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Arrangements for climbers wanting to taste the amazing delights of true adventure climbing at Pembrokeshire's Range West in 2011 have just been announced.

As a live firing range (which almost paradoxically also has some internationally important conservation interest!) public access to Range West at Castlemartin is closely managed. The Castlemartin Ranges in South Pembrokeshire are divided into two parts - Range East and Range West. Range East (from Stack Rocks to St Govan's) is generally accessible for climbers on most weekends, bank holidays and evenings, but Range West is the subject of specific arrangements. This is mainly due to the fact that the range is a fully active live firing range, and there are genuine dangers from unexploded ordanance and other military debris all over the range.

Every individual (not just climbers) entering Range West has to attend a briefing on an annual basis before entering the Range  (including the Army Range Commendant himself!) and the BMC has arranged with the Army staff, Pembrokeshire Coast National Park and the Coastguard to hold three seperate briefings for climbers wanting to visit Range West in 2011. Unfortunately access for under 18's and for unbriefed climbers, who may wish to enter with briefed climbers, is not possible, due to MoD national instructions on access to live firing ranges.

These briefing dates for 2011 are 28 May, 25 June and 30 July. All the briefings will start 9am prompt, and will be at the Castlemartin Army Camp. A maximum of 30 briefed climbers will be allowed onto the Range on each non-firing day, which is usually most weekends from 28 May to the end of January. Access will also be allowed on non-firing mid week days, and we have been informed by the National Park Ranger that there will be no live firing at Castlemartin from Saturday July 30th until August 29th, so that briefed climbers will be able to access Range West throughout this period. It's highly likley that there will be other substantal non-firing times in 2011, and these will be announced as soon as the information is available, but will almost certianly include the Christmas and New Year period.

Please also bear in mind that many cliffs in Range East are also subject to seasonal restrictions due to nesting birds, and all of that information is available on the National Park climbing leaflet with updates on noticeboards at St Govan's and Stack Rocks, and of course on the BMC Regional Access Database (RAD)

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