UKH

Hello, 

I was wondering if anyone knew of any undeveloped crags for climbing or bouldering in the Bristol area, preferably North of it rather than South. Any info appreciated. 

Thanks, 

Sam

It's your job to find them 😉

Yeah, there's a mile or so of pocketed limestone, about 50m high on average, in the Stoke Park Estate. As far as I know it's never been climbed on and apparently the land owner is OK with having it bolted, so long as the work doesn't start before April next year...

Yeah, I suppose so. Just never done anything like this before so not really sure where to start, where it's allowed etc

What do you mean undeveloped?  There are several minor crags North of Bristol but they are all historically trad to the best of my knowledge. Personally I found them somewhat underwhelming but they are listed on the crags database and there are one or two routes that are quite good albeit short lived and a little vegetated.

If the weather conditions are right, you could try a winter ascent of St Michael's Hill.....

Well, I'm basically just trying to find some more bouldering or roped climbing for us lot who are North of Bristol but not close to any substantial amount of routes, so could be new unclimbed rock or old forgotten rock. 

It's not too hard to get to Avon Gorge or Wintour's from North Bristol!

Yeah, I'd love to climb in Avon Gorge but I've got nothing in the sorts of trad gear nor a partner, so I'm mainly stuck on sport routes that I feel alright with soloing, or bouldering. 

So in affect a grotty, little, overgrown, little visited venue with not too many routes? There is very little unclimbed rock in the UK but as I have already alluded to there are several less popular crags North of Bristol on the UKC Database.

Get out an OS map and go exploring who knows you may discover an undiscovered hidden gem.

Thanks, will do! 

Given some of the utter shite that has been developed in N Bristol, I'd give the undeveloped stuff a miss!

On a more serious note, developing a sport crag (which sounds like what you are after) is a much more complex proposition than trad or boulder, I would advise against it unless you really know what you're doing.

There's some fun little sport routes plus a handful of trad in Blaise Estate, and you may also enjoy the ring road boulders. 

Yeah nicely dismissive.

There is no certain outcome when developing places but thank god some people are making the effort in the first place.

I could give you several examples where the outcome would have been blindingly obvious from the start - all good if it's someone's local development project and they enjoy themselves, but no need to act wounded when other people don't think it's the new Ceuse.

Eh?

I want to a register a major vote of thanks to you, Guy, Gordon and co for your fantastic and immense work developing an incredible number of local venues, with loads of things to go at. I am having many happy days out with your 'Esoteric Bouldering in the Bristol Area' guidebook. 

Hi Sam. Mark Davies (The Pylon King) has produced a superb 400 page guidebook called Esoteric Bouldering in the Bristol Region, including stuff north of Bristol. Also, check out the UKC database for Avon https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/?distance=40&location=51.454,%.... There is already an enormous amount to go at. 

Trying to develop/rediscover rock to climb on without extensive experience and diligent liaison with the British Mountaineering Council access reps and crag (re)developers who do have that experience locally is not a good idea. You could antagonise landowners and other users, and unknowingly destroy rare flora and habitats. This could lead to wider loss of access. 

Hear, hear! I meant to start a thread on exactly this but never got round to it.  Now if only I had some more time to get out and us the guidebook but it will come one day.  Thank you!

Emulating or even surpassing this great feat in London some years back:

https://www.rockandice.com/videos/climbing/climbing-the-north-face-of-the-u...

As opposed to Mick Fowler completing the first and only winter ascent  of St Pancras Station!

https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/memories-of-extreme-cold-spell-in-1987...

Yeah, I've got that guidebook, it's absolutely incredible and I'm loving the ring road boulders, but the majority of places I could only reach with 1.5h cycle, so was just trying to see if there's anything closer 

Here are some suggestions that might help if you haven't got a car. You could post in 'Lifts and Partners' on here. Or join Avon Mountaineering Club. Or there are various Facebook groups for Bristol climbers. 

I did not have any transport during my early years climbing but I still managed to get out into the Peak, North Wales and the Lake District most weekends and found it far more fulfilling than I would have done soloing in small, vegetated, loose, grotty quarries. Not that we climbed in anything like that back in the day, that's a recent phenomena.

Make the effort you will find it far more fun and rewarding.

Well I'm 16 right now, so sadly isn't really an option due to stranger danger and all that, although I'm sure most climbers are fine. 

How'd you manage that? 

Bus, train, bycycle, hitching lifts.

No boat?

Out of interest, where?

Thank you. Really appreciate that!