Climbs 291
Rocktype Limestone
Altitude Tidal
Faces S
View from the bottom - Boulder Ruckle, looking west © ChrisBrooke
Crag features
The white and yellow striped walls of the Boulder Ruckle make up the showpiece crag of Swanage. The Ruckle, as it is affectionately known, runs westwards from Subluminal, unbroken for over a kilometre and, at over forty metres in height, it offers fear, exhilaration and many sensationally-positioned routes. The grade range of Severe to E6 means that it will appeal to most, however, with the seriousness of the free-hanging approach abseils, the awkward escape routes and the broken finishes, it becomes a less attractive option for inexperienced teams. Nevertheless, for those in search of an adventurous mission, don a helmet, dust off the prusik loops and prepare to do battle on some fine atmospheric classics with little liklihood of having to queue.
The walls of The Ruckle are especially good for those operating in the HVS to E3 range. Fortunately, protection possibilities are usually in good supply with the unrelenting steepness of the rock accounting for the grade on most climbs, rather than any great technical difficulty or terrifying bold run-outs.
Approach notes
Walk down the tarmac road from Durlston car park, then head west along the coast path (right - looking out). A cliff-top track runs below this and the abseil stakes are found near this lower path. The first area arrived at is a 10 minute walk, and the furthest area takes around 20 minutes.
Access Advice
The top of the routes can be challenging with a dirty loose blocky bank to get to the belay stakes. If climbing one of the less well travelled routes, leaving a rope to help your exit is a wise approach. The base is a ruckle of mostly non tidal boulders, but it is hard to safely traverse the whole length and requires a low tide and calm sea. In a moderate sea there are areas that provide some shelter.
Most of the stake belays have been replaced in the last 10 years, however the top is getting very overgrown with Hawthorn scrub and you may need to burrow into the thicket to find your stake. A pair of secateurs can be handy.
The cliff top is very close to the busy public coast path and your gear and ropes can be visible to the passers-by. Leave your belonging with an awareness of this, to prevent investigation or concern by the public.
Seasonal Restrictions
Dates: 1 March to 31 July
Reason: Nesting Birds
Do not climb or abseil in areas within the nesting bird restriction, these apply between routes:
Andycap – Snowdrop inclusive,
Sardine Special - Hard Days Night Inclusive
Quasimodo – Galileo Inclusive
Additional restriction may get put in place during the seasons as nesting habits vary from year to year, and if there are birds nesting on your chosen route, make best effort not to disturb them or better still find a different route.
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Climbs at this crag
| Name | Grade | Stars | Type | Logs | Partner Ascents |
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These climbs you have climbed by seconding or top-roping.
These climbs you have Dogged.
These climbs you Did not Finish.
Climbs are waiting to be checked by a crag moderator, and may not be accurate. Climbs can't be verified by a crag moderator, and they need more information to confirm it. Climbs are no longer climbable.
Moderators Updates to this page are checked by UKC volunteers Marti999 and Ed Babs