Unusual UK Climbing Adventures

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henry castle 28 Apr 2017
I'm interested on people's thoughts on climbing adventures within the UK that have an out of the ordinary theme. This could include an unusual approach, subterranean aspect, funky rope manoeuvres etc...

An suggestions gratefully received.

Cheers!
 the sheep 28 Apr 2017
In reply to henry castle:

Snakes and Ladders and Tunnels would seem to fit your bill.

Snakes and Ladders Approach (Old) (HVS)
elefantee 28 Apr 2017
In reply to henry castle:

The Claw on the exmoor coast was good unwholesome fun, but wear knackered old clothes you don't mind getting shredded. Ice axe and stakes recommended.

Low spring tide required.
 olddirtydoggy 28 Apr 2017
In reply to henry castle:

Scramble and climb up the easy Low Water beck on the old man of coniston. Enter the old mines at the top of the hill and abseil down inside them to exit half way down the hill. Probably one of the wackiest and best days out I've had in England.
 GrahamD 28 Apr 2017
In reply to henry castle:

In their own way:

Preposterous Tales
Old Man of Hoy
Swanage girdle traverse

Or more unusual pick a theme:

All the Suicide Walls in the UK
All the Crack and Corners in the UK etc
 adam06 28 Apr 2017
old man of stoer - scotland - with its Tyrolean traverse access.
skeleton ridge - isle of wight
squareface -Garbh Choire of Beinn a'Bhuird - mainly for the massive approach
 Smelly Fox 28 Apr 2017
In reply to henry castle:

The Chasm (Summer) (VS)

Definitely fits the bill. Best climbed on a typical Scottish summers day
 ripper 28 Apr 2017
In reply to henry castle:

Innerspace, and/or Deep Space, Mother Carey's Kitchen
 wilkie14c 28 Apr 2017
In reply to henry castle:

The classic rock tick, great gully. Amazonian adventure. Take spare socks!
https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/page.php?id=4840
Deadeye 28 Apr 2017
In reply to henry castle:

Benny (blowhole)
Skeleton Ridge (chalky exposure)
Old Man of Hoy (big pinnacle)
Traverse of the Gods (tyrolean and swim)
Kinky Boots (zawn jump)
Chasm (waterfall climb)
Snakes, Ladders & Tunnels (historial mystery tour)
Napes Needle (simul abseil)
 Carless 28 Apr 2017
In reply to henry castle:

Doing seastacks
1
 danm 28 Apr 2017
 Toerag 28 Apr 2017
In reply to henry castle:

Petit Port Chimney (VS)#overview
In reply to henry castle:
Some may say there's an article in this Henry

It's certainly got me thinking, some good suggestions here too.

You got any gems yourself that aren't included here?
Post edited at 15:58
 Mick Ward 28 Apr 2017
In reply to henry castle:

The Sheugh, Buzzard's Roost, once Hard Diff, now Severe. But don't be fooled. Once stopped a trio who led E5, E6 and E9, if I remember correctly.


Some logbook comments:

'Superb outing...'

'"Best" evening session I've had to date, topping out at 1.30am. A total adventure. Don't wear clothes you might want to wear again. Ha.'

'Amazing four star severe. In the dark after work with two great climbing partners!'

'Dripping wet, slimy, and lots of old school fun. Don't wear good clothes. The grade is irrelevant...'

'What he said, was somewhere between horrible and hilarous...'

'What possessed us! I blame Dawson Stelfox. Take a headtorch and have washing machine on standby. Great adventure, mind!'


Divided Years isn't the only classic up there.

Mick
 Tom Valentine 28 Apr 2017
In reply to henry castle:

Gallop Step, starts and finishes on the ground.
 bouldery bits 28 Apr 2017
In reply to henry castle:

Bouldering at Fur For, Dartmoor.

