UKC

Looking for Sport at 4, 5 aspire to 6 or Trad VD to VS preferably within 1.5 hours from Gloucester.

My usual bimbling ground is the Peak District but will be in Gloucester at wkd. Have climbed Trad at Shorncliffe (Musketeers etc) or Fly Wall Wintours. Current standards are below that!

Opinions/recommendations welcome.

Sport. - Gilwern? Woodcroft Quarry? Wynd Cliff? Any others?

Trad - Symonds Yat but likely heaving and polished? Any others?

Sport crag would also give opportunity for friend to do their first sport.

Thanks in advance to the UKC collective.

Gilwern is a pretty good option for 5s and 6s and it's never been too busy whenever I've been. Just make sure it's not cold/windy as it's quite exposed up there, and be aware one of the approach roads is closed.

From Gloucester you should be able to get to a lot of the South Wales valley crags within 1.5hrs. Places such as Tirpentwys have plenty to do. 

If it's not too sunny, Wyndcliff does have some good routes. Upper tier R of access path has easy short routes. L also, but yes there is some choss. I find the lower tier too short, but may be what you want. Woodcroft is shady, the upper tier (scramble up easily just left of Gunshot..) has very amenable grades.

Have fun

Wintours is the best spot for easier trad.  Try Zelda (HS 4b) and I've always enjoyed Bottle Buttress (VD 4a); though the first pitch can be loose and the second is a walk, the remaining pitches are fun.  If you don't fancy it, the direct Bottle Buttress Direct (VS 4c) is also worthwhile.  Towards the far end of the crag, Left Hand Route (HS 4b) is entertaining.

But there's lots to go at in the grades you want.  Can be warm in the afternoon sun.

T.

Outside of the obvious trad spots in the Wye, you could think about Box Bay (lovely beginner grade sea cliff climbing) and Fairy Cave Quarry (occasionally slightly bold quarried limestone).

As said above, Welsh valleys: no one place is outstanding, but you could do two venues in a day. Penalta, roadside quarry, the gap to name just few nearer the top of the valleys, if you come in via Abergavenny and heads of valley road. 

Or early start before traffic and go to the Gower.

Thanks for replies.

Wintours or fairy cave for trad.

One friend is experienced climbing sport. One friend would like to have go at sport. He would need to be shown how to re thread etc  highlighting all potential pitfalls. (I would of course do this on the ground)

Wyndcliff woodcroft Gilwern all seem to have some grades in my range. Is there any difference in quality of rock. (I am realistic so not expecting El Chorro but dont want just El Chosso.)

Going to gower for a camping trip later in the year. It was actually my first choice for this weekend. Traffic and time restrictions dictates max distance travelled. Time strictly limited as much further return journey than Gloucester.

The rock in all those places needs a bit of caution. The quarries have regular loose rock and Gilwern had some friable sections of weak flowstone (though it's usually obvious before you set off, which routes this applies to). 

Papillon at Wyndcliff main is great; hard HS or easy VS. Questor and Cardiac there are great too and the easier of the other VS routes (Fibre and Cadillac are top-end). You'll want a big rack for the left-hand crag especially though, double nuts and 14-16 quickdraws.

Shorncliff has quite a few nice VS routes to have a go at, it's not just the HVSs on the slab. 

Symonds Yat has some okay VS and HS routes but they're pretty worn comparatively. 

Fly Wall at Wintours has some great VS routes (Butterfly, Split, Swallows Nest) but not much below that. The multi-pitch HS/VS offerings on the main Wintours crag are not amazing. 

Thanks for all your replies. Circumstances meant that I only had Saturday as a climbing day and original group changed. Intended to climb at Gilwern but weather changed that. We explored Wyndcliff and enjoyed some sport climbs and explored the trad. Very different on limestone as opposed to my usual grit. Questor looks ace.

Once again, thanks for the advice.