UKC

So, obviously it's in the south east so it isn't exactly going to be great. but I might have to spend a few months there for work.

Walls nearby? I'm guessing either Guildford (Craggy) or perhaps heading back into London? Craggy 2, if I've found it right, isn't too far away on the train? Is getting back into London for stuff like the biscuit factory feasible?

Outside? Google maps looks like its under an hour to Stone Farm and about an hour to Harrisons. Is that fantasy fairyland if you were leaving work at 6 say to expect to get a couple of hours of bouldering in, or is it more like 2 hours in typical evening traffic?

And which of the sandstone outcrops are best for bouldering on the west side of the area - is stone farm say any good for bouldering say V4-7 range? I have spent a bit of time further east at Harrison's mainly, but usually roped rather than bouldering.

In reply to AJM:

In my current state of brain addle, I couldn't work out what "dorking" was. I was about to give it a try too.

In reply to Ava Adore:

I suppose I never actually said, did I

Anyway, Dorking just SW of London.

If you find out what else dorking is, and it proves useful as climbing training, then let me know!

In reply to AJM:

No, no, there was no need to say. For the vast majority of the population it would have have been completely clear. Today I am a dumbass.

In reply to AJM:
I'm not sure about climbing outdoors or public transport options but I used to boulder at Craggy2 and can recommend it, it has a very good mix and tons to go at to keep anybody busy. In fact the only reason I stopped going was that White Spider opened recently. WS is a ropes/boulder centre just recently opened in Tolworth (near Kingston basically) and so much closer for me. Again plenty of indoors stuff to go at.

I cant help on the outdoors stuff, I'd love a go but only took up bouldering at the start of this year so havent managed to get outdoors in the UK yet, only a week outdoors in Font.

In reply to ti_pin_man:

You'll find it much 'arder in the UK. Although Burbage South is easier. As is Robin Hood's Stride.

In reply to Ava Adore: maybe next year in the summer, happy to keep trying to get better indoors over the winter

In reply to AJM:

in the summer you will be able to do some outdoors in the evening if you have a car. craggy 2 could be a bit tricky if planing on getting the train there unless you have a bike as well its a bit of a mission (if biking take decent lights in the evening you will need them)

In reply to AJM:


Craggy in Guildford is easiest.
White Spider in Tolworth best and easy , via Dorking/ leatherhead/ Ashtead/ Epsom/ Tolworth
Craggy 2 is easy enough and is bouldering only - out of Dorking towards Reigate, up Pebblecomb Hill to Tadworth and onto the A217 as far as Banstead.

In reply to AJM:

If your only transport is train you will need a bike to get from station to either craggy centre.

You might find the Surrey Sports Park easier to get to in Guildford as there's regular buses, but it's not as good route setting wise as Craggy, but does have a bigger bouldering area than Craggy 1 if that's your thing.

I used to recon on 1.5hrs from Guildford to Stone Farm if I left work bang on 5, so I don't think 1hr from Dorking is overoptimistic. Stone farm is quite small as a venue though it's much more a bouldering venue than others in SS, as even the tallest "routes" there are not very big and could be treated as high-balls. Harrisons is good, as is Bowles, High Rocks is quite good, but I was put off by the fact you have to pay and haven't been in years (there might even be some sort of access problem at the moment?)

In reply to AJM: I think the closest thing is the biscuit factory

Dorking = being a dork, surely.

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=dork&hl=en&client=firefox-a&h...

As for dorking and climbing I thought you'd be fairly expert, Andy.

In reply to AJM: Guildford and White Spider look about sim distance - not sure if traffic will make a difference. White spider is pretty good - we stopped off there a couple of weeks ago for a session. My boss commutes into town from Dorking - I think its about 50mins-1 hour? Then a couple of stops on the jubilee line to biscuit factory - so doable but quite a trek! But you could have our fantastic company to look forward to

When are you likely to be over? Might be tempted to meet you for bouldering if you were heading to sandstone - still not been since one uni trip years ago!

In reply to balmybaldwin:

I'll have a car as well as the option for the train - that was only mentioned because it's probably faster than London traffic!

Cheers for beta re driving, good to know it maybe is an option for after work.

In reply to dave frost:

Based on national rail it would take 45 minutes into Waterloo and then a few stops on the tube to biscuit factory, so I suspect that the craggys are closer, but biscuit factory is still doable perhaps in order to meet friends but not as a regular venue.

In reply to Ali:

It would be all of next May and June if I took up the offer.

