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I’ve been whiling away a miserable spell of winter weather reliving some of my best climbing experiences by setting up a new UKC ticklist. It features the pick of the sub grade 20 routes (up to the HVS/ E1) which I have ticked at Mt Arapiles. In my experience no venue comes anywhere near for the number of modest grade trad routes of the finest quality. But my experience of world wide climbing is very limited, so I’m wondering if there is anywhere in the world which comes even close.
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In reply to Rog Wilko:
I'm not sure it beats Arapiles but Lover's Leap must come close for British climbers operating at those grades. Not as hot in the summer months is another advantage over Araps too.
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In reply to Rog Wilko:
The Shawangunks (The Gunks) is pretty amazing at that kind of level. Very steep but positive climbing for the grade. Can't compare to Arapiles because I've not been fortunate enough to go yet. I notice it's quartzite though, which is the same as the Gunks.
Post edited at 21:00
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In reply to fibonacci moose:
> I notice it's quartzite though, which is the same as the Gunks.
Picking up on the Quartzite theme, how about Kamouraska? It's not really a contender as it only has about a hundred routes (and it's bolted - not sure if trad was implied by the OP) but with brilliant routes, a stunning vista, and even a microbrewery, Carling don't make crags but...
https://rockaroundtheworld.co.uk/2019/10/11/kamouraska-carling-dont-make-cr...
... and of course Gogarth is The Best Crag In The World and that's Quartzite too. I've been lucky enough to climb at Arapiles and The Gunks too and agree they're excellent - what is it about Quartzite?
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In reply to dominic o: Gogarth is not the best for easy routes tho'
Stanage. Don't knock it
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In reply to fibonacci moose:
> The Shawangunks (The Gunks) is pretty amazing at that kind of level. Very steep but positive climbing for the grade. Can't compare to Arapiles because I've not been fortunate enough to go yet. I notice it's quartzite though, which is the same as the Gunks.
I’ve seen a few pictures and it looks impressive. Hadn’t twigged that both are quartzite. Geological determinism again.
In reply to Rog Wilko:
As soon as read the thread title I was thinking ‘whatever he’s going to say is wrong, the answer is surely Arapiles’!
But you weren’t wrong 😉
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In reply to dominic o:
> ... and of course Gogarth is The Best Crag In The World and that's Quartzite too. I've been lucky enough to climb at Arapiles and The Gunks too and agree they're excellent - what is it about Quartzite?
But the really best top quality quartzite is on Beinn Eighe and that is, of course, better than all three of those crags (well, I've not actually been to the Arapiles or the Gunks, but I'll take your word for it that Gogarth is better)
Edit: Gogarth has a nice enough sea cliff ambience but I don't think the quartzite there is a particularly aesthetic or interesting climbing medium as such. The stuff on Beinn Eighe is much superior; quartzite does seem to vary a lot.
Post edited at 09:47
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In reply to Rog Wilko:
A couple of days before getting to Arapiles I was bitten/scratched by something. When I arrived I couldn't walk but managed to hop up one of the easier routes. Best eqiluivalent vdiff I ever climbed! Couldn't continue but did avoid an amputation! (Long story).
Another vote for Arapiles, bit like Stanage but up to 400ft high.
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In reply to Robert Durran: Most of the routes on Beinn Eighe are Esomething or winter routes.. that's a tough definition of easy routes
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In reply to Rog Wilko:
Dow, Bosigram, Sennen, Idwal plus upper tiers, Holyhead Mtn.... granted not all are great long multipitch crags. It depends if you class parking at cromlech boulders and walking less than 500m in any direction as 'one' venue.
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In reply to Robert Durran:> But the really best top quality quartzite is on Beinn Eighe
Yes, when quartzite was mentioned I was suddenly visualling the stuff on Beinn Eighe which IIRC is silvery grey and very blocky and absolutely nothing like Arapiles. Very fine sruff, though.
In reply to Eam1:
> A couple of days before getting to Arapiles I was bitten/scratched by something. When I arrived I couldn't walk but managed to hop up one of the easier routes. Best eqiluivalent vdiff I ever climbed! Couldn't continue but did avoid an amputation! (Long story).
Blimey!
In reply to wbo2:
I know, but I was replying to the claim that Gogarth was the best crag in the world (but sorry, off topic).
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In reply to Rog Wilko:
Continuing the Quartzite theme, Shortoff Mountain in my native North Carolina, is incredible and adventurous at amenable grades. Not contending 'world's best' or anything, but I'm sure it's off the radar of most UK climbers (not even in the logbooks for shame), and deserves a mention, with so many 3 and 4 star routes. All trad, no bolts.
