UKC

People, what are the best routes in the Wye Valley graded VS. Would like to get up there and climb friendly Vs routes.

In reply to Joel Perkin:

Whitt - Symonds Yat

In reply to Joel Perkin: I'll kick off with a personal recommendation - The Iron Curtain at Shorn Cliff.

In reply to Joel Perkin: I though Joe's Route was good at Wintour's as is Fibre at Wyndcliffe

In reply to Joel Perkin: Why limit yourself to 10 ? they're all good, do them all.

Cheers
Dave

In reply to Joel Perkin: Good looking suggestions there guys, Dave mainly because I can only spend short trips up there from Cornwall so want to make the most of my time. However you right I hear they are all amazing so will have to just make more trips up.

In reply to Joel Perkin:

Nibelheim at wintours.

In reply to Joel Perkin:

May only be HS but don't miss Zelda!

In reply to Joel Perkin: only really climbed vs at the yat so whitt. Druid . Pam's pride. Exchange . All great. Luke.

In reply to Joel Perkin: I agree with all the above. Can I add Freedom on Fly wall at wintour's. And also a particular seconding for Nibelheim. Monsoon Pinacle variation at Wyndcliffe left hand crag is good too.

In reply to Joel Perkin:

Whitt (SY)
Pam's Pride (SY)
State of Independence (SC)
Fibre (WC)
Cadillac (WC)
Questor (WC)
Nibelheim (WL)
Joe's Route (WL)
African Killer Bee (WL)
Freedom (WL)

Should keep you going. Only one from Shorn Cliff because it really starts to get good at HVS, however you may find some of the HVSs there are easier than one or two of the above. I've just realised you said "friendly" VSs. Cadillac isn't (nor is Fibre really), but they're definitely top 10 material.

Rick

In reply to Joel Perkin:
No one has mentioned the angels girdle?

In reply to Tommyads:

Because not many people have done the route.

Their loss!

Would put Angel's Girdle top of the list.

In reply to puppythedog: dam it. I climbed monsoon today then seen there was a combination of the two. Top of monsoon was mud and veg . Add that to the fog and mist u have a rite mix of brown pants... Fun tho .

In reply to luke glaister: I was at Wyndcliffe Quarry today, the fog and moisture caused me to sack off the trad plans and get on the bolts

Caveat regarding Freedom is that it is a tough VS.

In reply to Tommyads:

Good point - forgot about the Angel Girdle. Maybe in instead of Nibelheim?

Rick

In reply to Rick Sewards: In stead of African Killer Bee which is good but not as good as Nibelheim.

In reply to puppythedog: Haha I seen ya. I said to my mate it looks like they've got more sense. Did strike after and that was very good. The 4c way anyway. Looked the safest way.can't wait to do more routes in the area .

In reply to luke glaister: I love the lower Wye, may have to leave this year so want to get as much done between now and then

In reply to Tommyads: What he said

In reply to puppythedog: Good seeing you earlier mate. Hope to catch up for a bit of climbing soon.

In reply to Joel Perkin:

angels girdle
joes route
swallows nest
laughing cavaliers (we all no its vs and definately not HVS)
hydraulic jump
questor
cadilliac
butterfly
temporary truce
sinew (again it may as well be VS)

if your travelling all the way up from cornwall then stop off at avon as there is a top day to be had there at VS

doing unknown wall, gronk and giants cave would be a brilliant day with about 11 pitches of vs climbing to be had.

In reply to stvredmond:
>

Ey?!

In reply to Dave 88: I bumped into Steve today, he said the same thing then. Maybe if we'd tried it when it was dry we would think so too. Personally I think HVS is fine.

In reply to puppythedog:

I'm just thinking about some of the gear, or lack thereof. I thought HVS seemed right.

In reply to Joel Perkin: This ticklist might be of interest to you:
http://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/set.php?id=519
It does focus on the lower Wye crags and classics such as Whitt at Symonds Yat are also must do routes.

In reply to Joel Perkin: just dont see how laughing cavaliers can be graded the same as tigers dont cry/ organ grinder/ fallacy etc. Bomber gear all the way through laughing cavaliers with a pleaseant angle and lots of positive holds. anyways no more talk about grades as my mind wont be changed on this one maybe its horses for courses

In reply to Joel Perkin:

Agreed about Laughing Cavaliers – if it is an HVS it is certainly a soft touch, I would not class myself as an HVS climber and didn’t find it out of my league. Another shout for the Angel’s Girdle – best VS adventure in the region. I’d give an honourable mention to Butterfly on Fly Wall at Wintours, I really enjoyed that done in one pitch. Also in the region but neither Wye Valley nor Avon is Treebeard/Greybeard at Goblin Combe. Goblin has enough to go at at the grade to give you a Winter’s day climbing and is nice and sheltered, have a look if you get the chance.

A Wye Valley climbers love in – what a nice way to start Monday : )

In reply to Joel Perkin:

Angels Girdle is the best I've done for a while.

In reply to stvredmond: Like 3 Pebble Slab is the definitive E0 I reckon Laughing Cavaliers is the definitive hVS, not VS and not quite the capital HVS experience.

In reply to Bobling:


Most of the Great Cave HVSs are soft touches, if the truth be told. Apart from the start of Bitter Battle Tears, which I have amused several tall partners when trying to do. Unfortunately swearing violently is NOT a very good way of getting over a boulder problem.

Surprised no-one has mentioned War of the Worlds as a quality VS yet.

In reply to stvredmond:


Sandbagging git The Wye does have a few soft touch HVSs but Sinew is not one of them!

