UKC

To complement the "Orange Spot" (based on the Rockfax colour coding) lists I've previously compiled for Portland and Cheddar I've put together this list for the lower Wye Valley Crags (follows the same format as the Cheddar list: 20 Sport and 20 Trad routes).
http://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/set.php?id=519
Might compile a Swanage one too, watch this space.
Feel free to abuse my selections a bit of debate is always healthy - as I've not done every route on any of the lists I'm open to persuasion.
Something to keep us mid grade punters occupied anyway - perhaps I should stop writing lists and get on with ticking e numbers instead!
L:inks to Portland & Cheddar lists:
http://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/set.php?id=497
http://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/set.php?id=275

In reply to The Ivanator: I'm taking it my selections are beyond dispute then.
More likely there is universal boredom with my list obsession!

In reply to The Ivanator: Nice list, I shall tick them next year I think. (those that I haven't already).

In reply to puppythedog: Maybe we could tick a few together, I've done 21/40 so far ...but I guess our gaps are unlikely to coincide!

In reply to The Ivanator: OK, I've given Swanage the Orange Spot treatment too. List here:
http://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/set.php?id=521
I've gone for 20 Trad (hard to narrow down) 15 Sport (hard to identify many really impressive mid grade Sports lines) and 5 DWS to give a flavour of Swanage's other facet - these are mostly guesswork. Any alternative suggestions welcomed.

In reply to The Ivanator:

What sport grades does the orange spot band cover? I have to admit that I think that some of your sport choices are not really worthy of a 'best-of' list. New age, New stye? Really? It's a scrappy, boring little route. Having looked at what you have to choose from though, I'm not sure that Swanage sport is really at it's best until you get to the higher grades. Perhaps it would be a better reflection of the area to only include 10 sport routes and more trad routes?

In reply to The Ivanator:
I have climbed 38 of the list, this may be a clue as to how "orange spot" I think Donald is (after all the Conger trad grade is E1). The other is Zircon, I have a suspicion it is hard for orange as well.

In reply to Monk: I tend to agree and was hoping for some feedback on the Sport, I've done most of the Trad lines, but only a few of the Sport and DWS. Trad is certainly the best mid grade climbing at Swanage - I originally was loosely trying to follow the format of the Wye and Cheddar lists with half Sport and half Trad, this worked well for Cheddar, OK for Wye, but isn't a good fit for the best of Swanage.
I did trawl guidebooks for stars and UKC/Rockfax for user feedback and selected the mid grade Sports lines that appeared to have the best feedback, but it is a pretty shallow pool to select from.
If people want to suggest additional Trad routes and/or Sports routes to leave off the list. Perhaps a final format of 30 Trad, 5 Sport and 5 DWS would be more appropriate.

In reply to scott titt: I had an inkling that the Conger might be closer to Orange Spot than Donald - may have to rethink that one, one or two of the other more friendly DWS selections I was looking at are not in the UKC database, would welcome suggestions for a tweak.

In reply to Monk: In answer to your question the Sports band is F5 - F6a+.

In reply to The Ivanator:


I've just looked at my logbook, and of the lower grade routes I've done at Swanage I think I would remove Moves for the Masses, New Age New style, Mackerel and All Fall Down - none of them are anything to write home about.

I'd leave Ammonitemare (but only because it might be the best lower grade route at Hedbury, rather than because it is actually very good), Date with a Frog, and Stone Mason.

I've not done several of the others at Dancing Ledge, so it is possible that the others are better than Date with a Frog. I've not climbed much at Winspit, so I can't comment on most of these routes, but Stone Mason was definitely a good route. I have to admit that at Hedbury, I've always liked Goddam Sexual Tryanosaurus, but think that is mostly due to the name.

In reply to Monk: I've done Moves 4tM and quite enjoyed it, thought it was one of the more solid selections. Suspect you are right about New Age, NS. Mackerel is OK, I enjoyed it more on repeat, but may not be worthy of the list ...Birthday Treat (despite it's lack of official stars) is by some distance the best 5 at Swanage IMO.
Date with a Frog has quite good moves but is polished which detracts from the pleasure.

In reply to The Ivanator:

Perhaps I am a bit down on it as I held a massive inverted fall that ended up with me (the belayer) sat on the floor, eye-to-eye with my climbing partner - he'd gone too high under the roof and fell as he was moving left. Thinking about it more, the moves are quite satisfying. I guess the major issue is that none of the easier Swanage sport routes are actually that memorable in the grand scheme of things, and the stars accurately reflect that.


Fair enough. It's been a few years since I last did it. I suspect that one of the other 6a/+ routes on that piece of wall might be as good/better.

In reply to The Ivanator: I've opened a seperate thread to discuss the Swanage list as some who might have valuable contributions may be thrown by the Lower Wye title. New Thread here:
http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=530102&new=7125367#x7125367