[eastside]

I can manage about one international trip per year from the US.

So far I've been to

Squamish x2
Albarracin
Fontainebleau

Going back to Font again this year.

Just wondering if it's worth it to fly over from the US to climb on the grit? I'm very curious to sample the syle. I'm pretty sure I'll get spanked.

[remus]

It's good fun but it's not on the same level as font and friends. Conditions can also be tricky so I think it'd be a hard trip to get right.

[tim palmer]

I think Yorkshire grit has comparable quality boulders to most places (except font) just slightly more spread out.  The weather is just a total pain and could ruin even a pretty long trip but that being said you could even drive to another part of the country if the weather looked really poor.

[erm, sam]

'cept when it is poor all over.

[tomtom]

It's good fun but it's not on the same level as font and friends. Conditions can also be tricky so I think it'd be a hard trip to get right.

I think if you were to plan a trip to Europe with the main intention of climbing on some UK Grit then it would work out... Keep that flexibility that if it does crap out in the UK for a few days then head somewhere else in Europe...

[abarro81]

Surely Switzerland, Rocklands etc would be a better bet?

But then I'm a sport climber so can't be that bothered with the grit.

[Will Hunt]

It depends what sort of trip you want to do. The weather stuff can be overcome by moving around a bit, but it is a risk. May or September would be good times to visit. Not the best conditions but fairly reliable decent conditions.
As Tim says, the quality is spread out.
Something that hasn't been mentioned is skin. I personally could not boulder on gritstone for a full week (often I can barely manage a day!) It might not be too bad since you'd probably be sticking to the popular crags where some of the sharpness has been eroded away.

[Wood FT]

I can manage about one international trip per year from the US.

So far I've been to

Squamish x2
Albarracin
Fontainebleau

Going back to Font again this year.

Just wondering if it's worth it to fly over from the US to climb on the grit? I'm very curious to sample the syle. I'm pretty sure I'll get spanked.

How long are these international trips?

[Bradders]

Yes... but that doesn't mean you should!

Grit (and the whole UK really) is in the category of "has (lots of) world class bouldering, but isn't a world class bouldering area" due to how hard it is to get conditions and the spread out nature of the areas. There's a reason not many wads come here to do the big hard lines, despite them being absolutely amazing. It's miles better than Albarracin.

The weather isn't that bad and it's rare to not be able to get out somewhere at least once a week provided you're flexible and don't mind driving (although that's not great for a trip!). It's most annoying if you have something specific you want to do, as then it's very easy to be completely shut down for months or whole seasons if you're really unlucky.

I'd go to Rocklands if I were you.

[monkey boy]

I think the grit is totally worth coming over for but what I'd say is be prepared to travel as well. From Sheffield or Leeds (wherever you base yourself) you can get to loads of rock with a 2-3 hour drive (nothing for Americans) and mostly you'll find something dry. March is a good bet I think. Great to combine with some time in Europe.

The gritstone and Northumberland sandstone is world class in my opinion, obviously not everything but it's great, regardless of the weather. Gritstone also dries ridiculously quickly with a little wind and you can often get out when most people think it's a right off.

[monkey boy]

Yes... but that doesn't mean you should!

Grit (and the whole UK really) is in the category of "has (lots of) world class bouldering, but isn't a world class bouldering area" due to how hard it is to get conditions and the spread out nature of the areas. There's a reason not many wads come here to do the big hard lines, despite them being absolutely amazing. It's miles better than Albarracin.

The weather isn't that bad and it's rare to not be able to get out somewhere at least once a week provided you're flexible and don't mind driving. It's most annoying if you have something specific you want to do, as then it's very easy to be completely shut down for months or whole seasons if you're really unlucky.

I'd go to Rocklands if I were you.

Every wad that has been here, that I know, has absolutely loved it! Like Nick says you have to be prepared to travel to find dry stuff. If you can do a longer trip then the UK is definitely worth coming, it's class.

[Will Hunt]

Thinking about it a bit more, I'm not sure the weather argument is too valid for an international visitor who's prepared to transfer between the peak and Yorkshire (and maybe even put a harness in and do some sport). We all know that the weather is shit for climbing on the grit, but that's because we all want to climb during peak grit season i.e the winter i.e when it rains most. A trip in early spring or late autumn when the weather is a bit more settled might not have the best conditions, but if you're wanting to bomb round climbing loads of classics at 2-3 grades below your max effort then that could work quite nicely.

[tomtom]

Wise words Monkey boy.

Another thing to consider is being a small country with a wide range of landscapes means that if (for example) you were to stay in Manchester you are 90 min drive from the Pass in N.Wales, Crags in the south Lakes - as well as all the grit crags in the Peak. Thats a big range of different landscapes and rock types available...

