In reply to SFrancis:
The aeroplane forum symbol looks worrying in connection with this thread!
It's perhaps worth mentioning that the "treacherous scramble" is the descent down Shoot Gully; climbing the lower section of this forms part of the approach to your route [and, of course, would be the descent back to the road if you were using a rope long enough to abseil off]. I'm struggling to remember now but it's quite possible that this lower section contains the trickiest bit. Descending such ground is always easier if you've already come up it first than if you're descending it "blind"; before leaving the gully on the approach you could always dump your gear and do a quick recce up to the top and back to see what you think. It's possible that things have deteriorated since I was last in there - probably about ten years ago - but, short of being on the receiving end of a large rock travelling at speed, I think you might struggle to actually kill yourself in there! Otherwise there are three other ways off from the top:-
1) Walk east along the clifftop path until it meets the road some distance up the gorge, then back down the road.
2) Ditto west down into Cheddar then back up the road.
These two are the safe options recommended in the guide, particularly if it's dark and/or you don't know your way around; both take about 20 minutes to the road [If you haven't already got the guide you should really do so; not only will it make navigating a complicated area much easier - it might also stop you inadvertently committing some faux pas which could compromise access.]
3) Descend Sloworm Gully at the west end of the climbing area; not obvious from above if you don't know it.
Although it's suggested elsewhere [database entry for Castles ...] I wouldn't recommend finding the top of the Space Tourist abseils and descending that way; the approach involves scrambling down - easily enough, but in an exposed position miles above the road - which I suspect offers more opportunity for calamity to yourself and others than does Shoot Gully!
Of course; if you want to leave any gear at the bottom of the route then you either have to descend Shoot Gully to get it, or re-ascend [and descend] the bottom bit of the gully again afterwards.
