UKC

I'm planning to take a trip to the Wye Valley in September with an old school friend, and possibly a couple more bods, but have never been there before let alone climbed there, and was wondering what advice people could offer. We'll be going for the weekend, so two days of climbing. I was thinking of visiting Symonds Yat, but Shorn Cliff has been recommended to me, so maybe a day at each.

In people's opinions, which are the best places to climb? We can second around VS, but haven't got much experience leading trad, so can probably lead around HVD.

What about campsites? Or nice country pubs?

Cheers!

In reply to Sarah_Clough:
Symonds Yat is pleasant enough, there are some really good routes (eg Vertigo, Severe) and a lot of so-so ones. It might be a good choice because there's so much in the low grades
Shorn Cliff is excellent, though less in the lower grades than the Yat. Protection is mostly excellent though, even on the slabs.
How about Wintour's Leap? Mostly multi-pitch, but usually with big stances. Central Rib has 3 versions, all worthwhile, at VD, S, VS. A friend often takes people up the VDiff version as an introduction to climbing and hasn't lost anyone yet!

In reply to Sarah_Clough:
P.S. The campsite above Shorn Cliff is probably the best/handiest. No showers or hot water though, but cheap. The approach instructions in the guidebook are no longer correct though, do a search of the forums as I posted the new details recently.
There's a nice pub at the bottom of the hill from the site, about a 20 minute walk but longer on the way back!
There's also a big campsite in the forest (near Coleford) which has more facilities but is busier and noisier.

In reply to Sarah_Clough: Be careful at Wintours Leap. There was a massive rock fall in the GO wall area last weeek. It should not affect the central area etc. but the rain has been very heavy so caution is advised.

In reply to Sarah_Clough:

The Yat is rubbish and muddy - I don't like it.

Wintours is great - something like Neibelheim (3 pitch VS) is excellent.

In reply to ALAN PIKE:

I read about the rock fall, sounded scary!

In reply to Sarah_Clough: It was. Massive.

In reply to Simon Caldwell:

I found a website that mentioned campsites at Christchurch and the M50 from Ross-on-Wye. Do you know either of these? I'm not overly bothered about showers, but a toilet block is pretty much a must.

In reply to James Jackson:

The pictures of the view from the Yat look fantastic though, and climbing through the trees. We're planning to have a nice enjoyable weekend, so lovely scenery would be great to complement the climbing. What's it like at Wintours?

In reply to Sarah_Clough: wintours leap is the best all round, plus the rising sun pub on the top is real nice ,does good food too. leading vdiff there are plenty of good multi pitch routes all safe as (good belays and gear)

In reply to Sarah_Clough: Yes, the climbing at Wintours Leap is very good, limestone with lovely views. Some of the in-situ gear is old but the pro and belays are always generous. Central Rib is a classic for its grade VD but the optional 4a corner to finish is much better. Try it out.

In reply to Sarah_Clough:
Don't know either of these. The site at Shorn Cliff does have a toilet block though.
The rockfall at Wintour's was in a quarried area notorious for its loose rock and regular falls. Most of the crag is much more solid (not quarried?).

The problem with Symonds Yat is that with many of the routes you're not climbing through the trees, but under them, ie you never emerge through the canopy to see the views. The pinnacle routes (Vertigo) being the main exceptions. The views at Wintour's are much better IMHO, you can imagine you're miles from civilisation, even though the routes finish virtually by the road. Shorn Cliffe has good views from the tops of the routes, views of trees from the bottoms

It's a great areas though, and luckily my brother and his wife have just moved to Ruspidge so I'll be going visiting rather more than when they lived in Colchester!

In reply to ALAN PIKE: The central rid VD route is rather polished and therefore was slightly scarier than expected.

In reply to Sarah_Clough:

Stay at Beeches farm campsite near Shorncliffe. Beautiful outlook from high over the river, never too crowded. Lovelly walf through the fields to the pub at Brockweir.

Shorncliffe is the nicest of the Wye valley crags and is an easy walk from the campsite. Word of warning - do NOT wear shorts for the walk in at this time of year - the last 50m from the track to crag will have brambles and nettles aplenty.

