Cheddar Restrictions and Openings - Plan Ahead

Cheddar Gorge has received a makeover in recent years; newly equipped routes (300 of them), a new guidebook, an extended climbing season, and very positive collaboration between local climbers, the BMC, the National Trust, and Cheddar Caves and Gorge.

If you are planning a trip to Cheddar make sure that you get a copy of the Cheddar Gorge Access Calendar produced by the BMC. This provides at-a-glance information on which crags are open and closed throughout the year.

It is available : here

You can also download an annotated map that shows the main crags where climbing is permitted outside of the winter. Available : here

All restored routes on the south side of the gorge are closed for climbing over the Bank Holiday weekend. So, no climbing on the restored routes (south side) until Tuesday 8th. A number of the north side crags are unrestricted.

Recent reports have identified climbers not using the correct access routes and climbing on restricted crags. The downloadable map and calendar will help you understand these access routes and restrictions, before you visit. Also a reminder that on July 1st, Cheddar Caves Crag AttaK will take place at High Rock in the Gorge. This is a major climbing festival and will raise money for charity and celebrate the successful first year of the new climbing regime.

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Comments

Moacs

7 May, 2007

Hi Mick Forgive me for being dense. I am looking at the diagram of crags where summer climbing is allowed. Are the crag names in BOLD the allowed ones or the red boxes? How far onto high rocks is climbing allowed? Cheers John

AJM

7 May, 2007

I have to confess I'm not entirely sure of this one either. The calendar has a list of the crags to which summer access is allowed, which may help you figure it out (it hasn't me, but I might just be being more dense), and to be fair you will probably need the Crocker mini-guide to get much out of a trip there. It is definitely more than just the red boxes though, and the bold names appear to miss some out as well (Horseshoe Bend Buttress for example). As for High Rocks, I think (but don't quote me) that basically if its single pitch (starting from the ground) its probably included, and that if its multipitch its almost 99.9% certainly out. Its just the wings, in other words - from a memory of my mate's mini-guide (I need to buy one. Any idea where apart from the Caves shop sells them - I'm generally down of an evening after the shop has closed), things like Shangri-La, Still Waters Run Deep, Twilight of Imperialism, stuff like that. AJM

Michael Ryan

7 May, 2007

I'll try and get some clarification John. Mick

James Moyle

7 May, 2007

The New calendar now makes it really clear when you can climb and on which bits. A vast improvement on the RAD's confused message. Well done the BMC. However to not jepordise the new arrangements, a few signs in the car parks would help those that are a little confused.

Paz

8 May, 2007

It's a really nice first draft. Have they got the existing extended access for the reservoir walls (Consolation etc.) on too? It's a difficult task to summarize 6 different access regimes, (Existing Winter, Reservoir walls+Swine cliff, Cheddar Gorge climbing Project restored routes, North side open, North-side-don't-drop-rocks-on-the-public-in-summer, North side-blind-eye-low-profile-we-rather-you-didn't). It should get the simple message across to people that no you can't climb Coronation Street at the moment.

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