UKH

What are people's option for the best guide book  for a short trip to North Devon, It's with family so needs to cover a few easier crags, not with completed access (but ok to lower down a single pitch or simple abseils e.g. Baggy). The most recent I can see is the RockFax West Country climbs 2010 but wondering if this might be too selective? Climbers Club? (2000?) or the SW climbs books?  Any other options?

Depending on when you're going, there is a new climbers club guide for baggy and the culm being published this year,  no idea on dates though. 

If it's a short trip a comprehensive guide may be too comprehensive (unless there are some easier far less travelled crags which would suit the family - I don't know whether there are; a North Devon local would have to advise). 

Otherwise look at the Rockfax and the relevant SW climbs volume in your local outdoor shop and see which you prefer.

Baggy is the obvious crag. I haven't been to valley of the rocks so dont know whether that is suitable.

If you were thinking of heading down to the Culm then access, tidal access and rock quality are important factors to consider if you are taking your family.  I wouldn't go to the Screda pinnacles, Gull Rock/Marsland, Vicarage or Compass Point etc.

Early summer.

I'm working with Mark on said guide (Baggy and the Culm Coast), if you email me I can send you draft copies of topos and scripts (in exchange for you checking them!). Not Baggy though - that's Mark's.

I think West Country Climbs is your best bet. Additionally, you then have a copy of WCC for crag info in Cornwall, Dorset, Avon etc, too. The Climbers club guide is comprehensive and includes a lot more but most of these are culm 'esoterics' and probably not great for the family. There's more than enough to go at in the rockfax guide and if you do fancy  Valley of Rocks for a chilled, non-tidal afternoon, you can get by with the information and crag descriptions on the crag page on UKC.

While I do agree with Cusco for not recommending Compass point and Gull Rock, I think Vicarage could be worth a day out. There is a grassy/scree section to get to the beach (in-situ rope), but the rock on the seaward climbs is high-quality and I'd say more solid than some of the top outs even at Baggy Point. Box of Delights (HS 4b) has an in-situ chain anchor at the top (as do a couple of others) and is a really great climb. The landslide there a few years ago has put people off but if you can stick as close to the sea as you can while on the approach I don't think it is any more dangerous than other culm crags. As a general rule of thumb just be extra alert at any of the culm crags.

There's some nice bouldering at  Hartland Quay too, with PDF guides online.  Maer Cliff (aka Northcott Mouth) also has some good bouldering and some shorter routes away from the big scary main cliffs. This crag isn't in Rockfax but there's enough info on the Javu PDFs and UKC for a day out.

Enjoy it!

Ollie

I was going to suggest that but wasn't sure we'd be 'allowed' to.

Vicarage is nice. But the way in is not family/kid friendly. 

When I went circa 10 years ago, I seem to recall the in situ rope looked crap, the path was vey wet and muddy and the bottom of it had fallen away into a scree cone. So I abbed down and left the ab rope in place to make the exit easier and safer (sliding up a shunt to protect any slip). 

The handline at Vicarage is good at the moment, but depending on the kids confidence, you might want to put them on a toprope. I think it's the best crag on the Culm for S - VS. Marsland is OK but a bit harder and the slog in along the beach is a bit of a pain. The outer pinnacles at Screda are good and there's quite a bit of new reasonably graded new stuff at Smoothlands and Westcott Wattle. The walk in to the latter is also a bit of a pain though.

Hi Mark

On the subject of the guidebook, I was transferring some ancient history to my logbook and came across an ascent we never got round to recording...

Grapefruit Cocktail (HVS 5a)

Excellent news on the Baggy and Culm guide Mark/s.  Is the Atlantic Coast guide set for a similar time frame now, do you know?

Cheers

looking forward to a new North Devon guide!

No, the reason we've broken the guide in two is that the Culm script was more or less finished but the Atlantic Coast hardly started. We're planning to get started properly on the Atlantic Coast once the Baggy and Culm guide is at the printers.

Cheers Mark - am very excited to see all the new routes and craglets in the updated Baggy and Culm guide! 

Thanks everyone for the ideas and advice. Mark - we are going at Easter, with other activities like surfing planned- if it looks like we are going to do a lot of climbing I’ll take you up on your kind offer.