UKC

My name is Sophie and I currently work for the BBC Natural World series. We are currently searching for a suitable cliff/peak in the UK to film on - and I wondered if I could ask the climbing experts in the UK for any recommendations?

Some specifics:
- The cliff needs to be as steep as possible – an overhang would be ideal but obviously that might be hard to come by!
- The drop needs to be at least 500ft below
- The drop can’t be over water or in a city
- Ideally, if there was an easy way to drive up most of the way – or take a lift up – that would be great as we’d need to repeat the experiment several times - but not as essential as the other requirements.

Thank you!!"

In reply to SophieM89 :

Hi Sophie, I'm at the BBC too! Please email Owen Wynne-Griffith and I can offer plenty of advice.

In reply to SophieM89 :

Think that'd be a pretty short list, there's not many 150m walls in the UK.

In reply to Removed User:


Not with a lift anyway.

In reply to buzby:

One of the big slate walls maybe? Not really overhanging though.

In reply to SophieM89 :

Hi their.

In your production, can you please refer to the crop of rock as a crag and not a cliff? Cliffs are rock faces that the sea splashes against and where seagulls live, crags are inland rock formations that are normally the steeper part of a mountain or an "edge" of bedrock pushed up my a moving mass of land. It just narks me when a TV presenter refers to a mass of rock as a "cliff" and it isn't by the sea, shows that the producer hasn't done their research.

Central buttress on Scafell comes to mind, not quite sure it's the 150m (we're English, we use the metric system) you're looking for but it's about as steep as you're going to find in the UK, most of the steepest/overhanging stuff in the UK tends to be shorter. Closest you can probably get a road vehicle to the crag is Wasdale Head, from their it's about 1:30 to 2 hours hike (depending on how fit you are and how much gear you're carrying).

I'm not sure about the mountains you have their in London, but in the rest of the world, mountains don't have lifts.

In reply to y2keable:

It just narks me when people don't know the difference between their and there

In any case, in remote locations I'm sure (with the land owners consent) the BBC could stretch to a Landrover Defender, a couple of quad bikes or even a helicopter if necessary.

Finally, there are a shed load of ski resorts and mountains with lifts all over the world.

In reply to SophieM89 :

Sron Ulladale

In reply to Tom Last:

thats the only bit of rock that came to mind as well

In reply to Tom Last:


And to help the OP, Sron Ulladale is on Harris and is quite remote - certainly no chance of driving to the top! It featured in the BBC TV a few years ago, with Dave MacLeod and Tim Emmett.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-10930242

In reply to y2keable:


Really? I've never heard of this, but perhaps I've not been at it long enough.


And it just pisses me off when someone is more intent on being an arse than answering a perfectly reasonable request.

In reply to y2keable:



By definition this is incorrect.

Cambridge dictionary :
Cliff : "a high area of rock with a very steep side, often on a coast:"

In reply to Dave Garnett:
Sophie is a professional at the BBC. How is she supposed to know the terminology? That's why she has used her initiative and contacted this forum for knowledgable advice.

In reply to SophieM89 :
How about Malham Cove? It's about 100m high and pretty overhanging. You have to walk to the top but it's only about 20 mins from the road to the top. *However* it is extremely popular with walkers and climbers (there will be people there even on weekdays).

There are very few 150m high steep crags in the UK, all of them in Scotland.

If you want a lift up, you'd be better off looking in the Alpine ski resorts. The Brevent in Chamonix comes to mind as there is a telecabin which goes to the top of a fairly steep rock face which must be about 100m high. There must be other places like that around. Obviously it would cost more and you'd need to get permission from the lift company but it would also be a lot more convenient and quicker to get your film crew and kit up there.

In reply to SophieM89 :

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter_Hill_transmitting_station

...or similar. Obviously not ideal but does cater for some of your requirements.

In reply to y2keable:



If you aspire to being a pedantic pillock it might be wise to invest in a decent dictionary

In reply to SophieM89 :

Cheddar Gorge might fit the bill - High Rock, the part of the crag with Coronation St on it, is very steep, with no ledges, and close to 500 ft high. Easy access, too, though no lift as such.

If you are prepared to go abroad, the Verdon Gorge in Provence is 1,000 ft high, incredibly steep, and has a road at the top.

In reply to SophieM89 :

I would think that many cliffs on the west coast of Ireland would fit the bill.

In reply to SophieM89 :

Sorry, is High Tor not the obvious answer or have I missed something? Has a lovely cable car! (NB I've not lived in the Peak for ten years, so may be in error!)

In reply to SophieM89 :

Will you all stop using the word “seagull” when referring to ‘gulls’. There is no such a bird as a seagull. There is a Lesser Black Backed Gull, a Herring Gull, a Greater Black Backed Gull, a Common Gull, etc, but there is not a Seagull. You lot are seriously doing my head in with all this pedantism.

In reply to Removed User:
pedantry

In reply to SophieM89 :

Are you planning to drop things off the top?

In reply to y2keable:

As has been suggested, for the avoidance of appearing a Cockwomble, check;

Facts
The meanings of words
Spelling
Punctuation
Grammar

In reply to SophieM89 :

Thank you everybody for all your helpful comments! great suggestions in here

In reply to SophieM89:

So when do I get my screen test invite for the leading man role?

In reply to SophieM89 :

Wintours Leap?
Not 500ft but easy access to the top by car.

In reply to y2keable:


..... and said with such authority,


Chris