Steep routes UK

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 dinodinosaur 22 Apr 2021

Just thinking how UK sport doesn't tend to be very steep.

Has anyone come across anything circa 35 degrees overhanging in the UK in mortal grades (sub 8s)?

Maybe the wave at Cheddar? And maybe space face at mother scareys, but I feel these are more 15-20?

A couple of roof moves doesn't count in this context. 

Post edited at 13:37
In reply to dinodinosaur:

I've already told him to go do Almost Me (7c). I know everyone's thinking it.

1
 Dark-Cloud 22 Apr 2021
In reply to dinodinosaur:

Hollywood Bowl on Giggleswick North springs to mind, only ever looked at it from a distance though....

mind https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/giggleswick_north-1344#hollywood_b...

 Chris Craggs Global Crag Moderator 22 Apr 2021
In reply to dinodinosaur:

> And maybe space face at mother scareys, but I feel these are more 15-20?

You must mean "sporting" presumably?

Chris

 Climber_Bill 22 Apr 2021
In reply to dinodinosaur:

Lulworth in Dorset. Possibly steep enough......

https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/lulworth-259

SD.

OP dinodinosaur 22 Apr 2021
In reply to Chris Craggs:

Sorry!! I meant sport and sporty trad but missed that bit out by accident!

 laughitup 22 Apr 2021
In reply to dinodinosaur:

Couple of things at Shipwreck Cove at  Rhossili Beach ?

 mutt 22 Apr 2021
In reply to dinodinosaur:

Laughing arthur in the great cave 7c+ reputably (as I have t climbed it) overhangs 45m in 63 m ascent. Forever laughing is the bolted version at7c+ which just about qualifiesForever Laughing (7c+)

 AJM 22 Apr 2021
In reply to dinodinosaur:

I'm not sure when "a couple of roof moves" becomes enough to count, but some suggestions:

Lulworth as others have said

Fisherman's Ledge at the upper end of your range (i.e. there are some 7c+s in Palace of the Brine). 

The Promenade 

- some of the stuff at Cave Hole like Zen Zero (7c+)

Post edited at 15:20
 Tyler 22 Apr 2021
In reply to Dark-Cloud:

Comedy and Pantomime at Kilnsey are the obvious ones but what you are asking for isn’t all that common abroad either. 
Margalef is famously steep routes bystanders routes of continuous 35 degrees are rare, e.g. Magic Festival probably isn’t and stuff that is is mostly in the 8s and 9s. Similarly, the start of the Cascade might be 35 degrees or more but the meat of the routes are a lot less. 35 degrees is steep!
Other steepish grade 7 sport routes in UK I can think of are Release the Hounds, stuff in Pigeon’s cave, Tomorrow People, Extreme Ways

Post edited at 15:12
 Xavierpercy 22 Apr 2021
In reply to dinodinosaur:

Pioneers of the Hypnotic Groove is very steep and very brilliant and at an amenable grade.

Pioneers of the Hypnotic Groove (7b)

OP dinodinosaur 22 Apr 2021
In reply to Xavierpercy:

That looks amazing! 

 petegunn 22 Apr 2021
In reply to dinodinosaur:

Moughton Nab has a steep section at the far end (overhanging buttress) short and powerful routes 7a - 7b

 Ray Sharples 22 Apr 2021
In reply to dinodinosaur:

Filey Brigg has some short steep stuff e.g watkins ale (6b+) but best check the bolts first! 

Post edited at 20:42
OP dinodinosaur 22 Apr 2021
In reply to JLS:

Nope that will do it! 

 Macleod 23 Apr 2021
In reply to dinodinosaur:

Really, though - this is what you're actually looking for:

Bob Marley - RRG

(wee bit far away for a day trip from Glasgow though)

OP dinodinosaur 23 Apr 2021
In reply to dinodinosaur:

The whole context of this was in reference to the trend towards steep comp walls and bouldering route roofs in indoor centres that are typically steeper than 35 degrees. I felt that as someone who climbs outside spending that most of my time on this terrain isn't valuable to performance outside as nothing ends up being that steep. I was just wondering if I was missing something and there was more steep stuff in the UK (which there is a bit more than I'd realised) 

That said it is really fun smashing up massive jugs on steep ground every now and then! Just not totally relevant to being able to crimp up a wall with small holds and terrible feet. 

