Your favourite easy trad around Bristol

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 Mattia 21 Sep 2019

As the title suggests, I'm after some inspiration for easy trad routes. On a mission get more trad  under my belt in the coming months and would love to pick the collective brain on specific routes within 1 hour's drive from Bristol.

By easy I mean VDiff - Severe

This forum has proved pretty useful in the past so I'm hopeful you'll open my eyes to some local gems.

Much appreciated

 Barrington 21 Sep 2019
In reply to Mattia:

Go do the arete in Avon gorge - just for laughs if for no other reason.

1
 BStar 21 Sep 2019
In reply to Mattia:

Hi Mattia, 

Here's a few you can't go wrong with... mostly multipitch apart from Symonds Yat

Avon Gorge - Morpheus, Nightmare, Sleepwalk, The Arete or Dawn Walk to lunchtime ledge then Direct Route or Bobs climb to the top.

Wintours Leap - Corner Buttress Route(s), Central Rib Route

Symonds Yat - Snoozin' Suzie, Vertigo (onto the Pinnacle), Arrow Route, Trundlebum Rex

1
In reply to Mattia:

There is a route called Balches Slide (possibly spelt wrong) that is great at the grade. Might have been HS but not a hard one. It's at Fairy Cave Quarry. 

 Climbthatpitch 21 Sep 2019
In reply to Mattia:

If you can cross the bridge to the wye valley

Central Rib Route I (S 4a) is a really nice S route.

 leland stamper 21 Sep 2019
In reply to Mattia:

Get hold of the n. Somerset guide ( from Dicks). Not a huge amount at Henbury Gorge but a few at Portishead and a day or two at Goblin Combe and Sand Point. Fairy Cave Quarry is another day or two. Uphill now has a few interesting easy routes (and cafe) and Brean has plenty around the fort.
 inglesp 22 Sep 2019
In reply to Mattia:

You might find this ticklist of starred routes at HS or below in Wye Valley helpful: https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/set.php?id=3484.

 spenser 22 Sep 2019
In reply to Somerset swede basher:

It's technically only 4a, just quite run out. Well worth doing at the grade however.

OP Mattia 22 Sep 2019
In reply to BStar:

Thanks everyone for your suggestions.

Did Morpheus and loved it. Feels a tad more delicate than your average VDiff but nice topping out.

Was lined up for Central Rib Route but abandoned due to traffic. My mates climbed it and got lost, ending up in some HS/VS territory. By the sounds of it, navigation isn't all that clear.

Ill definitely give the other suggestions some thought. Avon sounds 'enticing', as well as the renowned Snoozing Suzie.

Cheers.

 leland stamper 22 Sep 2019
In reply to leland stamper:

Sand Point  50-60 to choose from including 2 pitch Shivas Pigeons

Blaise Castle Gorge now Henbury Gorge -Goram's Chimney (VD)  and Flake Crack S

Portishead Quarry  The Arete  Pharos (HS 4b)  One Rainy Wish (HS 4a)

Goblin Combe   30-40 climbs including Pearl (VD)  The Hobbit (S)  and multipitch Bombur (D)

and Crumble in Leigh Woods which is brilliant

Post edited at 08:58
 Mick Ward 22 Sep 2019
In reply to Mattia:

>  Avon sounds 'enticing'...

Be careful. There have been a lot of accidents at Avon, some fatal. It's a place which demands caution.

Mick

1
 Bobling 22 Sep 2019
In reply to Mattia:

Corner Buttress Route 1 (VD 4a)

Huge belay ledges, nice climbing, pleasant outlook.  Variations possible.  

OP Mattia 23 Sep 2019
In reply to Mick Ward:

Hello Mick. I've heard about the questionable reputation of Avon rock. Nothing specific though.

Care to expand on the topic? What makes the crags and lines different from other venues?

Thanks for the info

 PaulJepson 23 Sep 2019
In reply to Mattia:

Loose rock and very compact so little opportunity to protect, often relying on 30-year-old fixed gear. 

Slopey and polished style means you can fall off pretty much anything. 