In reply to AJM: My advice would be to spend the summer mountain biking instead as it is locally of excellent quality.

In reply to AJM:

I live in Dorking - Craggy Guildford and Craggy 2 (Sutton) are both about 20 minutes drive away, stone farm is 45 and the other sandstone about an hour. The peaks is 3 hours. There is a bouldering guide to south-east sandstone and I find plenty to do at stone farm, although I am in the V3-V4 range, but I think you would find more at bowles rocks. In the summer you can go in the evening as long as it has been dry for a couple of days. This varies ever year - this has been a bad one (wouldn't stop raining), so I guess we are due a good one? Is that how it works?

I would second the mountain biking - Leith hill has a large area of single track that makes some of the best riding in the country, and you can ride straight from the door. I have been here 10 years and am still finding new tracks.

Feel free to get in touch if you come,

Robert

Oh, and in the evening rush hour it is fairly quick to get to stone farm if you go south first on the back roads e.g. about an hour rather than 45 mins, but the others take longer because you have to go through east grinstead etc

In reply to RobertHepburn:

Thanks Robert, good to hear from a local! Doesn't sound like evening climbing is as terrible as I'd feared (previously I was working in Bristol and the traffic was bad enough it could take me nearly 45 minutes to get out of Parkway and across town to the Gorge!). I'd feared an exile to the barren rock-free wasteland...!

In reply to AJM: Technically your outside london, so the traffic wont be THAT bad, still not as good as elsewhere but nothing like the centre of london.

Does anybody know of any boulder groups climbing outdoors in the area? I'm fairly new to bouldering having been a mountain biker for years BUT I a loving it and keen to get outside next year/summer

In reply to AJM:

It's worth noting that Craggy 2 really isn't in London, much as it claims to be. It is however fantastically friendly, has excellent route setting and seldom mega-busy. You might get spanked on the routes though.

We live in Epsom and go there twice a week and have found that if we leave at 6, it can take about 30 minutes to get there. If you leave at 7, it takes 10, so it usually makes sense to not rush off straight from work if you're looking to get a couple of hours in.

Whilst you're not near any proper rock (Southern Sandstone is pretty soft...), you are within 3 hours drive of the Peak District, Portland, Avon & Cheddar and South Wales - so it balances out.

In reply to Ava Adore:

not just you, I thought it was a verb too, for a moment...

In reply to ti_pin_man:

Yes, it's not central London, but the route planners online take you via the M25 to the sandstone and I've spent enough of my life stationary on that beastie already to be somewhat wary...

In reply to AJM:

Yer not wrong, perhaps what I see as a quiet road is, to somebody else, a traffic jam. its all relative.

In reply to AJM:
I went to Bowles once, thought it was pretty good in that grade range but perhaps not too extensive. Roads round there were fun in my Mazda too...
Craggy has good routes, bouldering was ok I think but not up to the standard of the new bouldering style walls that are springing up everywhere now. I seem to remember craggy had a massive dT from the bottom to top.of the routes...weird.

Does this all mean youre planning to become a boulderer??

In reply to Si dH:


I've been trying to work out what dT is and have failed...?


If I can't get to my beloved Cheddar after work, the least I can do is get beast strong in the interim...

But no, I'll do routes too it's just that based on the last contract work I was doing my hours were somewhat unpredictable, which means tolerant partners would be required, plus bouldering is just easier. I suppose if I were in a pe phase at the time I could pop a rope down stuff and run laps on it on a shunt as well.

In reply to AJM:
Sorry, engineer speak...temperature delta.

It was always ridiculously hot up under the roof, much more so than anywhere id been.

In reply to AJM: I lived in the area for a few years (sutton).
I'd recommend getting a monthly pass for craggy, then you have the choice to go bouldering in Sutton or leading in Guildford if you have a partner for the night. Also if you're really keen to get some routes done Guildford has a couple of auto-belays.
The Sutton wall is very good and has a reputation for being very friendly, and from Dorking it's easy to get to. The route setting is pretty good and it doesn't get too busy so you never have to queue for routes.
Stone Farm is easily doable from Dorking for an evening. I'm not sure of the quickest way from Dorking but ask Robert. The M23 handles rush hour very well and I'd be surprised if you're more than 50 minutes away.
I found the other crags to be a little too far unless it was midsummer with the longer evenings. I'd also get a nice beefy pad if you don't have one already, soloing with a pad is much more enjoyable than top roping (especially at Stone Farm as it's pretty low and has very good flat landings).

In reply to AJM: High Sports in Redhill is small but worth a look