 Martin Hore 23 Apr 2021
In reply to dinodinosaur:

35 years ago I did an HVS 5a at Roscolyn which would meet your steepness criteria. Enormous jugs all the way of course - some large enough to hook a knee over and take a rest. I've not been back to Roscolyn, and I've never been able to find it again in a guidebook. Perhaps someone will recognise it from this description. Then, again, at that angle on a sea cliff it may have fallen down by now.

Martin

 Tyler 23 Apr 2021
In reply to Martin Hore:

Could it have been these? Not quiet Rhoscolyn but on the same bit of coast:

The Flakes of Wrath (E1 5a)

Poo Dog (E1 5b)

Some of these were given HVS originally

Post edited at 11:51
 Pina 23 Apr 2021
In reply to Martin Hore:

I've yet to come across anything resembling the Dun Mingulay headwall for steepness and jugs in the UK. 

 Euan Todd 23 Apr 2021
In reply to Martin Hore:

Not sure if it's steep enough, but was it Fan Fare (HVS 4c)

 Michael Gordon 23 Apr 2021
In reply to Martin Hore:

I think Cauldron Crack (HVS 5a) is one of the steepest HVS routes I've done, though a bit easy for the OP.

 zv 23 Apr 2021
In reply to dinodinosaur:

So a list of some of the steeper things I have done or tried in the UK:

https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/fedw_fawr-9896/tricky_fruitbat-119...  and 

https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/fedw_fawr-9896/bunty-122515  - about as steep as it can possibly get for 6a/+. The start is maybe 35 or more degrees if my memory serves me right? The jugs are huge as expected for the grade. Lovely climbs in an idyllic setting.

https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/water-cum-jolly-140/rubicon-16361  - a classic! There are a few things in the 7a+/b region adjacent to it, at a similarish angle. 

Pantomine/Comedy at Kilnsey are obvious contenders at very steep sub 8s.

https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/kilnsey-608/smooth_torquer-12506 Also this - Smooth Torquer is about as steep as 7a+ can get : ) After the bouldery crimpy start you get to a section with the biggest possible buckets in a very steep position;

 

Post edited at 17:42
 Misha 24 Apr 2021
In reply to dinodinosaur:

The thing with walls is as a general rule they struggle to make things hard by using small holds (most indoor holds are quite large by outdoor standards, while anything remotely small gets greased up quickly), so they have to make it steep to make it hard. Also it makes sense to exaggerate things for training purposes. That said, I’m not convinced by really steep walls. As steady 20 degree overhang is plenty. 

 Martin Hore 25 Apr 2021
In reply to Euan Todd:

Thanks Euan. It could have been Fanfare or perhaps Flakes of Wrath suggested by Tyler. Fanfare is probably more likely as I think it would have been worth stars. Perhaps my memory has over-exaggerated its steepness. 

Martin

 rachelpearce01 25 Apr 2021
In reply to Misha:

Weeeaaaak

 Misha 25 Apr 2021
In reply to rachelpearce01:

Yeah well you whipper snappers are much stronger obviously. Well done on RW (which definitely isn’t overhanging...).

 gooberman-hill 25 Apr 2021
In reply to Xavierpercy:

When did 7b become "an amenable grade"?

 redjerry 25 Apr 2021
In reply to dinodinosaur:

I think there's really some truth to the idea that many climbers would get more value from certain aspects of their training if they spent more time training on less steep terrain.
Where I live, there is loads of bouldering terrain in the gyms but it is basically all in 30 degree plus range. Even then, most of the less steep terrain is devoted to easy problems or high volume slopers.


 

 redjerry 25 Apr 2021
In reply to dinodinosaur:

I think there's really some truth to the idea that many climbers would get more value from certain aspects of their training if they spent more time training on less steep terrain.
Where I live, there is loads of bouldering terrain in the gyms but it is basically all in 30 degree plus range. Even then, most of the less steep terrain is devoted to easy problems or high volume slopers.
 

OP dinodinosaur 26 Apr 2021
In reply to Misha:

I went indoors for the first time last week after a reasonably long spell only climbing outside and my first thoughts were, these holds are massive. Specifically the feet 

 Lankyman 26 Apr 2021
In reply to dinodinosaur:

> I went indoors for the first time last week after a reasonably long spell only climbing outside and my first thoughts were, these holds are massive. Specifically the feet 

I hear they have colour coded holds as well?

2

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