In reply to GrahamD:

That's the one, forgot its name

In reply to Simon Caldwell and all:

Cool! Sounds nice. Is the pub at Brockwier the one you were talking about as well?

I think it'll be Shorn Cliff one day and Wintours leap the other by the sound of it. At least they're closer together, and I could always drive past the Yat on my way down there just to see it.

In reply to Alex T: I agree that the last few metres up to the big tree is polished but the pro is good. Still a classic though

In reply to Sarah_Clough: You can't drive past Yat and see it. You have to park, pay and find it. Its muddy, dank and miserable but some of the climbs are good, Golden fleece VD, The russian VS etc.

In reply to ALAN PIKE:

Ah ok, think I'll just give it a miss completely this time then and stick to the other two places!

In reply to ALAN PIKE:
the russian VS - surely you jest?

hvs at least

Sarah - wintours is great. so is symonds yat. if its even slightly wet avoid symonds though as it gets muddy

In reply to Sarah_Clough: wye valley is not bad , closest to us not including Leicester ?! shorncliff and wintours leap being the best . if you let me know when you go we will be happy to meet you there ?
you cann camp next to the river below wye crag , its a small site but right next to the pub and ferry ??

In reply to Sarah_Clough:

Yes. Good food, though the real ale, being southern, is a bit watery

You can see the Longstone Pinnacle at Symonds Yat as you drive past along the main road (is it the A40 or something? M50?). For the rest you have to use your imagination.

In reply to samm:

Wintour's Leap and Short Cliff are 65 miles from my house, according to the database. And my old school mate (Einar) lives in Bristol, so not far for him at all.

Is the campsite you're thinking of the same one that people have been talking about (Beeches), or a different one?

It would be cool if you join us. Do you have a rack? I should have a little bit of gear by then - some nuts, quickdraws and helmet, and hopefully a rope, but can't afford the rest yet, i.e. slings and all the other essentials! I'll put a note on lifts and partners when I've confirmed details with Einar.

In reply to Simon Caldwell:

Could be either the A40 or the A48 according to streetmap.co.uk

In reply to Sarah_Clough: yes i have a rack , but i was not on channel 4 last night MEN WITH BOOBS !!!!!
when are you going ?? Nigel's in iceland but shauns about ?

In reply to ALAN PIKE:

Nooooo! Symonds Yat is brilliant adventure climbing in an atmospheric environment.

Ok, it's horrid if it hasn't had 3-4 days of dry weather because mud gets washed down from above, but if it has been dry it's great.

In reply to Sarah_Clough:
Sarah me and my mate climb at the Why Valley most weekends and there is plenty of places to go. If your into sports routes there are some small 30ft slabs at Tintern Qarry varying in grades from VD upto E1 and then the surrounding cliffs go through to E7, they are all bolted and give you plenty of scope to push your grade if you wish.

Tintern is on the same rode a Wintours about 10 mins further up on the left. Alsio visit www.whyclimbing.co.uk (or something like that) Dylan Bugess will know (Bungle Gas)

The campsite in Christchurch is excellent,a friend of mine is living there !!! there are toilets /shower /shop etc.
You won't be dissapointed and is very close to Yat,you could even walk there if you are feeling fit !
As others have said lots of climbing there ,some very polished esp on the introdutory slabs,can also get muddy,but on the whole you will find something that suits.

In reply to ALAN PIKE:

>>Wintours Leap... pro and belays are always generous

Hmm, I've always found Wintours rather run-out.

Avoid Shorn Cliff if you can't lead VS, there's really not much below this (a few HS's maybe).

In reply to clams:
I've only been to Shorn Cliff once, we did a VDiff, a Severes, two Hard Severes, a VS, and an HVS.
All other than one of the HSs either had or deserved at least one star

In reply to Sarah_Clough:

In my opinion

Symonds Yat - Quite a few 'easier' routes but often dank and muddy and full of scouts

Shorncliff - enjoyment-wise the best climbing in the Wye Valley. Grades are often soft-touches but there's a limited supply of routes to lead at less than VS

Wintour's Leap - big and complex with multipitch routes. Lots of ledges - especially on the easier routes - but protection in between these can be sparse. Very fine outlook.

