:

- complicated approach/abseils

- long walk in

- outline area to visit

- bird banned for a large part of the summer season

- slow drying / condition dependant

- Dirty/vegetated (not helped by lack of traffic)

- lack of good action shots or write up in a guide

- Not in a current guide or guide out of print

In reply to Graeme Hammond:

There's this:

https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/ticklists/unticked_e1-e5_-1166

In reply to DaveHK:

Yes that one. Search skills fail today

In reply to Sean Kelly:

Winthrop Young's Climb, Clogwyn-pen-Llechan V Diff.

I climbed this in September 1962

In my diary I described it as "extremely pleasant climb and well  worth visiting" The crux pitch 3 was "slightly overhanging to start" "from a grassy ledge up a rib on the outside of a flake - tiny foothold for the left foot  very  useful - by using this and poor handholds move up until the right leg can be cocked over a knob, and then there is a good jug high on the right - good holds lead to a flake. on top of this balance up into a standing position to reach good holds and follow to the top" We  did this route in big Army boots with vibram soles.

I've never been back and doubt if I could find it now!

In reply to DaveHK:

Can concur. We did it last week on our rest day from the Scottish 6 Days and it was absolutely brilliant! Steep, pushy and extremely memorable!

In reply to climbingpixie:

Which one?

In reply to DaveHK:

Pannanich Wall. We also did Pangolin and Flush With Pride, which were excellent as well. All much better than they looked from the ground and the mossy starts didn't detract from the quality of the climbing.

In reply to Sean Kelly:

Another climb that is often missed is this little gem at the finish of Gashed Crag on Tryfan. Well worth the effort and unusual climbing at that...

https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/tryfan-491/bubbly_wall-50664

Gashed Crag has well over 1,300 logs but Bubbly Wall just over 100 ticks. Folks are missing out on a wonderful climax to this classic route on Tryfan.

In reply to Sean Kelly:

How about Missing Link (VS 4b) - it's a real adventure with 9 pitches of seacliff climbing. I’d thoroughly recommend it as worth 3*s (dreadfully short changed with only one in the guide!) and bears comparison with Dream of White Horses as a long seacliff traverse featuring VS climbing in HVS situations.

https://rockaroundtheworld.co.uk/2023/06/15/missing-link-st-davids-head-pem...

Cheers, Dom 

In reply to Myfyr Tomos:

Ha, Ha, Myfyr. If I want to go gardening,  I'll throw away my nuts & cams and bring my fork & spade!

In reply to Sean Kelly:

Strange that Bubbly Wall has so few ticks because, if my memory is correct, it’s almost straight in front of you at the back of a grassy terrace at the top of Gashed Crag, and instantly tempting. On the 3 or 4 times I’ve done GC I’ve done it as the natural finish. It’s such lovely rock: how can you walk past it?

In reply to Sean Kelly:

This oneBramble Buttress (VD)

In reply to pancakeandchips:

Ha, I was about to suggest Doom! 

In reply to climber34neil:

Really? It's had over 1000 ascents! Doesn't really qualify as "lesser trod".

In reply to Sean Kelly:

Once had a great day on Pillar climbing Ximenes (HVS 5b) followed by Gaul (HVS 5a) neither of which have many logged ascents. Granted, the Western Lakes are fairly remote, and cycling through Ennerdale Forest carrying a full rack and ropes followed by a steep slog up the hillside is probably anathema to the modern rock jock, but the rock quality and the climbing is well worth the effort. Pillar is just a really impressive place full stop.

In reply to Sean Kelly:

Appreciate this is being picky but when you say classic, do you mean a route which somehow has classic status, or a route which is great? These are not the same thing, though clearly a route can be both classic and great. Some classics aren’t that good and lots of great routes aren’t generally considered classic.

There will be plenty of great routes which don’t get done often for the various reasons listed by Graeme.

I suspect that routes which are considered classics will have had a reasonable number of ascents over the years. There will be classics that have fallen out of favour over the last 20 years though. 

In reply to danm:

Walking in from Wasdale and having a three route day on Pillar is a pretty special experience.  I've managed it two or three times and they rank among my best days in the hills.

In reply to Misha:

I wondered about this. Perhaps routes which were originally classics and undeservedly fell out of favour at some point? Must be plenty of those even though the brain isn't coming up with examples.