Unfortunately Avon is a really rubbish area for beginners. You either have to find a way to accelerate through the lower grades (e.g. seconding someone much better a lot) or travel further afield. 

If you can back-up fixed gear, make sure you do and if you see an opportunity to put some gear in, make sure you do. 

Avon Gorge only gets good once you're climbing HVS and can get on the suspension bridge buttress. 

Symonds Yat has a couple of starred severes like Vertigo (S 4a) Joyce's Route (S 4a) Trundlebum Rex (S 4a) and there's a couple at Shorncliff but they're few and far between. There's a couple of good severes at Goblin Combe as well but when I was starting out a lot of the easier VDifs there was completely covered in vegetation and not sure it's much improved. 

Post edited at 08:13
2
 Dave Cundy 23 Sep 2019
In reply to PaulJepson:

My experience of the Avon Gorge is that there isn't more loose rock than anywhere else.  And there's lots of routes with little or no polish.

That said, i agree with you about the style of Avon routes being unnerving for inexperienced climbers.  That is to say :

1) reliance on sloping holds and friction rather than jugs (a bit like gritstone in style but not in form)

2) over-reliance on pegs (some old, some new)

3) There's not much to do at VS and below, so those routes tend to be the most polished.

 springfall2008 23 Sep 2019
In reply to Mattia:

I think Wintours leap and Symond's Yat are by far the best for Trad beginners.

I'd head for Corner Buttress Route 2 (VD 4a) at Wintours for a very easy start. That whole section of Cliff isn't too hard so you can't go that far wrong.

If you go up to Symond's Yat then the routes around Plantation Chimney (D) are a good start and not too polished.

Maybe try Joyce's Route Severe at Symond's Yat too

Post edited at 10:26
 Mick Ward 23 Sep 2019
In reply to Mattia:

> Hello Mick. I've heard about the questionable reputation of Avon rock. Nothing specific though.

> Care to expand on the topic? What makes the crags and lines different from other venues?

As others have said, it's a combination of factors. If easy trad is in a popular location (e.g. Avon), chances are that it will have received lots of traffic - and consequent polish. A significant amount of that traffic will be beginners. Beginners tend to polish rock to a disproportionate extent. They tend to have poor footwork (hard to avoid), uncleaned climbing shoes (entirely avoidable) and sometimes no climbing shoes (e.g. trainers, with poor grip). Often, when beginners on topropes can't see what to do (e.g. limestone with not obvious holds), they start to 'peddle' their feet - especially in 'holdless' grooves. Which makes the rock even more polished. And limestone (especially quarried limestone) seems to get polished faster/worse that many other rock types.

The rock at Avon is generally very compact, with few cracks. So there's limited protection. A lot of the early stuff was pegs. I don't know if they've generally been replaced but trusting your life to a 30 or 40 year old peg (anywhere) isn't a good idea.

The rock at Avon is generally pretty featureless. It's hard to read, so it's hard to work out moves. As your friends found out, it's easy to go off-route. And, if you go off-route on an easy climb, chances are that you'll end up on something harder - perhaps significantly so.

Another problem with Avon is that it feels safe (but isn't). You're just outside a major city, you're beside the road. It's so easy to underestimate it. But then you're on slopey, polished holds, in the full glare of the sun, nothing positive to go for, your last gear is miles away, you're getting a horrible feeling that you may have gone off-route but you're not quite sure. You move up... and back down again. What to do? What to do? 

The problem with any trad learning curve is surviving it!  But Avon would be a particularly hard place to go through that learning curve. Conversely, if one has been through the learning curve, Avon is an historic venue which, with care, can be enjoyed. Also Suspension Bridge Buttress is more like Peak limestone - steeper, better gear - untypical of the rest of the place. But the routes are harder and it's more imposing.

Hope this makes sense!

Mick

Post edited at 11:45
 Bobling 23 Sep 2019
In reply to Barrington:

> Go do the arete in Avon gorge - just for laughs if for no other reason.

And if you do top out on Direct Route (S 4a).  A nails move to get off the ground then a really pleasant varied climb topping out with a great view of the Suspension Bridge.  Just remember to clip the big quarry spike thing about 4 metres up and to the left as your first piece of pro.

