UKC

Going to Portland this weekend with a few mates and looking to hopefully onsight my 1st outdoor 6B.......

Any suggestions on a great route?

Not necessarily an easy 6B, just a quality route!

Thanks

In reply to minty1984:

Very Sleepy River is good and quite obvious.

In reply to Pete Dangerous:

Thanks Pete. Which area is this climb located?

In reply to minty1984:

Very Sleepy River (6b)

Bang in the middle of the grade and 3 star if you go by the voting. Plenty to warm up on in the area. Pregnant Pause isn't too far away either. 6a+ but amazing arete climbing.

In reply to Pete Dangerous:

Awesome Thanks!

In reply to minty1984:

There doesn't seem to be a lot at that grade of real quality.

Very sleepy river is pretty good. my suggestion was going to be pregnant pause (i thought it was 6b)

In reply to minty1984:
Best one I have done is Kit Kat (6b) at Blacknor Central. Not far from the others mentioned above and near some other quality climbs in the lower 6s. Just found the moves on this very enjoyable and pleasantly sustained. The start is on slightly chossy rock but after that the route is top quality.

Edit: Should also mention that the first bolt is high and worth clipsticking in my opinion.

In reply to Pete Dangerous:

Another vote for P.P.

In reply to Deadeye:

Harder than what was asked I know but there are loads of amazing 6b+ routes around the Blacknor Central area all pretty close to each other

Return to Roissy (6b+)
Lord Stublock Deepvoid Breaks the Chain of Causation (6b+)
Driven Like the Snow (6b+)
Burning Skies (6c)

In reply to minty1984:

Your logbook says you already onsighted 6b!

In reply to Ian Bell:

Well spotted!. That is a mistake. I top roped the route first and then lead it clean afterwards. I will amend my log now

In reply to Ian Bell:

I think those long 6b+ s at blacknor central are ace, they are more stamina fests than hard imo.
A friend recently raved about sank central, which I belive is 6b too.

In reply to minty1984:

Thanks for the route suggestions. Pregnant pause is on the list for sure. Looks an awesome route

In reply to minty1984:

There's a few routes on the other side which are friendly, wonderlust I quite liked at cheyne. The stars all tend to be on the west side tho.
have fun and enjoy!

In reply to minty1984:

Evening Mistress at The Cuttings is awesome at the grade. Delectable and beautiful bridging.

E2-6a in old money in the old guide.

In reply to Ian Bell:
Lord Stublock Deepvoid Breaks the Chain of Causation (6b+)
Driven Like the Snow (6b+)
Burning Skies (6c)

Another vote for these, especially Lord Stublock (they're all good but its the easiest of the four I think).

My favourite is probably Trad Free World but I'd hesitate to recommend it as a first 6b - bolts a bit spaced at the start.

In reply to Ian Bell:

Just to chime in and agree that Portland really starts going at 6b+. Given that it's bolted, there's no excuse to get stuck in!

In reply to Curious Yellow:

Return to Roissy - F6a+ into F6c at the top.

Lord Stublock - benchmark F6b+. A definite crux - but sustained beyond.

Driven Like the Snow - tons and tons of F6b+. Like an E3 5c which goes on forever. Top of the grade.

Burning Skies - brilliant but intimidating and easy to wilt on the crux. Very high in the grade.

Kit Kat - (at the grade) essential to be positive and move quickly at the crux (you'll know when you're on it!)

Very Sleepy River - old skool HVS style crack stuff (easy to be intimidated) into a rest. The top wall can be done almost completely blind (not recommended) or with every move obvious. Depends on how well you read the rock. Read well, it's by far the easiest of this bunch (assuming one can do old skool HVS style crack stuff).

Walking the King - better than any of these. Technically very easy but intimidating and very tidal.

The best grades on Portland? Probably F6a/6a+, F6b+ and F7b.

Just some thoughts.

Mick

In reply to Mick Ward:
Agreed, its much easier to come up with 6a+ and 6b+ recommendations!

In reply to minty1984:

Well if we're talking 6b+, Bouys Will Be Bouys is pretty cool. I need to do Walking The King one day but I don't hit the tidal areas much. Want Out will be my next project.

