UKC

A team and plan is Coming together to get all the Ladram Bay stacks and big picket rock in a weekend in the Near future.

Wheres a good wild camp Spot Nearby? Or even a campsite that allows fires?

also, any Friendly locals with an RIB or similar that could be borrowed?

Cheers ta.

Ps is doing them all in one weekend Feasible at this Time of year, or would it need Two trips?

PPs if Someone has south Devon and Dartmoor guide, any Chance you could photo or Scan ladram bay pages and either PM them to me, or post here?

In reply to Choss:

With the rain and high seas we've had I advise checking them out very closely before commitment. BP changes very frequently, and the gear (nails, the odd warthog and reinforcing rods) could easily have washed out.

In reply to Choss:

I would wait a little, summer would be better as damp soft sandstone is even softer.

In reply to Choss:

just bump this up. We're going down on a Scouting mission Tuesday, to see what job is.

Someone must have the south Devon and Dartmoor guide to post the Ladram bay and Sandy Mouth pages?

also, is the Promenade stuff at SidMouth worth a bit of bouldering or top roping While in the Vicinity?

In reply to Choss:

Have messaged you.

In reply to Choss:

I'll bring my guide down to boat tomorrow night if its any use welcome to borrow it

In reply to chris j:

Thanks Chris.

Emailed you Back, should be able to send attachments now.

Cheers for Aerial map for sandy bay too. That helps greatly.

In reply to Cheese Monkey:

Cheers bud.

Going on a recce with deepstar, see what state its all in. Dont worry you wont miss anything, we will be Assessing the Pitches and allocating all the chossiest, sorry did i just say that out Loud? I Meant all the Choicest Leads, to you

In reply to Choss:

I'm assuming you've seen this?

http://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/page.php?id=25
It took me some time comparing Google Maps imagery to the diagram in here to make sense of which stack was which; the diagram is not to scale and some of the stacks seem significantly further apart than they seem on the diagram.

Also bear in mind that apparently the top pitch of the original Big Picket has fallen off, making it quite a bit harder, and the new route Revenge of the Razor Fish needs to be taken instead.

In reply to Choss:

This might be of interest if you haven't seen it already

http://ianparnellphotography.blogspot.co.uk/2011_10_01_archive.html

In reply to chris j:

On the BP the route now goes left from the cave belay to an obvious crack/groove.The holds on this are thin wafers of flint that break off at the slightest touch. The line R as marked on Ian's topo is now a smooth o/h wall to a detached ledge that may well have gone. The other thing to remember is that rounding the last headland before the caravan park beach requires a wade or swim at half tide. In fact you have to go some to climb the route and escape on a single low tide.

In reply to Choss:

Hi Choss

The following UKC article may also be of interest to you, especially the 2nd pdf to England which contains grades + descriptions to the Ladram Bay sea stacks.
http://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/page.php?id=25
However the stacks are all given uk trad grades and having had a poke around them, I thought they looked ungradeable using our system, but I guess it gives an idea of their difficulty! Anyway let us know how you get on as I've always intended to go back and say "hi" to Martin for me!

Cheers

Dave

In reply to BALD EAGLE:


My thoughts entirely after having a look and a quick shifty up a couple of metres to a layer of mud, nothing more, nothing less. I could literally poke a finger in in parts.

I've seen nowt like it and I've climbed on some choss at times.

In reply to BALD EAGLE:

In South Devon and Dartmoor they are given Alpine/UIAA grades :P

In reply to andrewmcleod:

How many Grades do i add for being a non swimmer?

In reply to Choss:

Have uploaded a photo of the ladram Lady descent!
We used to boulder on the pocketed wall at sidmouth, worth a gander if your down there though its only small. Some good memories, good luck on your adventure.

In reply to petegunn:

Thanks Pete. Is that along the Promenade to the west of SidMouth where you used to boulder?

In reply to petegunn:

Shit my boots! Hope the descent options are a bit easier going for non swimmers?

In reply to Choss:

How did the recce go? At least you had the one day recently with good weather...

In reply to chris j:

Very good Chris. Couldnt actually get to any of the stacks Though. Boat will be Necessary. We had a good Look at them all. They seem to be as guidebook describes and Unscathed by the storms.

Look as Climbable now as at any Other Time of year. Rock/mud Dry above tide Line.

Long pegs, warthogs, Long pegs, angle iron, and six inch nails only things be any use.

Ice axes seem Sensible, even Crampons were discussed.

We both reckoned be fun to get a biggish crew down there for a weekend While out of holiday season and caravan park and beach empty.

Oh, not sure about the bonetti tower. Looks a Proper shocker, even by ladram Standards.

In reply to Choss:

Awesome! Let us know how you get on when you go for the ascents. If I'm around Devon at the time and the weather's kind I could drag the kayak out and take a few pictures.