 MarkH55 23 Sep 2019
In reply to Mattia:

Hi Mattia,

Wie geht es dir?

I met you at Gilwern earlier this year.  Drop me a line if you want to do some routes, I've a bit more time now.

Cheers

Mark

 PaulJepson 23 Sep 2019
In reply to Mick Ward:

> A lot of the early stuff was pegs. I don't know if they've generally been replaced but trusting your life to a 30 or 40 year old peg (anywhere) isn't a good idea.

From my understanding, the current policy is to not replace fixed gear. Which for Avon would make a lot of things increasingly desperate as the old ones rust, snap, and take their pound of flesh. 

1
 Mick Ward 23 Sep 2019
In reply to PaulJepson:

A while ago (eek... maybe eight or 10 years ago?) I was up there, climbing with Marti Hallett. He dragged me along to what, if I remember correctly, was billed as an Avon regeneration project. Martin Crocker did a presentation - and very competently too. There was some amazing number of bits of fixed gear in the gorge (870??) Anyway it was being mooted to sensitively replace stuff, where you could. (Again, if I remember correctly) most people in the audience were in favour of keeping Avon as a place for bold climbing - which it's always been - but not for it increasingly becoming a death trap, if this could be avoided.

Occasionally I've asked people what happened, re regeneration but nobody seemed to know anything. Did it die a death? Was there a change of mood?? Surely somebody on here knows.

Mick

 leland stamper 23 Sep 2019
In reply to Mick Ward:

Not exactly what you requested but a word or two from the Old Master 

http://climbbristol.com/climb-ripe-old-age-at-avon-gorge-ten-tips-top/?fbcl...

Climb Bristol FB page is also a good place to find out whats up in the gorge.

Post edited at 18:46
In reply to Mick Ward:

Others can give you a full review of what happened during the Climb Bristol project but I played a minor part. I replaced all the poor and old pegs on the Central Buttress area, hopefully making routes safer than previously. Others did far more work to replace poor fixed gear wherever possible. Having said this many pegs at Avon are, of necessity, placed behind suspect flakes etc so cannot be 100% reliable.

Ian

 PaulJepson 23 Sep 2019
In reply to Mick Ward:

There's a good database on ClimbBristol's page which goes into the state of fixed gear and any replacements here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1grwpHkWNWfgRa3EcY2PGukTDQ624d25eOOD...

Nothing since 2017, though that of course doesn't mean nothing has happened. 

It may still be the case that like-for-like replacements are accepted, I just heard on the grapevine that it wasn't the case. Would be good to hear either way if anyone knows? I really should get down to one of the BMC area meetings. 

 Mick Ward 23 Sep 2019
In reply to PaulJepson:

'...pitch 2 mis-described for 40yrs; Peg now in otherwise unprotectable 6a pitch.'

Love it!!

Mick

 Mick Ward 23 Sep 2019
In reply to Ian Butterworth:

Hi Ian,

Good effort! I have a vivid memory of encountering a torrential downpour on the main pitch of Central Buttress. Padding away on smooth, polished, soaking wet limestone, looking at a death fall, somehow seemed the quintessential Avon experience.

Mick

P.S. Bradford probably seems as long away for you as me - but it's still in my heart. Hope you have happy memories of it too.

 Mick Ward 23 Sep 2019
In reply to leland stamper:

Wow - cosmic wisdom!

Particularly like this: 'Slopy, off-vertical and hard to read: Avon is like learning a foreign language.'

Mick

OP Mattia 24 Sep 2019
In reply to MarkH55:

Hello Mark,

Alles Bestens, Danke!

Eventually we'll manage to go climbing together. Let the stars align the right way

OP Mattia 24 Sep 2019
In reply to Mick Ward:

Thanks Paul, Dave and Mick for an interesting overview of the quirks of Avon climbing.

Despite all the challenges faced when climbing in the gorge, it is nevertheless a truly special place so close to home. Climbing Morpehus one summer evening after a day's work and topping out in the sunset felt quite special. 

