[T_B]

Planning on making a first visit to Cheddar Gorge this weekend.

Any tips on the best routes E3 - E5 or up to 7b?

Thinking Sunset Buttress and Paradiso Lost? What other areas are likely to be reasonably well travelled and in the sun?

Any tips on where to park up a campervan?

Thanks!

[andy popp]

Ahimsa on Acid Rock has to be one of the best trad limestone E3's in England. I did it in beautiful late afternoon/evening sunlight at I think about this time of year. A must.

[T_B]

Nice one, thanks for the recommendation 

[Bonjoy]

Absolutely yonks since I was last there but a route called Ginsberg sticks in my memory as being really good.

[El Mocho]

The paradise buttress is excellent, the classic E5 up the middle has been rebolted and is very enjoyable - good easy pitch to warm up then 2 crackers up the steep bit, not hard for the grade either. Spacehunter buttress also has very good rock, was a long time ago I climbed there so can't remember what I did.

West face is meant to be classic at e5, take lots of small to med wires.

Still waters and an E2 a little to the right (twilight of imperialism?) are both pretty good and only single pitch so good to warm up on (maybe not still waters unless you are steve mac) or fit in as a quick extra.

The whole place has gained a lot of popularity since I was down that way so other things will be in good nick.

[SA Chris]

Not sure about parking overnight in the Gorge itself. Local constabulary have had trouble with yoofs in the past. If you drive up to the top of the gorge it gets quieter, must be some secluded spots up there.

[shurt]

Am in agreement with Andy. Ahimsa is great. there are two other good E3's on Acid Rock, Asina (done this) and Dream Cruise (have abbed down this and it looks amazing and prob harder than Asina). There are some good quality sports routes round the corner too.

I've also done this new 4 pitch Crocker clip up at E1 called Sullenberger which is a great warm up or an easy day if you feel like it.

Worth getting hold of the newish Cheddar Gorge Climbs guide rather than using the CC guide. Much has changed since its publication.

chris is right you will probably get a visit from the poice if you park right near the gorge. you could drive out but roads are quite small and i don't remember there being loads of laybys etc. there is a good campsite near shipham (5 mins away) at a place called longbottom farm (easy to google).

i would also recommend a visit to Highams Bakery (i've been calling it Hymans for bad comic effect for sometime now) to visit Mrs Higham. Great cakes, pastries and sandwiches - all very cheap. Its on a road called Tweentown in Cheddar - its not a long street and the bakery is one of the few things on that road.

Hope you have a good time.

[SA Chris]

You might be able to find somewhere to park up by the reservoir west of town?. Look on google maps.

[northerngreg]

For parking up, try:

 51° 17.880'N
  2° 42.647'W

The remnant, wave, tsunami and sunset buttress should get plenty of sun. Tsunami might be a bit seepy though.

[Andy D]

The Empire (E5) is well worth the effort to get there. If your up something a bit harder Bird of Paradise on Sunset might be the best at Cheddar.

[duncan]

Cheddar can be pretty cold when it's cold, and even when it's warm elsewhere, so finding something in the sun is usually a good idea.  Locals (my mum) report good weather recently so it should be dry.

Ginsberg Wall (mid afternoon sun, roadside)
Ginsberg - used to be a good E4.  It seems to have lost holds and may be harder now.

Warlord Wall (west facing - afternoon sun)
Warlord - very good, tough E4
Brainbiter - a good E2/3 with 2 points of aid; allegedly E5 6b free

Sunset Buttress (west facing - early afternoon sun)
Paradise Lost - formerly a tough E5, now a clip-up.
Bird of Paradise - not done this, looks amazing.

Roman Wall (mid afternoon sun, hike up and abseil in)
Empire  - not done this, looks great.
Caesar - E4.  Did this years ago in arctic conditions and thought it was tough but good.

High Rock (north facing, hike up and abseil in)
West Route - tough E5 (E6 in the book) F7b-ish.  Initial overhang can seep slightly but main crack and crux should still be dry.  Great climbing, amazing position, best line at Cheddar.  I'm a bit biased about this one though...