The crux is the walk in!
 Trangia 28 Apr 2017
In reply to GrahamD:

> Swanage girdle traverse

Also the 1 mile traverse from Lulworth Cove to Mupe Bay is a great adventure

 3leggeddog 28 Apr 2017
In reply to henry castle:

Sea tube, penally, at high tide with a big sea. Hilarious.
 Trangia 28 Apr 2017
In reply to danm:


And Lockwood's Chimney
 Sl@te Head 28 Apr 2017
In reply to henry castle:
The ladder pitch on this.....
Black Holes and Revelations (7a)

1
 airborne 28 Apr 2017
In reply to henry castle:

Subterranean Rabbit Launcher if it still exists Subterranean Rabbit Launcher (HVS 5a)
 Brown 28 Apr 2017
In reply to henry castle:

Gee Gee Rider (E3 5c) in No match for crag id:4148 looks to be one of the most ridiculous outings in England.

It also requires a 150 metre abseil approach so is one for all those claiming there is no point in long abseil ropes to consider.
 Greenbanks 28 Apr 2017
In reply to danm:


Avernus on the Lleyn would be more like it....and a few more out in that direction. Frightful, adventurous ledge-grasping stuff

 stp 28 Apr 2017
In reply to henry castle:

1. Stone Bridge at the Devil's Cauldron in Pembroke. It's worth doing the approach even if you don't do the route. To get to the start of the route first requires a bit of sea level traversing which can be scary if the sea is rough. Then you enter a huge hollowed faultline through the middle of the cliff, crawling through on hands and knees to finally emerge at a perfect sitting stance 20 feet above the sea. The route is pretty committing too as it follows a natural sea arch where it would be hard to be rescued from since above the route is mostly overhanging, and below is the sea. You wouldn't even want to ab into the sea since the belays and rock aren't much good.

2. Magical Mystery Tour at Berry Head, Devon is a 1200', HVS sea level traverse with the hardest section near the end.

3. Monster Crack at Beachy Head is an amazing looking 400' route climbing unstable chalk and protected in part by tied off ice screws. Not done it but definitely adventurous.
 Offwidth 28 Apr 2017
In reply to henry castle:
Some Peak adventures:

http://offwidth.uptosummit.com/caving_topten.html (Flash player needed)

There are also the Troglodyte Tour series in the BMC Burbage Infinity, Stanage and Froggatt guides.
Post edited at 18:56
 Smelly Fox 28 Apr 2017
In reply to henry castle:

The Great Cave Route (S)

If you are ever up Aberdeen way, the above is really good fun, but the next one... not so much! Both esoteric in different ways, not your usual rock climbs...

Japs Eye Chimney (S)
 andrewmc 28 Apr 2017
In reply to Brown:

> Gee Gee Rider (E3 5c) in No match for crag id:4148 looks to be one of the most ridiculous outings in England.It also requires a 150 metre abseil approach so is one for all those claiming there is no point in long abseil ropes to consider.

You only need a 30m and a 90m static caving rope, or a 35m and a 100m static climbing rope - the only difference being that cavers know that if you buy 100m of rope, you end up with 90m of rope :P

possibly easier to learn to cave and go in Bar Pot with a 25m(?) and 60m rope...
 Mick Ward 28 Apr 2017
In reply to Trangia:

> Also the 1 mile traverse from Lulworth Cove to Mupe Bay is a great adventure

Isn't it just? Forgot about this one so thanks for reminding me.

Unusual in that you quickly lose any significant sense of scale. Are you a third way there - half way - two thirds? It's hard to tell.

You certainly get some surprised glances from the floating fraternity.

Mick
 Brown 28 Apr 2017
In reply to andrewmc:
It would make a committing pull through trip for sure!!!!!

It has been on my to-do list for years but I've never had the stars align.

Climbing ability, drought, partners and time are a big ask.
Post edited at 20:55
 Mick Ward 28 Apr 2017
In reply to Greenbanks:

> Avernus on the Lleyn would be more like it....and a few more out in that direction. Frightful, adventurous ledge-grasping stuff

Another vote for Avernus. Buttock clenching stuff.