It's probably a crag best climbed with a more experienced climber, but that's totally fine. Your words of warning make an insightful read that I shall not ignore.

Happy climbing! 

 bpmclimb 24 Sep 2019
In reply to Mick Ward:

> >  Avon sounds 'enticing'...

> Be careful. There have been a lot of accidents at Avon, some fatal. It's a place which demands caution.

.... and, more generally, I'd recommend caution with many of the routes recommended on this thread. Climbers can sometimes be quick to recommend "easy" routes which are not at all well-protected. 

OP Mattia 25 Sep 2019
In reply to bpmclimb:

Fortunately the ukc route logbooks contain plenty of subjective beta to help make an informed assessment.

 bpmclimb 25 Sep 2019
In reply to Mattia:

> Fortunately the ukc route logbooks contain plenty of subjective beta to help make an informed assessment.

I'm unsure whether that's intended as a serious post or a facetious one   but anyway ...... 

Subjective impressions make interesting reading; however, to help make informed assessments we want information which is as objective as possible (of course). On UKC forums we get plenty of good, informed advice based on experience, but it's often mixed up with advice which is ill-judged, ill-informed, careless and even downright dangerous: telling the difference can be difficult for inexperienced climbers (or inexperienced users of forums, for that matter). The trouble with the logbook comments is that they are made, by and large, by a similar cross-section of climbers: they can help one to form a vague picture, but it's not a 100% reliable source of information - it needs filtering. 

OP Mattia 25 Sep 2019
In reply to bpmclimb:

Hello, not meant to be fatecious. Sorry if that wasn't clear.

I do find the lookbook useful. When heading on a new route, especially multipitch, a quick read through the comments can yield some good information: hard move on pitch 3, got lost here and there which made it bloody hard, loose block at that crux move, polished and greasy, really hard for grade X. 

Comments like this definitely get my attention when the (sometimes ancient) guidebook might not contain any reference to this. 

Totally agree that some filtering goes a long way.

 Misha 25 Sep 2019
In reply to Mattia:

I will be a bit direct and say that most limestone climbing in the lower grades is pretty shit. Poor rock, poor gear, poor lines, vegetated or polished or both. You’d be much better off travelling to the Peak, North Wales or Cornwall. All of these areas have amazing climbing in the lower grades. I know you asked about stuff within an hour’s travel but sometimes the right answer is to go further. Sure, there’s easy stuff around Bristol and if you enjoy it then that’s great - but you would then really love the good stuff elsewhere. Save the local stuff for summer evening hits and head elsewhere at the weekend... (assuming you work ‘standardish’ hours). 

2
 leland stamper 26 Sep 2019
In reply to Misha:

I need to get out more. I silently ranted at this, and then thought about it. I just have so much fun in squalid little quarries at the moment and the slab climbing is great.

OP Mattia 26 Sep 2019
In reply to Misha:

Hello Misha,

One doesn't need to exclude the other. When time is available I do travel to North Wales or Devon/Cornwall. However there's plenty of  climbing around Bristol made attractive by its accessibility and proximity. Hence my initial post about good routes around here for when time is tight and you just can't drive across the country. Then there's also the considerstion that burning through half a tank of fuel for a day's climbing doesn't seem to be the most eco-friendly option on the long run.

 Misha 26 Sep 2019
In reply to Mattia:

Fair enough. You could also consider sport climbing on Portland it that Gower. A good way to get stronger/fitter for steeper limestone trad. Once you can do HVS, there would be a fair few limestone trad routes available for you around Bristol and elsewhere. Of course to get to HVS you mostly need trad mileage but a bit of indoor and outdoor sport fitness won’t hurt. Anyway, happy exploring!

 SC 26 Sep 2019
In reply to Mattia:

Cheddar is worth a visit if only for Knights Climb (V diff). A very atmospheric route in a spectacular spot and a decent climb. Some loose rock will be encountered but it's never a problem. There's a bit of a scramble up and a walk off the top but it's the easiest route to top out in the gorge.

Jill (S 4a) is pretty decent as well. A nice, well protected route.


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