UKC

Hi I'm struggling to find campsites that will allow groups and are in walking distance of a crag. I'm trying to organise a university climbing club trip with roughly 12-16 people. The campsite needs to be near a crag that has easier grades and preferably sport and trad routes. Any help will be greatly appreciated thanks.

Birchens edge and Eric Bynes campsite and you also have a pub, but no sport

I'm not sure they take groups there. Would give them a call first.

North Lees is a short walk to stanage but no sport. 

Porthclais is a short stroll to some easy classics like Red Wall (S 4a) but you might have to deal with the dragon who runs it and again no sport.

Can't think of any campsites that are within walking distance of both trad and sport.

Used to go to the sites on the A5 near Ogwen - can walk to Little Tryfan/Tryfan from there.

One opposite the Vaynol Arms - you "can" walk from there up to the Llanberis pass crags, or get the Sherpa bus up and walk back via the crags.

Symond's Yat could be ideal, although not much sport there.

Gower - can walk to 3 Cliffs Bay from a couple of sites there, IIRC. Note tide times, though.

Swanage or Portland - it's possible to walk to the cliffs from a few camp sites. Pick site according to cliff you're targetting (or vice versa!). Mix of trad and sport. (Swanage - note Dancing Ledge is National Trust and you'll need their permission to take a group there).

I can think of a few other coastal ones, but they need an ab in, so not ideal for beginners.

Could camp in Austwick, you then have robin proctors, oxenber and perhaps panorama crag within walking distance. There might be a ca

Another option is to camp near malham. Hard sport and easier trad. Not sure r.e. camping in groups there though. 

Ogwen valley is great for this sort of thing if the weather plays ball, though there is no sport walkable, but much bouldering.

Worth checking the availability of the roaches hut. Although there's no sport, there's plenty of bouldering and trad on the doorstep. You may find huts in places like stoney Middleton available and about the same price as camping. 

There is a campsite within walking of gogarth. Not sure on groups policy, but Holyhead mountain is great for beginners and gogarth is rad. There's some harder sport over the far side in some quarries I think too, though may not be suitable.

Llanberris, trad and sport on the slate or a bus ride to bigger things up the pass.

Good luck!

There are a couple of new Campsites in Wardlow and one in Millers Dale that would be good for sport and trad in Cheedale / Ravensdale etc.   You could also walk to Horseshoe and Stoney reasonably easily from the Wardlow ones.

There is Llangollen, Trevor Quarry area and various others all limestone, most natural. This has mixed trad and sport routes from low to mid grades in buckets. I believe there is a campsite less than 10 mins away

https://beechesfarmcampsite.co.uk/ ???

Langdale campsite - no sport but everything else

Cheers John (manager langdale)

https://gurtyurt.co.uk/

Almost wild camping an hour from Cheddar /Perch. 20 mins from Sandford Quarry. 2mins from Churchill Rocks. The Crown, The Nelson, The Star and the Swan within 5-15 mins walk and a fish and chipshop. Shameless plug!

Gwern Gof Uchaf campsite is right under Tryfan and walking distance to everything else in the Ogwen Valley.

If Portland is of interest, Portland Outdoor Centre could sort you out self catering accommodation for a very reasonable rate if it’s not already booked up. Just drop me an email info@portlandoutdoor.co.uk Hope I can help.

There is always the underhand route, choose where you wish to camp the book in pairs/individually and happen upon each other accidentally.

So long as you don't behave like stereotypical students, I can't see a problem.

Or, probably better, consider booking a self catering hut for your group.

For an assumed group of novices upwards, try somewhere around thirlmere, Castle Rock, raven, iron all in walking distance and the delight that is Bram if you must,all in walking distance. 

Does the climbing need to be walking distance for a particular reason? Great from an environmental perspective but presumably you will use cars or a mini bus to get to the campsite which could be used to get to a crag?

When I was at uni we had a trip camping at the national Trust campsite in langdale in November each year as previously suggested. One year the weather was favorable and we walked to Raven crag and did a few routes. There are loads of other options for trad climbing in the area but no sport in easy walking distance I can think of. Great memory's particularly of only having one climbing shoe for some reason and doing a route that required one foot jammed in a crack and the other using delicate footholds, unfortunately the rock shoe was the one in the crack and my trainer was attempting to make contact with the small holds. Highly recommended with a good pub too.

You got in before me, Trefor and surrounding area would be perfect

Eric Byne Campsite is perfect for groups, although I'm not sure it's near any sport.

There's no booking required, just turn up and put your tents down and the next morning the nice lady who lives in the house next to the campsite comes around and collects cash from everyone. You can pay for a few days upfront if you want a lie in. When I last went in 2021 it was £3.50 per person per day.

It's probably the cheapest campsite around and they're happy with groups and clubs. They potentially don't mind you being as loud and rowdy as other campsites, but I would still advise you be courteous unless you have the campsite to yourselves - when I visited as a student there would often be many more visitors on the weekend and then we had the campsite to ourselves on weekdays, so we'd drink then.

It's up quite a fairly steep hill and parking is at the bottom, so walking up and down with all your bags is a bit of a chore. I'd suggest packing light!

Not sure I'd recomend Sandford or Churchill rocks to a group of beginers, or anyone actually.

Plenty of easy trad but that's catered for at Cheddar and Perch. I'd agree they are not a mecca for sport as yet.. I read the bit about easier grades. Sorry I missed where it said beginners.

"One opposite the Vaynol Arms - you "can" walk from there up to the Llanberis pass crags, or get the Sherpa bus up and walk back via the crags"

This is Cae Gwyn at Nant Peris - you could also walk into the slate for sport from here. It's about a mile and a half.

Part of the reason for that is that groups often behave like inconsiderate w*nkers.

Good luck finding a suitable site (genuinely) but could you stress to your group that tents aren't soundproof and nobody else on the site wants to be kept awake until the early hours by pissed up students partying.

Thankyou.

U OK hun?

I'm fine thanks.

Gower,pitton cross,three cliffs campsites etc.Sport and trad within walking distance. Get round the" shock horror bunch of students issue" by booking seperately.

Churchill rocks has the massive benefit of topping out close to the Crown of course….

and even closer to our campsite where we are happy to take bookings from students. Not found them a big problem. 30 something married men with families and mates in tow are the issue.

Chase Farm is 2 miles from Wintours Leap, which has trad and sport across a good range of grades. The campsite is spacious, but facilities basic - portacabin toilet and shower block, and a small farm shop. Bonfires and barbecues allowed.

Probably also worth looking at huts: https://www.thebmc.co.uk/climbing-wall-finder#huts 

I thought there were access issues with the main slab at Churchill.

Talking of the A5 sites...

Gwern Gof Isaf doesn't really like groups but I believe they are OK with formal groups (like uni climbing clubs) if booked in advance.

Uchaf I think are more laid back but again it'd make sense to check in advance.

It's CROW land although there is a local farmer who claims it is his.