UKC

Hi all,

Not sure about this being the right category for this but here it is...

I am in the market for recommendations for the best places to take a group of friends over from the continent climbing. I am based in London and plan on making it a weekend so would be interested in your thoughts on places that do not require hours and hours of driving to get to. Equally, please keep in mind that while not inexperienced my friends are used to doing mostly sport climbing so I am looking for an easy way to give them more of a taste for trad.

Best,
J

In reply to berna:

N wales, only 4hrs away

In reply to berna:

Cheddar area has sport and trad but how the access requirememnts relate to visotors i'm not sure.

Obvious answer anyway is the Peak

In reply to Bulls Crack:

Cheddar is out to non BMC members. Wye Valley is good especially Symonds Yat for climbs across the grades and Wintours Leap for multi-pitch plus some sport. I never liked the Yat but this year with the dry conditions it's been pretty good.

In reply to GridNorth:

Surely if they're coming from mainland Europe - where there are acres of quality limestone - taking them to the Wye Valley of all places is pretty much an insult!

Clearly they should be taken to something uniquely British and as high quality as possible. This means either grit, some good quality sea-cliffs or the mountain crags in N Wales or the Lakes.

In reply to seankenny:

Agreed I was just giving the OP more choices and in any case I would think the Wye Valley is quicker to get to than the Peak. And not everyone is grit mad.

In reply to GridNorth:


The North side of Cheddar, whatever some organisations might like you to think, is open all year round to anyone who wants to turn up.

In reply to Oceanrower:

I stand corrected, I thought it applied to the whole Gorge, but in any case what I said is not strictly true. You must have 3rd party liability Insurance although I suspect that in practice anyone questioning will ask for BMC membership.

In reply to GridNorth:

S'ok. A lot of people think that.

And the people that run the south side do nothing to dispell that misapprehension!

In reply to GridNorth:


The Peak is an easy weekend from London - as in, you can leave after work on Friday and comfortably get there for last orders.

And yeah, it's good, very accessible, and a bit of a climbing-tourist tick insofar as it's the one thing about British rock that everyone seems to have heard of...

In reply to Ramblin dave:

I would have thought that London to Wye Valley would take about an hour less than to the Peak, not that I have experience of either mind you.

In reply to GridNorth:


Depends where you start from, but Google reckons 2hrs 50 London to Symonds Yat versus 3hrs 18 London to Stanage. That's borne out by my experience that people from London (including me when I lived there) go to the Peak a lot more often than they go to the Wye Valley.

In reply to Ramblin dave:

It probably depends where in London you're leaving from. Given that the study of misery in tarmac that is the M25 can quite happily add two hours to the Peaks for a South Londoner you might prefer Wye or Portland from the Sarf side of town.

In reply to BarrySW19:

As someone else has said, you've got friends from the continent and you're seriously suggesting taking them to the Wye or Portland? !!!!

In reply to berna:

Symonds Yat and Wintour's Leap, 2 hours 15 and 2 hours 30 from the Westway.

Call for a weather report before you drive if you like.

Sven

07896 947 557

In reply to BarrySW19:

Not much trad at Portland, but lots at Swanage. As has been said Symonds Yat is on the whole a bit messy unless it's been very dry. Shorncliff and Wintours Leap (good mullti pitch) are better destinations in Wye Valley. The Peak is also reasonably accessible. Unfortunately there a lot of single pitch grit but there is some multi pitch limestone

In reply to Trangia:

Would you really take someone with little trad climbing experience to Swanage? Or equally, take a foreigner to Peak limestone for their first experience of British rock?

Perhaps the Gower might be a better bet. A bit less serious, nice place, there are some sport climbing options too.

Any why so down on the Peak? I've been heartened this year to meet a couple of groups from elsewhere in Europe out in the Peak and they've been having a fine time, getting to grips with rounded breaks and cam placements and graunchy cracks...

In reply to seankenny:


Damned right I would; it made a man out of me.


I really wouldn't bother, never been but looks a bit vanilla to me.


Peak is rubbish unless you can climb a bit.

You've got to focus on what is particular about UK climbing, sea cliffs in a more or less rotten state or, since you are in the south, Avon. For your pals I'd pick Avon (Bristol) every time.

In reply to seankenny:

Cattle Troughs and Subluminal have some great low grade climbs.

I agree with the Gower - just seems a long haul on from the Severn Bridge.

My comments on the Peak were a bit tongue in cheek - I've never liked gritstone. On the other hand Wildcat has some nice easy grade limestone (VSs). I went there when I was inexperienced and loved it, a lot more pleasant (for me) than grit.

I agree with other posters that to really get a good variety of easy trad he ought to be considering N Wales or the Lakes.

In reply to seankenny:


If they were a competent climber I would. Most climbers we see from mainland Europe are more than competent enough to be able to wedge bits of metal in the rock whilst climbing - quite often they are technically better and stronger than us and quite often they are used to the exposed terrain of the Alps or the Dolomites or to 3 metre run outs between gear.

It seems to be a very British thing to make out that trad is in some way a very different and distinct climbing style. Its not really.

In reply to Gordon Stainforth:

Well, if I wanted to show them decent UK climbing I'd be taking them to North Wales or Cornwall, but that's a long way from London. However, personally I'd rather climb in Wye than on Peak grit, but I've never really understood the climbing orthodoxy that we should all love short climbs with poor slopey holds.

In reply to berna:

What about South Devon, Torbay for limestone, and dartmoor for granite?

In reply to BarrySW19:

I think Snowdonia is by far the best bet. Not too far from London now.

In reply to berna:

Many thanks everyone for the tips. Plans are pretty fluid at the moment so not sure what things will end up being but I appreciate your advice. Keep it coming!!

cheers,
J

In reply to GrahamD:



Sure, getting the basics of trad climbing isn't that tricky and plenty of Continental climbers pick it up very quickly.

I think it totally depends on the climber in question - if they were experienced in the mountains then it's a totally different kettle of fish. But if the OPs level of experience is such that he has to ask where to take people, then I venture that Swanage is not the best option - the combination of slightly crappy rock, sea, committment, etc might make it all a bit much.

My other gripe with the Wye Valley (bear in mind I live near the end of the M4 so I should in theory be a regular) is that it always seems to be raining there.

In reply to berna:

It's not everyones cup of tea, but I don't think you can go wrong with the peak. I love the place, go there all the time. Tons of routes of all grades, very accesible and not too far away. Plus grit is something a bit unique to the uk.

But also think Subliminal at swanage would be fine, and sea cliff climbingis a bit more exciting and adventurous if people have not done it before. You'll need to know how to set up an abb though.

In reply to berna:

I think you should go where the sun is.

In reply to berna:

Take them to Stanage and Froggatt over a weekend and be done with it.

In reply to berna:

It's not trad climbing but maybe if you are running short of time you could try the Sandstone outcrops near Tunbridge Wells in Kent (about 40 miles out of London). Harrison's or Bowles rocks provide decent enough bouldering problems and plenty of routes where you can bottom-rope for a partner. Should be ideal for it now as has been dry of late.

In reply to berna:

Swanage! Its 2 hours away! Loads of sport.