Acid Rock (west facing - early afternoon sun)
Ahimsa etc. as per recommendations above.

[T_B]

Thanks for all the replies.  Just need to find somewhere south of Birmingham now to dump a car as rendezvousing with a mate travelling from Manc and I'm coming from Sheffield 

[ChrisC]

I come from Notts and often meet people coming from the M6 direction at the Bromsgrove Junction of the M42 when heading south.  There is a Harvester pub on the roundabout, previously they have been fine about us leaving cars in their car park, plus you can have a drink waiting for people to turn up.



Failing that I've left cars in School Lane, a couple of hundred meters down the road before.  You can park so its not directly outside someones house, but close enough to have the benefit of a residential area.  Disclaimer, it seems nice enough but I know nothing about the place....

[T_B]

Useless by name, not so useless by nature. Good knowledge - ta.

[RichK]

I come from Notts and often meet people coming from the M6 direction at the Bromsgrove Junction of the M42 when heading south.  There is a Harvester pub on the roundabout, previously they have been fine about us leaving cars in their car park, plus you can have a drink waiting for people to turn up.

Worked a treat

[willackers]

I did Still Waters Run Deep and Shakin' Like A Leaf a couple of weeks ago, both really good..........

[griffer]

whats Cheddar loike in the summer?
where is best to climb 7a-7c?

[AJM]

whats Cheddar loike in the summer?
where is best to climb 7a-7c?

Restricted, is the short answer. As you drive up the hill from the village you can't climb anywhere on the right hand side of the road until early September.

There are still some good crags to go at mind you. I've not really done anything on the Wave and Tsunami but there's a decent spread of routes there. House Burning Down at Pride Evans Cave is an awesome 7b+, with a few neighbours in the 7b+-7c range. The Remnant and Lion Rock, which are quite close together, have a good range of 7s - I've enjoyed It's a Kind of Magic at 7a+ and Spy in the Sky at 7b/+, but there's a load of classics like Valley of the Blind and Circus Circus which get very good writeups.

Hope this helps,

Andy

[griffer]

thanks for that
Are all these south facing?
any topos?
whats the guide book?

[Jerry Morefat]

The Remnant, Lion Rock and Pride Evans Cave face south west and come into the shade after 2. I think the Wave and Tsunami come into the shade at a similar time, but could be wrong. Lion rock often has a breeze, so can be alight in the sun, or surprisingly cold in the shade!

Cheddar Gorge Climbs by Martin Crocker is your book. You can get it from the climbing shop in the gorge.

If you want to avoid the car parking charges, then there are often spaces in gravely bays on the north side of the gorge which are owned by the national trust. Cheddar Gorge and Caves (who own the south side) can't charge you for using them.

[AJM]

The Remnant, Lion Rock and Pride Evans Cave face south west and come into the shade after 2. I think the Wave and Tsunami come into the shade at a similar time, but could be wrong. Lion rock often has a breeze, so can be alight in the sun, or surprisingly cold in the shade!

Cheddar Gorge Climbs by Martin Crocker is your book. You can get it from the climbing shop in the gorge.

If you want to avoid the car parking charges, then there are often spaces in gravely bays on the north side of the gorge which are owned by the national trust. Cheddar Gorge and Caves (who own the south side) can't charge you for using them.

Good beta. Wave and tsunami are similar times (though I'm sure Remnant is SSE according to the guide). There's space to park on the grass right by Pride Evans entrance which is the nearest for the lower 3. Lion Rock is a weird one since as it's so isolated it catches sun from all sorts of angles at all sorts of times - the arête on the left (human zoo) is normally in the evening sun when I turn up for an after work session, and I think the arête of valley of the blind will catch it for longer than the rest because of the aspect. Does catch the breeze as you say.

[Jerry Morefat]

Wave and tsunami are similar times (though I'm sure Remnant is SSE according to the guide).

Yeah, I meant south east (not south west). I was having a bit of a slow moment last night!