UKC

Where in the uk has the best sport climbs? I have sampled horseshoe quarry and llanberis slate so far. Really enjoying the slate but finding horseshoe not so good unless you can recommend routes or ares in the peak quarries. I currently climb at around 6a+

In reply to gdjcoleman:

IMO, Portland.

In reply to GridNorth:

Does it remain in condition all year?

In reply to gdjcoleman:

The problem (without wanting to sound condescending which I'm sure I will anyway) is you're looking for easy sport and easy sport tends not to be very good. It's either too slabby or too featured to fall off safely so not really 'sport' or too easy to be 'sporty' in which case it's just climbing with bolts. In the uk most of the good easy rock already had traditional routes so you're left with crumbly old quarries.

It's not universally true, there are some good 6's dotted about but not many and often at the mid-upper end of F6. There are a lot of good and great 7's. My suggestion would be redpointing, it'll give you access to some better rock. Horseshoe for example while mostly dire and falling down has some lovely routes on very good rock up the main wall, mostly high 6's and well worth doing.

jk

In reply to gdjcoleman:

There are some very goood routes at horseshoe at around that grade, rotund roolay, schools out, jericho wall to name a few.

Other areas to consider in the peak are, chee dale, which is currently dry, max wall and embankment are good. There are a number of good long routes on garage butress at stoney middleton at that grade too.

Quarries wise, check out colehill, upper tier of harper hill and small dale on the right hand side, really good.

In reply to jkarran:

Haha I get what you're saying. I'd like to spend a few days on a repoint but struggle to find a partner with the patience. If I onsight 6a+ comfortably what would you suggest as a red point grade?

In reply to llanberis36:

I'll check those routes next time I'm there. You've given me loads to go at thanks

In reply to llanberis36:



Not many (any?) 6a+'s on Max Wall/Embankment and the Garage Buttress ones aren't worth travelling to

As jkarran says, easier sport tends to be not very good quality but mainly because the rock tends to be more broken and loose. Your best bets at 6a+ are: Portland, Robin Proctors Scar, the odd route at Giggleswick crags and elsewhere on Yorks lime and one really good one at Scout Scar!

In reply to gdjcoleman:

Portland for sure if you're looking for lower grades. Peak sport in my opinion starts at around 6c+/7a, anything below that tends to be low quality (with some exceptions, obviously.)

In reply to Bulls Crack:

Blackwell's got enough for people to start on and colehill's a gem (shame it's restricted), a few minutes from the land of The Rising Sun which currently has several Blue Monkey brews on.

In reply to gdjcoleman:


General wisdom says 4 grades above your onsight, so that means you should be able to redpoint 6c+.

In reply to gdjcoleman:


It's a particular set of skills you have to develop and requires a different mentality to climbing OS Don't bite off too much to begin with but do make sure you'll be challenging yourself. Maybe 6b+ to start with, hard to say without knowing how solid you are at 6a+, either way aim to get it done in a day but if it's 2nd go it's probably too easy. Adjust your grades as you get used to the redpoint approach. It's quite possible you'll get into the high 6's, low 7s just by changing your approach.

jk

In reply to gdjcoleman:

Another vote for Portland....

In reply to gdjcoleman:

I agree with Fraser and jk. I onsight around 6a+/b at the moment, can generally redpoint 6c+ in around three to five goes over a day or two, am currently trying my first 7a.

One problem, as you have already spotted, is convincing partners to go to the same crag twice if they don't have similar aims & ambitions.

Question to the public: what are the easier routes on Lower pen Trwyn like? They don't often seem to get mentioned in this sort of discussion, but some of them get stars and it's certainly an infinitely better environment than Horseshit Quarry

In reply to gdjcoleman:

Intake Quarry (Wirksworth) has a good choice of 6a/6b routes (Father Wall/Takeaway Wall etc. Upper tier Horseshoe has some intersting stuff at the grade

In reply to AlanLittle:

The easier routes at LPT seemed tough for the grades to me, especially the unprotected starts. The first bolts came around twenty feet up, although you could use your own gear you probably wouldn't have brought anything. The A55crags are well bolted and plenty to go at in the lower grades, particularly the sunny Castle Inn.

In reply to gdjcoleman:

Portland is one of/the best venue for routes in the 6s and can be visited all year round. My suggestions in the north include Harpur Hill (Coral Seas a particular highlight), Robin Procter's Scar and Giggleswick South.

In reply to gdjcoleman:

Easy Sport: Portland or A55 Crags.

Hard Sport: The Diamond

In reply to gdjcoleman:

The easier sport routes at LPT are really good on really good rock and despite what somebody said above are about right for the grade except for Kaffe Fasset which is about 6c. The 6a's at Llandulas Cave are probably harder for the grade but the routes are quite good.

In reply to gdjcoleman:

Castle inn has nice rock and no walk in, it's also quite slab by so the routes feel easier than the equivalent grade in Chee Dale for example.

In reply to gdjcoleman:

Trow Gill is also worth a look for good quality low grade sport. Not an all year crag though, it needs some dry weather to be in decent condition.

In reply to gdjcoleman:

Portland again...

In reply to dereke12000:

I thought the best uk sport climbing was to,be found by talking a flight to, Kos!

In reply to gdjcoleman:

I had a quick look through my ticklist to see what low grade sport I enjoyed in the UK and it was all pretty much from Portland. Cheddar gorge is probably worth a mention as well as some of the crags is the Wye valley such as Bang-y-gor.

These climbs are worth seeking out, check the latest access issues, I've not been since the landslides and don't go to the cuttings.

Portland

Shit Happens, Actually
6a ** Lead O/S 06/May/12 Blacknor Central
Lazy Days and Summer Haze
6a+ ** Lead â 06/May/12 Battleship Main
Never Drive a Car When You're Dead
6a ** Lead â 06/May/12 Battleship Main
Slings Shot
5a *** Lead O/S 20/May/12 Blacknor North
Carlos Fandango Belay
6b ** Lead â 05/Jun/12 Blacknor Far South
Paying It Forward
6a+ ** Lead O/S- 05/Jun/12 Blacknor Far South

PM if you need a partner, I'm happy to belay you on a redpoint although I would suggest ticking a load of routes at your onsight even if they are worse quality as this will get you out of the 6's and onto the 7's quicker.

In reply to gdjcoleman:

Oh yes, don't go to the cuttings !