[wintermute]

planning to finally get down there in the near future and check out some of the spots.

haven't been able to find too much info about it, northcott and hartland quay seem to be two of the better areas, but has anyone got any info they'd be willing to impart about best places to go, problems (up to about 7c)etc.? or even better, does si youngs topo from OTE exist anywhere in the internet world?
cheers

[Doylo]

hi.went here this year.i d say don t travel too far to it.we went to northcott first and walked the coast.couldn t see any bouldering.we recognised wet bootie on way back.not quite as cool as it looks in pics.prob 7b/+.ache ball was the best thing we saw,would go with 7c for this.all in all a bit turd but some stuff for a keen local.

[grimer]

Oh yeah. I took the OTE article there once, and struggled to finad a lot of Stuff. I think I might have found The Trench at hartland (just a flat wall with some holds) but not some roof mentioned. Unless I did, but I hope that wasn't it. Stu Littlefair said a thing there called Carnage is supposed to be good, but didn't find it.

Northcott was a lovely place, with some okay bouldering, eliminates on flat walls with little crimpy things. The rock is that not-great-for-bouldering stuff, but you could still definitely find some satisfaction there.

There was somewhere else mentioned, a place with big slabs. I spent 2 hours searching there but couldn't find anything at all.

[Dave Westlake]

The problem with the Culm coast is that stuff is generally hard to find....


Or, should I say, the great thing about the culm coast is that stuff is hard to find!


I admit that for a first time visitor it may seem a bit crap, but if you're prepared to search about then there are some very good problems.  Carnage is one of the best problems I've done.  Its on the other beach (screda point) to the one ache ball/ the trench is Grimer.

Wet bootie - I agree Doyle that this is not quite as good as you expect after seeing the pic of si on it - as it looks like the problem has shrunk to about 10% of the size it seems in the photo!!  The beach height varies on this and other probs though and the quality of the problems varies with it.  I thought 7a+ for this at the most (definately not 7C - god knows where that came from!!!)

The grade of ache ball depends a lot on height - tall people find it a lot easier (or should I say short people find it harder?).  hence you get people saying 7c, 7c+, 8a.  For me it deffo felt 7c+ and harder than the (admittedly few) others of that grade ive done, but then again i know other people who can walk it!

The roof you were looking for Grimer may have been 'hartland roof' which either got buried or fell down some years ago, so no wonder you didnt see it!

The classic problem at northcott is probably the pinch - behind Maer Cliff and the name Zawn.  The rock on this is superb.

Basically, it depends what youre after - if youre up for a bit of an adventure its a good place, if you want easy access, short walk ins, no brainer bouldering (which is no bad thing)  then I wouldnt recommend it! 

[chappers]

 

text to dave: "the culm coast is taking a battering on UKB"

i trust dave as a pretty good judge of things though, maybe best to find out if a local is about to give you a tour?

[Dave Westlake]

Hahaha, you can always trust me to defend the culm!

I can totally see why people would think its shit though - maybe its cos im a bit of a hippy that all that wandering along desolate beaches holds a certain appeal? 

[Stu Littlefair]

The problem with the Culm is not quality, but quantity. Basically the whole coast has about 5-10 really good problems, but that's a lot of beach to traipse about if you don't know where you're going to start with.

I'd take Doylo's advice. Go if you're near, but don't attempt it without a local...

[wintermute]

woah, this is a bit of a shock!
i knew it was spread out, but i'd only ever heard great things about the place....
still, i've got a place to crash down there, and a few people i can drop in on to make a trip worthwhile still i reckon.
looking forward to the quiet down there as much as anything else!

so basically the advice is go to hartland and northcott, then wander about till i find something that looks good?

cheers all for the info by the way

[Andy B]

I was at Screda when Simon Young did the first ascent of the sitter to Carnage. I was half way up the Steep E4 that faces the main slab, when a head pokes over the top of the crag and asks if they can use our ab rope. The next thing I saw was three or four massive crash pads sliding down the rope. This was when I still wasn't used to seeing many pads at any crag let alone a tidal sea cliff! We then cut half way through our rope when Emma fell off seconding  . It was a good day.

Carnage should be easy to find: With your back to the main slab at Screda Carnage should be facing you two or three in front. I thought it was a really good problem, but unless the landing has changed those big pads are needed, to cover boulder filled trenches.

[grimer]

Hi, no Dave, hope it didn't look like I was saying it was crappy. I suppose everything is hard to find, which WM will have to take into account if he is visiting alone, without a local. I honestly did spend hours at a fairly small venue walking up and down and around and about trying to find anything that bore any resemblance to the descriptions in OTE  I suppose it is a place best suited to hippies who need to get lost before they can be found. And as I said, Northcott is a nice place, with lots of nice coloured things washed up by the sea.

Would have thopught they might all be a bit dank in winter, all the same?

[Dave Westlake]

I think Stu's comment about quantity pretty much sums it up.

Grimer - no not at all - I agree that you could spend hours wandering and not really find anything as a first time visitor!  One of the problems is that the beach height varies a lot so some stuff probably would have literally been buried.  This makes it quite strange as a venue really!  one day a problem is there, the next it isn't!

you are also right that this time of year a lot of the bouldering stays wet.  All in all its definitely a place for hippies who don't really want to go climbing!

I agree the best method is top get a local guide - ask about at the barn wall (near tavistock) and you should find someone willing.  Whatever you end up doing, wintermule, I hope you have fun...

[Jacqusie]

Like Grimer I mooched about for a few hours getting nowhere initially - then found the trench area which was good sport - just watch them tides - we had fun getting back!

si

[granticus]

ache ball was the best thing we saw,would go with 7c for this

Indeed... it is one of the better problems around.  (is that an I did it and thought 7c, I'm with Mr Westlake 7c+ is what I'd go for based on trying it and repeating it).  Northcott probably contains the most problems..  However, there is plenty more quality to go at on the coast.. alas it is spread out, hard to find and tide dependant. Fortunately, you won't find queues under anything, polished rock, chalk smothered holds (not until you've finished at least) or erosion issues, although beach height can vary greatly.  Problems sometimes disappear completely under pebbles or new ones appear as if by magic.  Local knowledge, time and an adventerous attitude can be extremely rewarding, the population of boulderers down here is small so news travels slowly... It's all part of the charm.
Was at Hartland yesterday, the rock was in good nick, it was well sheltered from the cold easterlies and the light was beautiful.
Still if you're looking for a more concentrated bouldering experience on the Atlantic Coast I would suggest Godrevy and Clodgy Point (St Ives) which have closer packed problems and more reliable information than the Culm stuff..  Or head up to Lynmouth which again has closer packed problems...

All in all its definitely a place for hippies who don't really want to go climbing!

  Yeah.. it's rubbish for climbing really and for surfing too... Stay away grockles