UKH

So I'm Maltese and have been in the UK for 2 years now (Shropshire). 

In Malta sport is by far the most common were practically everything is bolted with some fantastic overhanging routes in the high 6 range.

I've been getting into trad and have worked my up to HS, its bloody terrifying sometimes but really enjoyable. Looking at getting into higher grades. In sport I climb around 6c but have found that the sports grade rating next to the trad grade doesn't really translate very well. At least on gritstone anyways which is where I've been mainly doing trad (roaches)

Anyways I'm craving some overhaning sports routes. for a bit of a change.  I was wondering if anyone has any reccomendations for crags as most sports routes seem to be in quarries which aren't really condusive for overhangs.

Cheers

Glenn

Sports routes below 7A tend to be in quarries as most steep sport routes in the UK are in the harder grades. You might struggle to find overhanging sport 6’s

There is a decent amount in the Peak District once you can climb 7a. Cheedale is best. There is some stuff around 6c but not loads and obviously those routes tend not to go through the steepest ground. UK limestone generally has small holds. Also relatively hard moves compared to longer Euro limestone sport routes that you see in some places.

You really need to be getting into the 7's for overhanging limestone. Rubicon at Rubicon Wall is the easiest roof I can think of and that's f7a. 

It's a long way to come but dumbuck pretty much fits the bill.

Dumbuck

45 degrees overhanging enough for you?

That “sport grade” next to the trade grade is not a sport grade, it’s a UK Technical Grade. The two aren’t really comparable which is why they don’t translate. The tech grade describes the hardest sequence - it’s more akin to a boulder grade but only for the most difficult part of the route.

7A is a boulder grade, the OP is struggling with the grading systems without you adding to his confusion

In reply to glenn0010

There is steep sport in the grades you want at Swanage, Winspit or The Promenade especially.

As has been pointed out by ianstevens above you are confusing grading systems, the British trad grade VS 5a has nothing to do with the sport (French) grade of 5a which should really always be written Fla to avoid confusion.

I may have my A’s wrong but the op is still going to struggle to find overhanging sports routes in the 6’s and other than Portland. Anything below 7a will likely be on quarried rock.

Hornby Crag on the Great Orme has a selection of very good juggy  (gently) overhanging sport routes in the upper 6s

I stand corrected, pity it’s bird banned at the moment.

I believe Filey Brigg brings the steepest low grade sports in the UK - Watkins Ale is the route to look for (more out than up).  If you're used to continental sports climbing then you'll find this a different experience - just the walk in (let alone the approach) will leave an impression.  Choose a dry day after a dry spell with a light wind and calm seas.  Watch out for slim underfoot.

I forgot about Filey, however given that there are missing belays and bolts that have been in a fair while. It might not be the experience the op is looking for.

It’s worth buying the North Wales limestone guide and the clwyd limestone guide. 

As others have said overhanging 6’s are rare but you will find some steep 6b+ 6c’s in those guides, especially on the Orme. The clwyd stuff is close to the Shropshire border, Dinbren, pinfold and Craig Arthur have steep 6c’s. 

Don’t by China is the steepest route I can think of that’s fits the bill round here (it overhangs by 4 m) but it’s a solitary route of that grade. 

Not very good for the high 6s though...

As mentioned above it’s quite possible that you have confused UK adjectival and technical grades (ie E1 5b) with French grades. If so, to put you in the ball park, if you add 2 grades to the UK technical you are somewhere near French, bearing in mind uk tech goes abc. (5a, 5b, 5c, 6a, 6b etc). 

So 5a =F5c, 5b=F6a, 5c=F6b. 

There are some steep sport routes at Llanymynech(not far from you) by the way.

Hi Glenn! 

Overhanging sport routes at 6c are a bit rare, but there are some really good ones, if you are happy to go to a crag for the day, do a 6c and then maybe try something harder like a 7a?

Some suggestions - Lower Pen Trywyn when Wales reopens - Under the Boardwalk is a fantastic 6c, probably one of the best in the UK! There are some easier ones to the far right to warm up. 

Llandullas cave - not really steep, but a real quality route at 6b+ 

https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/llanddulas_cave-1010/rala_rwdins-4...

There's plenty of easier stuff there as well. 

Probably a long journey for one two routes but there are two routes at Kilnsey at 6c, that might be worth checking out. 

I believe the Cheedale Cornice also have a couple routes at 6c and so does the Embankment.

Some good stuff in Yorkshire too - Moughton Nab right hand side (Burley in Ribblesdale in particular springs to mind). Panorama crag nearby has quite a few steep things around 6c too, but a bit short and more like a boulder problem into an easier top.

If you can work 7a/7a+ then Yorkshire is your oyster - Malham, Kilnsey, Troller's Gill are all full of superb steep routes. Especially the last of those crags.

Ban-y-gor 

Hi everyone thanks for all the feedback on locations!

Also thanks for the feedback regarding the grades. Now it makes a lot more sense haha! I was getting a bit upset sometimes when I couldn't complete trad routes with such low "sport ratings", now it all makes a bit more sense.

I do enjoy the climbing here but sometimes it's nice to do somthing I'm more familiar with!

Cheers

Agreed

There's some quite steep stuff at Brean Down around 6c/7a. 

Sport grades don't really compare well with trad grades as they're very different activities, and experience and boldness can have you climbing harder trad than people who are much better sport climbers. My onsight sport grade is around 6b at the moment but I get a bit scared on hvs/e1 so my trad grade is more vs/hvs. I know climbers who have better heads and climb e1/e2, even though sport-wise they are of a similar ability to me. 

Also take into consideration that limestone is very different to grit. I'm mostly a limestone climber and I drop a grade or two on the grit or granite. If you've done very little trad before then I imagine grit could feel like a completely different planet. 

The important thing is that you're having fun, and there are so many absolute classic sub-extremes on the western edges. If you're working up to VS then you have the excitement of Kestrel Crack, Valkyrie, Damascus Crack, Central Climb, Modern, Bachelors Climb and Via Dolorosa all still to come, just at The Roaches!

as people have previously  said, north Wales limestone, mainly the orme area. Contusion (6c) although its not all over hanging there are sections of overhangs/bulges, to contend with. there may be a bird ban on mayfair wall atm though. also have to wait for Wales to open back up again. 

happy climbing 

Don’t think anyone has mentioned  The Promenade. Good crag down at Swanage with loads of overhanging routes. Mostly in the low-mid 7’s though.