UKC

Hi Guys,

Myself and the GF are planning on doing some sport climbing in January for a week somewhere in the UK.

Has anyone got any tips on the best spots if its wet or has been wet?

Thanks,

Felix

Mainland Europe.

Costa Blanca.

I would have thought Portland is a reasonable bet. Generally there is not too much seepage, quick drying and crags facing most directions. So as long it is not raining, you should find something dry and out the wind. Even so, you will be very lucky to get a solid week of climbing in.

Phew! Kirriemuir sport is a suntrap if dry, all grades, and sheltered. Stunning scenery and hillwalking if wet. Dunkeld is another very bonny area (nice town, nice pubs) with hard sport climbing, often dry when it rains nearby.

Or go somewhere with lots of indoor walls if not into hillwalking. Biased, but Edinburgh has:

Alien Rock

Alien Bloc

EICA Ratho

Eden

CSE Wall (Edinburgh Uni at The Pleasance)

Foresters Wall, Tranent (no-one's heard of it!)

Edinburgh Academy wall (open to public one eve a week if they can find the keys, lovely wee wall tho)

I think it's always good fun going to "someone else's wall" if youre off your home patch. 

Cheers all, I'm enjoying  the idea of Edinburgh. Great shout!

We don't live far from  Portland so want to go somewhere new

Thanks

Felix

The Peak might make more sense than Edinburgh, it is surrounded by decent walls and there is also the chance you might actually get some outdoor climbing done,

Chris

Seriously, go to Spain or southern France. It'll be a far better investment of time! 

The OP specifically said in the UK. It's bad enough so many people decide to take unnecessary flights themselves; actively encouraging others to do so is a bit much, don't you think?

I'm not sure unnecessary is quite the right word when it comes to sport climbing in January. 

Brean

Unnecessary is exactly the right word - as you must know. You may really want to do it, be used to doing it, and selfishly decide to ignore the pressing reasons not to do it, but that's a different matter.

I haven't flown at all this year, haven't flown for climbing in four and one of the big incentives for my move to Germany was close proximity to world-class climbing. I sold my diesel van and replaced it with a second hand petrol car, commute to work by bike and am in the process of organising an offset to cover the impact of my diet and remaining car journeys through tree planting schemes (I understand this is an imperfect solution but it's certainly better than nothing).

I also never mentioned flying myself. Since OP says Portland is close let's assume for the sake of argument they live in Bristol. If so inclined they could take public transport to  Seynes in around 12hrs journey time and enjoy some winter sun and splendid tufa. They could also drive in around the same time which is obviously not as low-impact as trains but considering they've been recommended locations in the Highlands which would be an 8.5hr drive from their location, I think it's fair enough to say that it might be worthwhile to go the extra 3.5hrs to the south of France and avoid spending a week at a wet, freezing crag in the middle of British winter in favour of actually getting some climbing done.

I appreciate you've got good intentions behind the message but it's good to remember that not everybody is a rabid polluter intent on flying to faraway destinations at all costs. 

If the carbon footprint is calculated per pitch of outdoor climbing completed then going abroad is the only option. 

Dividing by zero tends towards the infinite. 

Edinburgh would be good choice in April but definitely not January.

Err ... an OP asks for UK destinations and you go out of your way to suggest Europe instead. That's all a reader had to go on. It's good to hear that you're not blasé about these things: it certainly didn't sound that way until your latest post.

Aye, because he's asking about January! It's like someone asking which Scottish ski resort is best in August. 

Actually when I put it like that, they might have a shot. 

Point is that for most people time is a huge investment and somewhere with stable, dry weather is likely a better bet. For what it's worth, I envy the man that can enjoy a day at Dunkeld in Jan!

I understand that only too well. Until recently I took a February climbing trip to Spain just about every year. Trouble is, I can't square it with my conscience any longer, given the situation. Giving it up hurts, definitely!

Train must be an option, surely? South of France is already far enough and you'll get a few really cold days where you can suffer properly and feel bad about yourself

Sirhowy isn't too bad in the wet

Ban-y-gor is good if it was dry and has started raining (lots of overhang/tree cover)

In reply to 

This place is f ing brilliant. 

One thread giving recommendations of where to climb in the wet, another ranting about climbers daring to climb wet rock. 

UKC you make my head spin, keep it up!