UKC

The CC have just published a stand-alone booklet guide to Fairy Cave Quarry, which is a bit of a new departure, and I was curious about how to estimate the popularity of the place.

Anyway, I was having a look at the UKC stats, and it made interesting reading (at least it did for a sad individual like me). Rob's Crack appears to be the most climbed VS in the whole area - 474 ascents. Compare with these other popular VS routes: Questor (Wynd Cliff) 277, Elrond (Goblin Combe) 203, Gronk (Avon) 357, Butterfly (Fly Wall) 273, Nibelheim (Wintour's N Wall) 291.

Very few routes outdo or come near to Rob's crack: Zelda (HS) 491, Central Rib Route 1 (VD) 462, Morpheus (VD) 444. Shorncliff routes do well: at HVS Bitter Battle Tears 412, Laughing Cavaliers 574; at HS ...One for All 522.

In reply to bpmclimb:

Interesting and surprising. Rob's Crack is good ... and pretty low in the grade imo so I guess it makes a lot of people happy ... and only put up in 1993 I have just found out - so even more surprising when compared to routes like Piton Route.

I'd also include Giant's Cave Buttress, Gondolin, Freedom and Scavenger (although a bit outside our region). The Russian was VS when I first did it also!

In reply to bpmclimb:

The only 3 star VSs in the Avon/Cheddar and Lower Wye Valley guides are

Avon
- Piton Route (298)
- Giant's Cave Buttress (300)
Wyndcliffe
- Cadillac (167)
- Questor (278)
Wintour's Leap
- Freedom (233)
- The Angel's Girdle (57!)
Fairy Cave Quarry
- Rob's Crack (474)

The most frequently climbed one is surely going to be a single pitch, which rules out The Angel's Girdle and the Avon gorge routes, and explains why Shorn Cliff does well in your list. The Wyndcliffe routes and Freedom are hard and polished, which leaves Rob's Crack!

I guess there's not many areas where the most popular sub-extreme route is an HVS. But most stuff up to HS is rubbish round here (is Zelda really the third most popular route around?!), and none of the VS's quite have the quality of Laughing Cavaliers.

In reply to bpmclimb: Golden Fleece at Symonds Yat has a massive 693 ticks at S/HS.

In reply to bpmclimb:

But is it really 3 stars?

Of national significance?

In reply to Formerly Known as Pylon King: If the same pitch was set in a scenic Lakeland Fell I reckon it would be raved about, it is a quality route in an ugly hole!

In reply to Formerly Known as Pylon King:

I confess that familiarity has dulled my sense of perspective - I can no longer tell. But FWIW one experienced and well-known climber recently suggested 4 stars!

In reply to all:

Other FCQ routes seem to do pretty well: Balch's Slide (HS) 291, Ash Tree Wall (VS) 111, Caveman (VS) 144, Jiggery Pokery (VS) 124.

In reply to The Ivanator:

Fair enough - good job it's gone on the front of the mini guide!!

In reply to bpmclimb:

Maybe the way to interpret the stats is the sort of person who likes fairy cave is more likely to fill in a UKC log book ?

In reply to bpmclimb:

Giants Cave Buttress must surely be the best VS in or near Bristol. Really quality route.

Gronk doesn't even come close.

In reply to bpmclimb:

What it really means is that it is the most climbed VS by climbers on UKC who bother to fill in their UKC logbook....how many climbers are on UKC, and how many climbers on UKC fill in a logbook? I am and I don't....I bet less than 10% of all climbers would complete a UKC logbook, probably less than 5%...so what does that say?

All the routes you mention 'outdo' Rob's Crack, it's more of a 'quarry classic', it's not that great, there's an argument that it should lose a star just because of location, in some scruffy quarry, compared to the magnificent views and setting at Wintours or Wyndcliff...

In reply to bpmclimb:

I'm sure that the reason for so many ascents on Robs Crack is due to the route being disproportately better than anything else at the quarry. No other routes at the grade warrant more than a star.

In reply to HappyTrundler:

I meant "outdo" purely in terms of logged ascents here on UKC; didn't mean to suggest anything else.

In reply to GrahamD:

Well that's possible, but is there anything concrete to back up that theory? Perhaps people who like Fly Wall are the most likely to fill in a UKC logbook. Who knows?

In reply to bpmclimb: It is a shame that the photo used on the front of the booklet doesn't do Rob's Crack justice - couldn't the girl find something to tie her hair back with (or put a helmet on)?

In reply to TraceyR:


We tried, but there's just too much hair. Any tie/scrunchy just pings off. A helmet just balances on top, then falls off.

Not a problem I have, I hasten to add

In reply to TraceyR:

I don't get that at all! I think it's a pretty good photo, can't imagine Rob's Crack looking much better, what's her hair got to do with it?! I think she looks good...

In reply to bpmclimb:


None, of course - just worth remembering that there is a whole climbing world out there that doesn't use UKC or Logbooks (I don't have a logbook - seems too train spottery to me )

In reply to TraceyR:

A very odd comment indeed.

Although i think the photo could be better, i think it captures Rob's crack and FCQ climbing pretty well.
What on earth has her hair got to do with it?

In reply to Kemics:

Giants cave is pretty good but I don't think its possible to top Unknown Wall.

In reply to Quarryboy:

Mourning Glory, but perhaps its overgrown since the 70s!

In reply to rogerwebb:

My dad did that in the 1970's but I refuse to go near it in its current state.

In reply to Quarryboy:

Its a shame if its grown in even more. I remember an adventure involving a belay in a tree and some nettle clearance with a big hex. 6 pitches of epic fun. Could be a rose tinted view though. Thoroughly agree with you about Unknown Wall.