UKH

Just wandering what the closest and best sport climbing crag for beginners is from London.

Am planning on doing a trip in may to Portland for a few days but was thinking about a shorter day trip somewhere in April to get back into the swing. all recommendations and tips appreciated!

There aren't any that would IMHO comply with the rule to "Stay Local", so you will unfortunately, like everyone else, have to remain patient for a bit longer.

As and when the "Stay Local" rule is relaxed Portland would be your nearest sport venue for London, but proceed with care and consideration towards the locals. There has historically and unfortunately been a lot of friction between locals and climbers mainly caused by very limited parking  available coupled with understandable fear of Covid being brought by visitors into what is generally an aging local population.

Have a look at earlier posts on this forum about this.

Swanage is a bit closer than Portland, but once you've gone that far you may as well continue to Portland. The Wye Valley and Cheddar are also doable from London quite comfortably.

If you're feeling enthusiastic, Swanage is also doable in a day by public transport - though maybe less so for sport, by the time you walk to the other end...

Given that from the 12th of April you're allowed to holiday within the UK Barkarzz's request is in keeping with the rules. Additionally, from the 29th of March, stay at home ends and is replaced with a much more loosely worded advice/request to stay local. Unfortunately, Barkarzz, the next closed place from Portland is Swange which is still a big drive for a day trip

Bear in mind that climbing outside - if you’re new to it - will not feel like climbing indoors. The holds will be smaller and everything will feel mich more technical.

The Peak is also day trip territory from London. 

Southern Sandstone is only top-rope and bouldering, but it’s pretty much your only day trip option from London without crazy amounts of driving, and it has some fun stuff. Just read the official BMC guidance on how not to destroy the fragile rock.  

Like others have mentioned Swanage is a little closer, and there you've got Winspit which has some excellent routes for beginners, and also it's not far to Hedbury which also has some routes at amenable grade for beginners.

If you're just going for the day I'd say Winspit would be better, it has more lower grade routes and is only 15 minutes or so from car parking, Hedbury is bit of longer, and steeper walk, which you'll not appreciate when you've got a 3 hour drive back to London.

Of course there's loads and loads of choice on Portland but just bear in mind all the low grade staff at the Cuttings (other than the Burren) is pretty f'ing polished if you've got any not very experienced beginners in the group expect some mild panic.  Have seen experienced people absolutely shit themselves on low grade stuff before...

It depends a bit on where you are in London. I'm in the South West and the closest sport climbing for a day trip is Wye Valley. If the M4 is clear, I can make it there in two hours flat. Portland and Swanage always end up taking longer than you hope, and I don't think I've ever made it down there in under three hours. In the summer I've spent close to six hours trying to get back after a day on Portland. Ban-y-gor Ban-y-gor or Wyndcliff Wyndcliff Quarry make for OK daytrips, though they are nowhere near as good as Portland.

It must do. I live 15 minutes away from the delights of Horseshoe Quarry and we go down to London for the day from time to time, it takes us under two-and-a-half hours on a good run to get to to one of the North London tube stations and park, then something like an hour more to take the tube into central London! So if you live somewhere like Edgware I can imagine you could be sport climbing in the Southern peak in two-and-a-half hours. 

Yes, I'm in Kingston. I can pretty much drive North for an hour and still not be outside the M25, and that's assuming that the North Circular isn't screwed in which case all bets are off. So Peak is not a comfortable day trip.

Now pardon me while I go have a long think to try to remember why I live in London.

As you live in Surrey, Southern Sandstone could be worth a go, as someone else has said. Not a long trip.

No, it is not. I could live in East Grinstead and it wouldn’t be worth the trip.

(Fetches extinguisher)

Ha ha! My parents live in Redhill and I've never been tempted either. I should stop advising about things I don't know.

The best I've ever climbed was when we did Wednesday evening mid Summer trips from Cambridge several weeks on the trot.  One very dry Summer 20 something years ago.

 So Peak is not a comfortable day trip.

I used to live in Sutton, and would go to The Peak for the day pretty much every weekend. If it wasn't The Peak it would be a trip to Swanage, Portland, Avon or even North Wales or The Lakes. 

It wasn't out of the ordinary either. Going to the Wall on a Monday evening was always  good, to catch up with everyone and see where everyone went climbing. Pretty much everyone who was really keen eventually moved closer to rock. 

Southern Sandstone was somewhere to go after work on a weekday evening. I have great memories of Stone Farm. 🙂

blimey that is some full on day tripping.  if I'm going more than 2 hours to a crag I'm probably staying over to make the journey worthwhile.

As you've (correctly) ruled out Southern Sandstone, as long as you get up early, you've actually got a fair number of options.

I'm in Epsom, and if you're in the car by 6, you can be clipping bolts in the Peak or South Wales by 10am, even without speeding. I've certainly managed to be bouldering at Plantation by 10am.

Cheddar's an option, though truth be told I can't remember when sport season starts there...

Only thing to mention is make sure you've got enough caffeine for the return journey - an early start, followed by a full days' climbing can make for a hazardous journey home!

Used to go to Avon looong time ago.

I'd disagree about the merits of sandstone.  Its great for that quick, intensive hit.  What I meant to say, though, is:  Rather than rely on caffeine for the the return drive on longer days, make sure someone else in the car is insured to drive it - even if it costs a few quid.

Yep good shout - also, at least prevent them from having a post-climb beer as they're meant to keep you awake.

Re: SS - I'm not a huge fan of it generally, but over lockdown its been ravaged... I can't honestly say I'd recommend it to anyone unless they were local or desperate.

Basically this! Tho I live near the start of the M4 and not too far from the M1. If going a bit further then staying overnight on the Friday and climbing Saturday works well, can still do stuff on Sunday with your better half or non-climbing friends so everyone is happy.

Having two or even three drivers makes these kinds of day trips really quite easy. Split the day insurance cost between everyone in the car and it's not too expensive.

I love hearing stories like this, but every year summer comes around and I'm not that keen to try it out myself. My main issue is that too much driving over a few weeks leaves me really fatigued and wanting to stay home, so it works out as being a bit counterproductive.

We were lucky that summer to have a group of us sharing the car duties.  Even so (and nothing to be proud of) hacking back up the nearly empty M11 at speed was a bit dodgy.  90 minutes crag to Cambridge on the way home, usually 2 hours to get there.

That’s quick! Which crags were you visiting?

Harrison's, Bowles and High Rocks mainly.  I'm sure we looked at a few others too but when time really is of the essence, brambles and tricky to find crags weren't really an option !

Back in the crazy days I usually worked 6 days a week. With good conditions I’d leave Hathersage at midnight, pick up a friend in Hamilton around 3:30 then we’d hammer up to Glencoe/Nevis/Gorms for a day on the ice. Finish in the dark, pint (I know...) then back to Hathersage, few hours kip then work. Urgh.

I once did an unintentional day trip to Cloggy from London. Not sport climbing though. I have also done day trips to N Devon from London. Anything is possible lf you like driving! I also once drove to Fort William to go climbing from London, rang my pregnant wife to check she was okay only to find out she had gone into premature labour. I literally turned the car around and drove back. 16 hours virtually non stop. Made it back for arrival of first child! Only just! Didn't get a route done though!

Wife or former wife 

Good one! Still the same wife and happily married with three grown up children!  Managed to attend all three births!

Don't encourage them !