UKC

Hello there!

After a really bad talus fracture (amongst other things) 7 months ago, and with the prospect of another 5 before I can even start put weight on it, I'm getting a bit bored. And fat. And weak. So I've started attempting to climb again. Unfortunately my choice of venues is rather limited, so can anyone recommend some suitable crags and routes? These are my criteria:

• Short (< 30mins for an able bodied person), relatively flat approach as it takes me twice as long to get there on crutches. The odd bit of scrambling/bumshuffling is ok.
• Fairly steep routes up to about E3, ideally with positive holds - I don't mind the odd slab but I do enough hopping as it is tbh and I'd prefer to get seriously pumped in the arms.
• No traversing - don't want to risk damaging my self anymore by falling off!
• Easy to rig a top rope
• No gritstone (time spent rigging:climbing ratio not so good)
• No grassy death slopes above big drops - exhilarating as long falls may be, I'd rather not do it again.
• Bonus points if there are some easy routes (below VS) nearby for my girlfriend to lead, especially if I can get to the bottom of them to belay her.

Sadly 7 months of inactivity and a broken shoulder means I'm no where near fit enough for Kilnsey. So far I've been to Flimston Bay (fun, but a bit too slabby really) and St. Govans (absolutely perfect and exactly the sort of thing I'm after). 

Thanks!

Below the Ramp at Avon Gorge is perfect - 5min approach and a brace of 30m routes in the E1 to E3 range. Top rope off the rock fall fence posts above. Lou would neee to scramble up the Ramp to rig it though as the Ramp itself is not suitable for hopping unless you’re Johnny Dawes!

Bits of Swanage might work but not sure about top roping off stakes with the death choss typically above the cliffs there.

Willersley is a 5 min walk and there’s a path to get round the top to rig a rope.

Horseshoe and Halldale if you clip stick up.

Raven Tor - ditto but no easy stuff of course.

Many years ago I had a bad tibiotalar fracture and was on crutches for months but did my first routes whilst still in plaster and on crutches though I was weight bearing by then, so I know what you're going through.

One venue which springs to mind is the Red Wall at Trowbarrow. It's a 5 min walk in (normally) and mostly flat. The crag overhangs and has quite a few E2 and E3's and is frequently toproped from the trees above. There's also some absolutely classic VS's on the other side of the quarry for your girlfriend to lead.

Good luck with the recovery.

Can you cycle yet? There are a lot of crags where a bike approach helps cut the walk in down.

How about boats?

You can borrow my i walk 2 peg leg thingy if you must get out, see my photos.

You can walk almost as far as on good legs.

I never tried it climbing as I was on a weight bearing cast after a few weeks. A plastic boot shell fitted perfectly, great for small edges but a walk to go ice climbing was aborted as a bit too adventurous/painful.

If you can abseil then sea cliffs are your answer.

Not to sound like the PC police, because I’m usually not, but the genuinely disabled really dislike the ugly term cripple. As I learned from the disabled man I work with. Just a friendly heads up!

Seems a bit rich to imply that someone who cannot walk is not genuinely disabled. I'd let the original post self describe how he wants.

If i have a sun tan it doesnt mean im black. Sure i have more melanin but its temporary. Same for an injury (i have an injured back at the moment and it is dreadful) no matter how unpleasant... it doesnt mean you're disabled. 

Although getting radically off topic. I agree with Misha. Avon would be good. Another good crag nearby is split rock quarry. Loads of steep really juggy routes with easy access and trees at the top for belays. All starts about e2 so not much for the girlfriend (and a bit of a drive from sheffield)

I'm confused. When I spent months in a wheelchair was I disabled? If I knew I was going to get better did that invalidate my experiences.

Do I have the right to comment on the accessibility of air travel and navigating international imigration and arrivals when unable to walk? Or due to regaining my ability to walk do I loose that right.

Due to self inflicted injury I've spent a tenth of my life unable to walk probably. That's a higher percentage than someone who spends the last ten years of their life incapacitated. Are they also a fraud?

Am I not black enough for you?

Well, judging only by the name you use...

T.

Only a high percentage if they live past 100  

I guess my point is sports injury doesn't equate with being disabled. Although it could. Disabled is a legal and protected term (afaik) ... we have lots of equality and diversity training at work. I think you have to be "disabled" for a year or substantial period of time. I guess as the other poster was pointing out "cripple" is a slightly distasteful term. I think people within a group can use language normally used to insult them. I.e I have a colleague who is gay, when I asked him if he has a girlfriend he replied "oh no. I'm a bender". Its fine for him to say that, not for me. Similarly if someone has a tan they cant call someone "my nigga" etc. and same with the OP. Yeah he has a injury but he probably should't use the term cripple (although I'm sure it was entirely unconscious and not meant with any malice) 

I guess I would use the litmus test of the pub. If you were on crutches for some months following a sports injury and met someone in a wheel chair in the pub. You probably wouldn't use the term "cripple" in conversation because part of you would know that's probably not okay. And if it's not okay in the pub, it's not okay online  

It's the same with midget, negro, spastic, paki etc etc there are words which have a history of abuse associated with specific people and if they don't like people using those words. Then it's no skin off my nose to adjust my language. 

(also I dont mean to conflate the OPs experience with your own. And no disrespect. If you spent several years in a wheel chair then yes absolutely it would be reasonable to consider yourself disabled) 

Sorry, I didn’t mean to open a can of worms here. This is pretty much my thoughts exactly, but I also had no intention of a direct dig at the OP. More just a general dislike of the word cripple. Sorry to the OP if I caused any offence. 

I think I know what you mean. I referred to going on a cripples day out when I was incapacitated. I might have been reticent about using that language with a lifelong sufferer.

Getting back on topic - the Cuttings at Portland for sport. Variety of grades from 5s to 7s. A 10 min walk but pretty flat and on a decent track. 

Cheddar has lots of crags that are roadside, mostly sport but there's trad too, with easy to hard grades, a bit polished on the easier grades as could be expected, and anyone you climb with can lead and rig the top rope off the rings for you. I live half hr away if ever you fancy it. Weekends can be noisy with traffic, bikers and cars with stupid noisey pipes, but weekdays are quite nice. 

I’m not sure if it’s pc to refer to walks as “pretty flat”, I’m sure the inoffensive term is “gradientless” , got to be careful to be perambulatory inclusive  or Cambridgeshire paths might get offended.