The final line of Paul William's description says it all, '...collapse in your car.'

A memorable outing with The Newt (Andy Newton) and the late Will Perrin (RIP).

Mick
henry castle 28 Apr 2017
In reply to Rob Greenwood - UKClimbing:

Quick on the gun there Rob Greenwood, although I have no plans for such article. All the best, H
henry castle 28 Apr 2017
In reply to Deadeye:

I almost drowned on Bennyabout 8 years back. Totally f*cked the "rough sea" warning off... Quality route but the insitu tat was worrying.

henry castle 28 Apr 2017
In reply to David Coley:

Saw this a while ago. Good job on such an epic traverse - respect!
henry castle 28 Apr 2017
In reply to airborne:

In a poor condition now - done a few new routes near it recently and that's looking pretty shitty and loose now...
henry castle 28 Apr 2017
In reply to Greenbanks:

I don'y think that the Lleyn Avernus would be a great suggestion for a S 4a leader!
 Tom Valentine 29 Apr 2017
In reply to henry castle:

Does abseiling off an earth bridge into the Devil's Limekiln count as a funky rope manoeuvre....?
 petestack 29 Apr 2017
In reply to henry castle:

Caliban's Creep on Cir Mhòr (which I did c.1984 when it was still a distinctly wacky Diff) and Crypt Route on Bidean nam Bian (which I've yet to do)?
1
 Greenbanks 29 Apr 2017
In reply to henry castle:

Certainly not - though I don't think I was encouraging it. My recollection is that you have to be a competent HVS cruiser at the very least to "enjoy" it. Even that is no guarantee, as my own sorry effort showed many years ago
 alan moore 29 Apr 2017
In reply to henry castle:

> I almost drowned on Bennyabout 8 years back.

There was a good magazine article about this once. Somebody traversing in on a beautiful morning and being trapped inside when the swell picked up. On the Edge or High maybe.

I made it to the start of Benny and couldn't work out how to get off the ground. The slime drenched tat dangling from the cave roof was far from tantalising and we went away and did something feeble instead...

 Luke90 29 Apr 2017
In reply to stp:

> 1. Stone Bridge at the Devil's Cauldron in Pembroke. Then you enter a huge hollowed faultline through the middle of the cliff, crawling through on hands and knees to finally emerge at a perfect sitting stance 20 feet above the sea.

That approach sounds amazing. Is the route in the UKC logbooks? I can't find it.
In reply to henry castle:
Labyrinth at berry head was a fun route. We did laps!
 d_b 29 Apr 2017
In reply to 3leggeddog:

> Sea tube, penally, at high tide with a big sea. Hilarious.

The best bit of sea tube is getting into the blowhole, which you can't do at high tide.

How about "Rapidly advancing tide, big sea" as an alternative?


 Brass Nipples 29 Apr 2017
In reply to henry castle:

Years ago three of us did a half mile sea cliff traverse up on Skye. Brilliant fun and not a guide book to be seen.

 stp 29 Apr 2017
In reply to Luke90:

I can't find it either. Don't know why. It's really old route. F.A was by Mick Fowler and given the typical Fowler grade of XS 5c. In the first guide it appeared as E3 5c, probably because no one had actually repeated it. I think it's probably more like E5 6b, 5c-ish, 5c-ish. First pitch is on excellent rock and well protected but strenuous. But you don't need to climb the route to enjoy the approach - a great adventure in itself, which I've done several times. Did it once because rain stopped climbing, so it was just a fun thing to do on a wet day.