In reply to Stone Muppet: was struggling for 10 stand out VS's and thought sinew was simple enough at hvs and felt more like VS, was a pretty damn good route. straightforward moves with a belay point type set up for protection at the crux. its by far easier than fibre and i know if some one said to me "would you rather lead sinew or questore" (in terms of scaryness and toughness i would always choose sinew. maybe you was having a bad day when you climbed it or i was having a good one

In reply to Joel Perkin: Has anyone mentioned Cheetah yet? Excellent route.

T.

In reply to stvredmond: if i wanted to bi a sandbagger i would of said tigers dont cry (sure its really easy lol what ever)

In reply to stvredmond:

Agree that Swallow's nest deserves a place, I think it's a cracking route despite a bit of polish.

Just to ignore your directive not to talk about grades - I can see why people think the climbing on those slabby Shorn Cliff HVS is only VS-ish, but they're pretty runout in places, and those run outs tend to be just where the climbing gets a little insecure. Organ Grinder is more strenuous, but not particularly technical, and you can lace it all the way up. In terms of adjectival grade I'd put it roughly on a par with the Central Cave HVSs.

Tigers is a whole different kettle of fish (sorry, just had to write that sentence).

In reply to bpmclimb:

Tigers = E0

In reply to bpmclimb: "slabby Shorn Cliff HVS is only VS-ish, but they're pretty runout in places".....except laughing cavaliers easily vs

In reply to stvredmond:
....except laughing cavaliers easily vs

Well yes ...if you trust the nut placements behind the semi detached flake near the top - it won't be there forever!

In reply to Joel Perkin:

At shorn cliff...

Emotional dyslexia is fab.

Last call also really good but tough.

Lazy l... Bit esoteric but worth a look!

In reply to The Ivanator:

Falling on gear behind that flake would be suicidal! Much better idea to skip the gear (even then, I reckon it's getting on for VS still...)

In reply to Joel Perkin: I'm going to have to go to re-climb it when it;s less greasy and see if I feel differently about the grade.

In reply to Mr Mark Stephen Davies:

Tigers = definitive gritstone HVS thuggery.

In reply to Joel Perkin: re laughing cavaliers , I think when you have a steep route like organ grinder next to a slab and both are graded the same , the slab is allways going to feel easier. I was up north wales on the weekend and climbed seamstress a classic slate vs , I was thinking that it felt much easier than any vs I have done in the wye but I don't think anyone would argue against seamstress being a vs , or am I wrong ?

In reply to GrahamD:

>

No way! If you are using thuggery on Tigers, then I would suggest you are doing it wrong. Are you sure you aren't thinking of Organ Grinder, which I would definitely describe as typical grit thuggery? Tiger is sustained, but I thought quite delicate and requiring good footwork. Definitely no soft touch though.

In reply to Monk: organ grinder is close to VS, depends on how much gear you try and place and how pumped you get. I would go HVC 4c. right im talking about grades no more. id acccept them all at the grade they are given in the guide.

laughing cavaliers is staying on my top 10 vs list though

In reply to stvredmond: So not accepting the grades they are in the guide then It doesn't matter very much does it?

In reply to Monk:

Its been well over 10 years since I did Tigers but my recollection was that it was a fight for a couple of metres then steady for the rest of the way. There was nothing on it that was any worse than grit standards like Tower Crack so harsh but fair HVS struck me as about right.

In reply to Joel Perkin: We seem to have strayed rather from the original post's request here into a tenuous debate about the grading of various Wye Valley HVSs. Sinew, Cheetah, Organ Grinder, Tigers don't cry, Laughing Cavaliers are all worthy routes, but are all graded HVS and even if an argument can be made for downgrading LC it would certainly not qualify as a "friendly VS route".
Good and genuinely friendly VS routes that I have done in the area would include:
State of Independence at Shorn Cliff, straightforward but entertaining climbing, the crux being getting the nerve up to abseil off the twiggy bush at the top.
Exchange at Symonds Yat, good and well protected, no move above 4b.
Questor (Wyndcliffe), Nibelheim and Joe's Route (Wintours) are slightly harder but probably all in the lower half of the VS grade.
Stiff HS routes that the OP might find worthwhile include Zelda (WL) and Papillon (WC). Spreading the net a little further a couple more excellent low in the grade VS routes are Bifur at Goblin Combe (Esgaroth graded HS also at GC is better though, and probably harder too), not forgetting Rob's Crack at Fairy Cave Quarry a brilliant and well protected low in the grade VS.

In reply to GrahamD: It does however stand out as being more difficult than other HVS's and even some E1's on the same crag.

In reply to GridNorth:

I think the start is getting harder harder, as a couple of crucial small footholds are getting more and more polished.

In reply to puppythedog: im accepting all grades except laughing cavaliers. there are many many vs in the wye valley which are loads harder than laughing cavalier whoch seems to suggest that its not hvs. like i said my mind wont be changed on that one.

how can the likes of fallacy and laughing cavaliers ever be in the same grade.

In reply to stvredmond: Steading mate or the regulars will pan you. Maybe you should start a thread about winter climbing and sit back whilst they bitch about unfrozen turf and conditions.

L.C IS VS FACT!!!

And Fallacy.............stop laughing at me Steve

Tigers. E0 WTF is E0???

+1 for Cheetah, though IIRC the gear is spaced at times and the climbing delicate for the grade

In reply to climber_medic:


http://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/page.php?id=63

Suck it up Princess

In reply to Mr Mark Stephen Davies: Wow a bite in under 15 minutes. Must be a new record!!

Go on you helped write that article under many of your assumed names didn't you!!

In reply to Joel Perkin:

From friendly VS to E0 - this thread is suffering from grade creep.