UKC

Any recommendations for sheltered winter trad crags around swanage area?

Is there a "Cuttings" style venue for trad?

Cheers for any help.

Guillemot Ledge#map

Guillemot Ledge is a good winter venue. Sheltered from northerly winds and far back enough from the water to be protected from rough seas.

It is not unusual to be climbing in t'shirts in mid winter.

TJB.

I can't think of any cuttings style venues simply because any of the Swanage cliffs (at least the ones I can think of) have substantially the same southerly aspect unlike Portland which has many aspects available.

If the wind is from the West, the Marmolata prow can give some shelter for the routes around the Lightning Wall area.

I dare say you know some of this....

As mentioned above, it mostly has one aspect, South facing of some sort. The nooks and crannies can be cold and damp in winter.

Wind is the killer, along with extended wet periods at swanage. Not only is wind a pain with temp and comfort, but more importantly it affects the sea state (and spray). Some scary stories of folk being washed off the ledges are not uncommon.

Water is only a problem with the claggy mud at the top. No problem you say? The sometimes loose tops are legendry, but the stable tops become unstable as the baked clay that holds it together turns it into a soft slippery mess. Nut keys as ice axe type thingys......

The winter staples have been mentioned already, but if conditions are favourable, anywhere is climbable in winter.

Bloody excellent venue in winter when sun is out a little and a North wind is blowing. T shirts no worries, just keep a jacket handy at the top

Bigger ledges than elsewhere at Swanage and relatively solid top outs into the quarry at Seacombe, shorter pitches than most places too, so less chance for the cold to bite. Subluminal ledges are well clear of all but the wildest seas and again short pitches and generally sound top outs, these two would be my first winter trad options.

I've had some great winter days at Boulder Ruckle, with a north wind it can feel (almost) Mediterranean 

Cheers all. Looks like I will wait until we have a favorable forecast with a North wind blowing.