In reply to Sean Kelly:

Maybe hidden gem then

In reply to Sean Kelly:

A friend of mine probably did 982 of those

In reply to Misha:

What I mean Misha is a very good climb that somehow for a whole variety of reason  has few ascents. So my 2 examples, Daisy Chain & Bubbly Wall are good climbs but rarely trod. It's easy to pick off the 3* routes that feature in many lists and books, but just perhaps there is something out there that's really worth doing, either making the effort to get there or prospecting less popular crags. Lethog is another example

In reply to Sean Kelly:

Although it's fully on the radar for American climbers and gets plenty of ascents, British climbers don't seem to have figured this one out. Prob the best 5.11 in Red Rocks, (although the first pitch is maybe closer to 12a).
https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/pine_creek_canyon-3468/drifting-35...

https://www.mountainproject.com/route/106062966/drifting

In reply to redjerry:

It’s a 5* route - great location, great variety, sustained interest, and just long enough to feel meaty…. My ascent was almost hijacked by a team ahead of us taking a 35 foot whipper… but luckily he was relatively unharmed…

In reply to Sean Kelly:

Some years ago I started a ticklist called Rog Wilko’s neglected gems in the Lakes. Neglected was defined as having 13 or less ascents logged. A few of these are no longer neglected, but almost half of them still meet the neglected criterion. By far the best of the list in terms of quality and degree of neglect is this one, with 3 ascents logged:

Cheekwooly (S)

One of the best crags for neglected gems is Gimmer. There is a link on my profile page to a destination guide entitled ”Gimmer Crag - Less Travelled Routes”. Several of these have logged ascents in single figures.

In reply to Rog Wilko:

There’s a brilliant VDiff on Gimmer called Main Wall Route which I’ve done a couple of times and thought was worth at least two stars. If it was in a more prominent position and didn’t have the main crag looming over it the climbing might warrant 3 stars. 

The only person I’ve met who’d even heard of it let alone done it was the late Simon4 who’d soloed it and encouraged me to check it out as I had a beginner in tow. 

In reply to 65:

428 logs so hardly 'lesser trod'! Looks good though for a VD!

In reply to Sean Kelly:

I climbed this on the weekend: Wilderness Grit (E3 6a) which probably fits the bill perfectly, a brilliant climb but quite out of the way and prone to being a bit grubby (allthough its clean(ish) now so get on it folks!) 

Also very much second DaveHK's suggestion of  Dungeon Hill Incy Wincy Spider (E2 5b) was great, as was  Craignaw, but possible both were the longest walkins I have done for single pitch cragging.

In reply to 65:

Agree it’s a good route. But it’s called Main Wall Climb.

In reply to Rog Wilko:

Ha, so obscure I got the name wrong!

In reply to Sean Kelly:

I'm going to nominate Eve's Drop (VD) at  Brean Down (Fort Crags). Ok, it is probably the most popular route at the crag, but given that the crag description on UKC is "Makes the Gower look good", it probably deserves more attention.

Recommended on an incoming tide for the full experience.

In reply to gooberman-hill:

That looks excellent value for a VD. Thanks for posting.

In reply to 65:

Main Wall was one of the first routes I did in the Lake District, on a school climbing trip. My physics teacher led it. When I got to the first belay he’d belayed round a small spike that appeared to be embedded in earth. I felt it and it wobbled. “Is this okay? Seems loose.” “It’s fine, solid as a rock.” Well, I thought, he’s my physics teacher, it must be okay”  I’m not so trusting now. 
But it does stick in my mind as a really nice route too. 

In reply to Sean Kelly:

Thought of another good one for anyone wanting a 3 star classic away from the crowds in the Lakes this weekend (and who doesn't mind a walk in)

Painted Lady (E3 5c)

In reply to 65:

That was the first route I ever did. First day climbing -  multi pitch on a mountain crag!

Doubt it happens much nowadays. 

I just did what I was told🙂. Club meet over 50 yrs ago. I'm still in it!

In reply to Sean Kelly:

Possibly ‘Rock Steady’ E3 5c. On Llechau Mawr. One of the best in the Rhinogau (Meirionnydd) and a three star classic. I’ve done it several times and never seen any other parties up there. Worth the walk and away from the crowds.