Wyndcliffe - the only cliff on the Welsh side. Some good routes, and gets a lot of sun, but nothing less than VS

There are other cliffs - Ban Y Gor, Tintern Quarry etc..., but these are all rahter more esoteric.

In reply to sn:

A fair summary. There is certainly plenty of good sub VS stuff at Shornecliffe for at least one good day.

In reply to sn:

there's some good climbs less than VS also at shornecliff. The best area to start if you can climb at least HS is defo the cave area formed by a large fallen block somewhere in the middle section of shorne cliff. (look for laughing cavaliers)

Also Bare in mind that compared with a lot of crags you can take atleast 1/2 a grade off most the routes, and compared with stiffly graded crags maybe 1-2 grades. So a HS will feel more like a severe in any case. There are a few exceptions to this rule dotted about shorne cliff mind.

In reply to Ian: VS 4c in my book. Mind you it is the old Cordee guide. Seems like the climbs get harder as the years go by.

In reply to Sarah_Clough:

I've no great objection to Symonds Yat - you might want a helmet though, as there's a good supply of loose rock at the top of the routes. Snoozin' Suzie is a nice route at V Diff, and Golden Slipper at Severe. The Introductory Area is best avoided if you can, as it's horrendously polished.

Wintour's Leap is a nice setting with a fair choice of multi-pitch routes at Diff-Severe. There isn't always huge amounts of gear, but then, how much gear do you expect on a diff?

Shorn Cliff is a nice place, too - I haven't been more than a couple of times, and I don't remember too easier stuff, but I'm sure the guidebook will help you out. The area already mentioned (The Three Muskateers routes) rings some bells as being good.

In reply to Sarah_Clough:


grotty, sweaty, dirty, loose, hard to find routes. Go to Symonds but watch it at the top after rain - there are some very steep and sometimes slippery mud slopes to get up before you're safe.

In reply to RobE:
my mate nearly topped himself at symonds yat, falling down the mud bank, and caught the last tree before the edge !!!!

Symonds Yat is not my favourite crag either. small, low, busy and dangerous, there are more callouts due to accidents there than the whole of the rest of the wye valley put together (apparently). The top section of cliff is more compact than the rest also so tends to be the unprotected crux moves.

I quite like Wintors, but it's really hard to find routes there. Personally never found it particularly loose, sweaty(??) or dirty but I guess that's route dependant. The views are spectacular.

In reply to Sarah_Clough:
Wyndcliff is good too certainly worth an outing - Questor and Caddilac, seem to bring back great memories, but I think they are both VS. Juggy stuff that won't mess you around with bomber gear everywhere including a traverse for a hidden hold I seem to recall.

In reply to Sarah_Clough: I go to to Shorne cliff when I can and if it doesn't piss down, usually stay in Monmouth there 2 campsites there with good facilities and costs £7 per night for 2 ppl 3 man tent and car.

In reply to Woker:

I know, fumbling about on the mud at the end can be scarier than the route itself.


Only been once - the undergrowth can make it humid and thrashing about in the vegetation getting to and finding routes is frustrating to say the least.

In reply to RobE:

Grotty - couldn't be less true!
Sweaty - no, except one trip when it was about 30C
dirty - not really
loose - not on the 'classic' routes, or at least no more so than any limestone crag. Take care on certasin sections and unstarred routes though.
hard to find routes - can't comment as I've always been there with 'locals' who know their way around

It's one of my favourite crags!

In reply to Simon Caldwell:
it can be very humid in the crags around bristol, they often have a lot of ferns growing and the forest looks and feels kinda rain foresty (believe it or not)

In reply to Sarah_Clough: Fly Wall at Wintours is a bit friendlier, quite a few good routes up to VS, all single pitch and easy to find. Good luck.

In reply to Bob Hassall:

Thanks!