In reply to Pete Dangerous:


Probably the best route I've done on Portland

In reply to Alun:

Reptile Smile (downgraded to 6a+) was a really fun and interesting climb, but I've not done a huge amount so the best pitch I've done may be miles from being the best pitch there!

In reply to minty1984:

Trad Free World (6b) must be a contender and alongside you also have Stalker's Zone (6a+) to keep you entertained.

In reply to minty1984:

Buoys will be Buoys.... end of

In reply to minty1984:

The Cuttings may not have a real stand out 6b, but all of these are pretty good:Brief Encounter (6b)European Flavour (6b)Perihelion (6b+)Another Notch in the Gun (6b)
If you are after an onsight you get a few shots at the same venue.

In reply to Graham Booth:

Fantastic route. Not one I'd chose for a first onsight!
I wouldn't turn my nose up at it being graded a 6c and it's not over until it's over, if you know what I mean.

In reply to The Ivanator:

Perihelion (6b+) was really good but I thought getting over that bulge was harder than any of the 6b+ I listed. Mind you probably just means I can't jam!

In reply to minty1984:
The problem with this thread is 'best 6b on Portland' and 'sensible suggestions
for first 6b onsight' are two very different animals.

Buoys Will Be Buoys is basically 6c
Burning Skies is 6c
Evening Mistress, Perihelion, or basically anything at The Cuttings will be an
evil sandbag for first 6b onsight, with the possible exception of Another Notch
in the Gun. European Flavour is steady enough once past the V3 move off the
ground.

Kit Kat and Very Sleepy River are sensible suggestions for first 6b that are
also decent routes. The latter might be based around a crack but I certainly
don't remember doing any crack climbing on it, though I'm sure you *could* climb
it as an old-skool HVS crack if you really wanted to. Both of them reward
climbing decisively and quickly. In the same area, I also really enjoyed Fat
Falling Pigs though it is in a drainage line so can be very dusty.

Trad Free World is stunning but I seem to remember some risk of a nasty groundfall
going up to the 2nd bolt. That plus Stalker Zone would be a great day. Glamour
Cat is steady 6b but is in the tidal bit.

I thought Lord Stublock Deepvoid was low in the grade 6b+ and the steadiest
option on that wall, not unreasonable for an early 6b but it would be a big
lead, a bit like doing Pregnant Pause as an early 6a.

In reply to Graham Booth:
yeah I was also going to suggest at around the same grade
Buoys will be Buoys (6b+)

and also
Pregnant Pause (6a+)

not too far away this is good
https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/c.php?i=14852#photos

In reply to Quiddity:

Buoys will be Buoys (6b+) can't be F6c I onsighted it!

In reply to CurlyStevo:

Yeh never 6c, but a bit of a stamina fest admittedly

In reply to CurlyStevo:
I hear there's only two grades, the ones you can do and the one's you can't

seriously, I have been up BWBB several times when I was working Zinc Oxide so I know it well, and was always pleased when I got up it clean. It got 6c in the CC guide and is fully deserving of it in my opinion.

In reply to Graham Booth:
Yeah pretty pumpy but felt pretty easy for F6b+ to me. It felt like a pumpy F6a+ with a short hard section on top of it with UK 5c crux..

In reply to CurlyStevo:

Steve, enjoy your success - well earned in this case. It's a great route but an awful lot of people wilt near the top.

Mick

In reply to Ian Bell:

Perihelion - isn't it old school E1 5b in old guide? Is it really 6b? Good handholds awkward feet and somewhat barndoory move over roof. Similar to getting into the groove on Brief Encounter.

PP - E2 5b in old money 6a+ in new.

Think the English grades can be very helpful in indicating the nature of the route. Hence me referencing Evening Mistress as E2 6a. That tells you everything you need to know about what to expect...!

In reply to minty1984:
Another vote for Trad Free World (6b) absolutely brilliant my favourite of the 3 starred 6s there, all 3 of them are worth doing and all felt about the same grade to me with The Jewel of the Isle (6b+) having a slightly harder crux but easier top section.

Walking the King (6b+) is low 6b+ and one of the best routes I have done of any grade in the UK.