I think the crag is described as Stack Rocks on here:
Stack Rocks Area

But the route is not there for some reason.
 John2 29 Apr 2017
In reply to stp:

It's in the CC guide, and it does look a brilliant route.
henry castle 29 Apr 2017
In reply to Tom Valentine:

Depends whether it's a good judgment call or not. No points for killing ones self for a route.
 Greenbanks 29 Apr 2017
In reply to henry castle:

Blackchurch is possibly the most 'adventurous' location of all - I'm scared of ghosts too
 3leggeddog 30 Apr 2017
In reply to davidbeynon:

We managed by abseiling down the blowhole, which added to the adventure. A jolly day out indeed.
 The Grist 30 Apr 2017
In reply to henry castle:

I went to Carn Gowla a few weeks ago. Did the classic Mercury Direct and then cocked up the abseil into America. Both routes would fit this kind of adventure category....especially America. I imagine the more esoteric routes at Carn Gowla would tick a few boxes.
 d_b 30 Apr 2017
In reply to 3leggeddog:

Sounds fun. You should do it again from the bottom though, as the slippery squirm you need to get into the tube from the alcove is hilarious.
 Luke90 30 Apr 2017
In reply to stp:

Thanks for the reply. Certainly won't be attempting that! Will look out for the approach if I'm ever at the crag though.
 deepstar 30 Apr 2017
In reply to henry castle: This one is certainly unusual. The South Ridge (PD)
 leewil86 30 Apr 2017
In reply to henry castle:

Elephant arse Holyhead mountain 'severe' hilarious first pitch
 Mark Bannan 30 Apr 2017
In reply to henry castle:

I suggest Crypt Route. I was advised not to be the last to exit the hole at the end of the cave - you don't get to laugh at everyone else!

I also second The Old Man of Stoer. I'd love to go back and do it again sometime.

Of such esoterica I have not done, I would most like to have a shot at The Chasm,

M
 Pekkie 30 Apr 2017
In reply to henry castle:

The sea level traverse of Gogarth - the crux is getting past the cave protected by Porkie the huge beach master seal who is intensely protective of his harem.
1
 jonnie3430 30 Apr 2017
In reply to henry castle:

This may interest you?: https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/set.php?id=673
 Morty 30 Apr 2017
In reply to henry castle:

Chocolate Blancmange Gully (none)

If it hasn't washed away / fallen down.
 john arran 30 Apr 2017
In reply to Morty:

> Chocolate Blancmange Gully (none)If it hasn't washed away / fallen down.

I've done that!

From memory it was a distinctly unremarkable ramble up a chossy, but not massively unstable, hillside. Of no real merit except as part of the On Peak Rock esoterica tick list, which was a brill day out.
 mark hounslea 30 Apr 2017
In reply to henry castle:
Really enjoyed Aplomb on Plum Buttress this week. Spectacular positions with reasonable climbing.
 d_b 01 May 2017
In reply to john arran:

Did you do it in wellies in the dark after rain though?
 sheelba 01 May 2017
In reply to henry castle:

Scottish Limestone at it's finest Smoo Cave (S)
 Kevster 01 May 2017
In reply to sheelba:

A little less niche,

What's that mod at birchen with some caving?
there's also the peak district bolted aid route through the cave. Can't remember what it's called, yet to do it myself.
 ripper 01 May 2017
In reply to Kevster:

> A little less niche,What's that mod at birchen with some caving?
Telescope Tunnel - I've done it, on lead but made a point of ditching almost all of the rack before trying the squirm. Once saw a better-built lad than me get stuck in this, head and torso inside the crack, waist hips and legs sticking out of the face horizontally like a flag. Most amusing.

there's also the peak district bolted aid route through the cave. Can't remember what it's called, yet to do it myself.
Kyrie Eleison in Thor's Cave? not my cup of tea but a trio of mates did it one night, and it took them most of the night IIRC
 Bulls Crack 01 May 2017
In reply to henry castle:

Lancashire ????
 Bulls Crack 01 May 2017
In reply to sheelba:

It's not exactly the most illuminating of descrptions is it?
 Tigger 02 May 2017
In reply to henry castle:

B.A.Ws crawl
Lock woods chimney
Cave craw (Froggatt)
Shadrach (Tremadog)
Curved Crack (Stanage)

 sheelba 02 May 2017
In reply to Bulls Crack:

Having been there and seen it I think that would be the last of your worries if you actually attempted it in anything other than drought conditions!

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