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In reply to grectangle:
HVS/E1 for a foot free ascent?
> Continuing the Quartzite theme, Shortoff Mountain in my native North Carolina, is incredible and adventurous at amenable grades. Not contending 'world's best' or anything, but I'm sure it's off the radar of most UK climbers (not even in the logbooks for shame), and deserves a mention, with so many 3 and 4 star routes. All trad, no bolts.
> This comes in at HVS/E1!
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In reply to Sean Kelly:
> HVS/E1 for a foot free ascent?
5.10 a/b but I'm guessing most would choose to leave their feet on
In reply to Rog Wilko:
The Gunks quartzite is more like horizontally banded granite to climb on, and again, very different to the Foinaven/Ben Eighe/Holyhead Mountain experience.
There does seem to be theme here though! Aren't all those juggy world classics in Eldorado Canyon on quartzite as well?
Post edited at 15:38
In reply to Rog Wilko:
we spent some time there January 1990. Had to leave a mark on such an excellent crag. Hope to return one day.
https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/arapiles_-_the_king_rat_cliffs-291...
In reply to A Nidderdale boulderer.:
Ksar rock and the general Tafroute area in Morocco. Also quartzite funnily enough
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In reply to ExiledScot:
Bosi and Sennen are granite. Totally different from quartzite.
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In reply to Petwes - I assumed he meant they're world class for easy routes.. maybe.
Yes, Eldo is quartzite and the Front Range Crags (inc. Eldo) have a lot of very good easy routes. Mixture of quartzite and granite as I recall
In reply to Rog Wilko:
Any votes for Red Rocks? I’ve never been but I’ve heard people rave. Don’t know if there are lots of top quality easier routes.
Post edited at 17:51
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In reply to fibonacci moose:
> The Shawangunks (The Gunks) is pretty amazing at that kind of level. Very steep but positive climbing for the grade. Can't compare to Arapiles because I've not been fortunate enough to go yet. I notice it's quartzite though ...
The quartzite at Arapiles seems to take some very distinctive shapes. I've never see the rounded, bulbous holds which occur at Arapiles at any other place.
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In reply to Rog Wilko:
Red rocks Las Vegas? I loved it, and there's the added bonus that some single pitch sport is availlable at amenable grades for rest / hangover days.
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In reply to petwes:
> Bosi and Sennen are granite. Totally different from quartzite.
I know. I didn't think I'd claimed any crag was any specific rock type at all.
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In reply to Rog Wilko:
Not necessarily 'world's best' but I think in the UK, three of our top crags for volume of quality sub-E1 routes would have to include Stanage, Bosigran and Reiff.
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In reply to tjekel:
"some single pitch sport"
3000+ sport routes = some?
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In reply to Rog Wilko:
For volume of high quality routes up to E1 packed into a relatively small location then I reckon Lundy takes some beating.
Being marooned on a small island just adds to the magic.
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In reply to redjerry:
Well, maybe the multipitch were so overemphasized for me. And the single pitch sport in many cases was not exactly easy in Rog's sense. All the same, the area was simply great.
In reply to grectangle:
North Carolina 5.10 is at the very least E2 and often harder.
Excellent rock/climbing though.
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In reply to Rog Wilko:
Flatanger
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In reply to tjekel:
Another vote for Red Rocks for upto E1 and in combination with Joshua Tree is my go-to ideal xmas world holiday venue (just take care with JT grades!). I just wish the OP hadn't defined that grade range as easy. Red Rocks certainly isn't a world class area below HS.
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In reply to wbo2:
> Stanage. Don't knock it
OK, I will bite... Ardmair blows Stanage out of the water.
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In reply to Ciro:
Maybe not below E1 though?
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In reply to Offwidth:
> I just wish the OP hadn't defined that grade range as easy.
Sorry about that. Not my real opinion!
In reply to Michael Gordon:
True, there's a bunch of great easy routes on the Laggavoulin Buttress, and how The Raven gets 1 star is beyond me... Maybe it only knocks Stanage out of the water for a day below E1 😉
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In reply to Rog Wilko: This big crag with big selection of class routes - Sron na Ciche
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In reply to John Lyall:
Good call. Doesn’t have the weather, though, does it!
In reply to Rog Wilko:
Friction is so good you can still climb in the rain, on the rare occasion there is bad weather!
In reply to Rog Wilko:
Surely Tuolomne has to be up there as an amazing not-nails destination?
In reply to Rog Wilko:
Squamish
In reply to Rog Wilko:
Loads of excellent sub-20 trad routes in Cape Town...
and the Cedarberg, a couple of hours drive away...
Then there's Montagu, and the classic big multipitch routes in Du Toit's Kloof...
Post edited at 09:57
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