In reply to Darron:

My first ever multi pitch wasBlack and White Traverse (HVD). Logbooks show no ascents since 2013 and two stars is a fair consensus, plus a couple of good photos  from Simon C.

Definitely worth a look for the adventurous.

In reply to Tom Valentine:

Over a couple of summers on Wednesdays, in the mid/late 70s I climbed in the Chew Valley on a weekly basis. Much more out of the way than the Eastern Peak  and a few neglected gems. There must be over 20+ venues if you seek them all out. It was never busy  apart from Den Lane. Great days. And a lovely outlook from most of the crags!

In reply to gooberman-hill:

Some good pictures on the Eve’s Drop page. I was looking at the first one, thinking, “Blimey, that looks a bit stiff for V Diff,” then saw the sloping horizon. The second picture makes it look much more possible at the grade.

In reply to Tom Valentine:

I think last logged 12 years ago makes it neglected, for sure.

In reply to Sean Kelly:

A lot of Chew Valley routes would fit the bill. Probably the best grit routes anywhere when in condition (much less frequently than most of the Eastern Edges), but always intimidating and I always seem to find an excuse not to go more often!

In reply to Philip Gibson: Indeed! I'm up there pretty much every week and I've only seen one team up there - may well have been you. 😂 If Llechau Mawr was in the Pass, there'd be a queue for Rock Steady.

Indeed! I'm up there

In reply to Philip Gibson:

I walked a under this last Sunday on my first vist to the Rhinogs. I had sort of crossed it off my list as from the description it sounded quite bold and relied on some questionable fixed gear and I am too lazy to abb down, clean and check the peg/thread (and I like onsighting things).

Is the fixed gear OK? How dirty does it get?

In reply to Sean Kelly:

Lots of examples in the lower grades too.

Red Slab on A' Mhaighdean, mindblowing positions for a Diff, and amazing rock. Unfrequented due to being high on a remote hill.

The Great Pretender (Diff) on the Uig sea cliffs in Lewis. Climbs a hugely striking feature in a dramatic spot. Remoteness of the area (though only a short walk in), and not in a guidebook till fairly recently. Most ascents were probably due to mistaking it for Sunset Rib (mine was).

Lumps (VD) on Caisteal a' Gharbh Choire in the Cuillin. Holds that just make you grin. So good I did it again straight away. The late Ewan Lyons (Captain Solo), who knew a thing or two about obscure routes, once nominated it as the best route he'd done that nobody would have heard of.

Narnia Arete on Rum (Mod). A ruler-straight knife edge of knobbly pegmatite. Numbers limited by a bird ban in Spring, midges later, and just being on Rum.

In reply to Myfyr Tomos:

Hi Myfor. It’s sometime since I was up there around 2006-8 (from my diary). I also did Dead Sea Scrolls E4 on the ‘Upper Bank’ which was also very memorable and quite poky but excellent slab climbing (as Rock Steady). It’s not logged on the Rockfax database but is in the 2002 CC Meirionnydd definitive guide. I started to discover a lot of these ‘hidden gems’ as a result of working on this guide and producing most of the drawings which were originally reproduced from the earlier Mid Wales guide from an invitation to illustrate this from the late John ‘Fritz’ Sumner. He became a friend and climbing partner and this ignited my interest in the area. It’s a fantastic area which I am often reminded of by your inspiring photography.

In reply to ebdon:

Hi Ebdon. I’ve just checked my diary and it was between 2006 - 8 since I was up there and the slab was probably a lot cleaner then. As I remember there were a few smaller wires I got in lower down before the ‘crux’ overlap and maybe a friend too. You can stand around a lot too. I hope that ‘beta’ helps but as you say it’s always more rewarding to on sight. There’s also another climb on the Upper Bank which I did called Dead Sea Scrolls E4 but is quite poky but good quality. Again might be a bit vegetated due to lack of traffic. It’s a wonderful place.

phil

In reply to Trangia:

I climbed that route in the late 50s aged about 10  with my grandfather, The Admiral of Devil's Slide fame, his brother Great Uncle Pat and the inimitable Kevin Fitzgerald who despite his obvious lack of any climbing aptitude kept the party in fits of laughte with anecdote after anecdote, all of them involving his own incompetence, with many above the head of a slightly overawed small boy. It remains in my memory as a definite candidate for Sean's list!