Or keep the flexibility - have a week here but no firm locations. If you are over outside of UK school holidays then getting acommodation anywhere will not be a problem...

Will has a good point about skin - there are only so many days in a week when you can climb on grit anyway - so some thing easier on the skin can be a great option..

[Fiend]

Yes, as per the last 4 posts, BUT with the usual weather warning (it IS that bad). Worth noting that Northumberland can save the day in the usual wet south-westerly bollox.

[SA Chris]

Not all of Northumberland is grit though..

[Paul B]

Threads like this is why we need the return of Dense.

March is a good bet I think. Great to combine with some time in Europe.

I'll get back to you on this in a fortnight (I strongly suspect you'll be wrong). I personally think people are mad committing limited leave/travel to the uncertain weather of the UK. I'm not willing to gamble my leave on a Dolomites trip as sitting in the rain for a week before returning to work would be crippling. You're also a massive optimist (I'm well aware I'm the opposite); I searched out several of your lesser climbed Font recommendations and you'd made sure to film them from their best angle! 

Just wondering if it's worth it to fly over from the US to climb on the grit? I'm very curious to sample the style. I'm pretty sure I'll get spanked.

Did you climb Aeroline when you were there (Albarracin)? I think it's very akin to a F7A grit arete.

[shark]

Probably some overly negative bias on this thread as the weather has been much worse here than usual this winter.

I’ve heard that it sometimes rains in Font too.

[cheque]

Probably some overly negative bias on this thread as the weather has been much worse here than usual this winter.

Everyone thinks their local area is boring too. Every time I’ve been to the States local climbers have said to me things along the lines of “why the hell did you come here instead of -insert place they’d like to go on holiday- ?!” while I’ve been finding every detail fascinating and exotic.

When my mates came over here they fucking loved it- a day trip from Sheffield to Llanberis to climb a few slate routes on quite a humid day they describe as, for a variety of reasons, many of which as jaded locals we just can’t relate to, one of the best days of their lives.

You’ve really got to be an incredibly weird person to travel to a new part of a different continent and say “it was a waste of a holiday- the climbing wasn’t absolutely top class and we couldn’t climb every single day”.

[spidermonkey09]

Probably some overly negative bias on this thread as the weather has been much worse here than usual this winter.

I’ve heard that it sometimes rains in Font too.

This. The UK is great. If the OP came for two/three weeks in early May and based themselves around Manchester they would be really unlucky not to have a great trip as long as they were happy driving.

I can't do more than two days on when bouldering anyway. 2 on in Font is pushing my luck. 3 normally means I can't climb for days! The odd bit of rain is a blessing.

[dunnyg]

The grit is cool to climb. If it was properly dire during your visit, its relatively cheap to sack it off and go over to mainland europe if it is drier.

There is usually somewhere dry in the UK though, and most places really aren't that far away from each other.

The grit is pretty special, if bouldering is your bag, it is worth a trip I recon. I haven't bouldered much outside of font in europe, so can't compare it to non-uk venues, it does seem quite unique though. Some lines on grit are incredible.
The weather is much shitter in the UK compared to bishop obviously, but if you are flexible as mentioned above, there is most likely somewhere dry.

Northumberland is also definitely worth a look, as is st bees (imagine good desert sandstone boulders, but on a wavecut platform).

It only rains in font on rest days though...

[teestub]

Everyone thinks their local area is boring too. Every time I’ve been to the States local climbers have said to me things along the lines of “why the hell did you come here instead of -insert place they’d like to go on holiday- ?!” while I’ve been finding every detail fascinating and exotic.

I dunno man, all the Squamish locals seemed pretty smug about their world class climbing with world class skiing just up the road!

[SA Chris]

most places really aren't that far away from each other.

Apart from the ones that are, obviously.

[dunnyg]

Maybe better stated that there are lots of nearby options to the grit within a 5 hour drive

[Will Hunt]

With all the talk of driving and of 2 hour drives being nothing to a North American: this may be true, but the nature of the driving is different.
Remember Honnold talking about the differences between driving in the States and the UK? In the US a 2-hour drive is turning onto the freeway, setting the cruise control, and then watching a DVD whilst keeping half an eye on the road (OK, I exaggerate); a 2-hour drive in the UK is a litany of traffic jams, Sunday drivers, road works, and generalised carnage. Maybe not what you want while on holiday...?

[Paul B]

I challenge the people on this thread recommending the UK as a good choice of trans-atlantic destinations to list in order of preference, bouldering venues in Europe (and perhaps somewhat closer to the OP) and suggest where they feel the UK sits in that list (without suggesting if it's a bit rainy in the peak one can drive to Pembroke and go tradding or spend +£££ and essentially buy another holiday to mainland Europe).

In the meantime can someone light the torch for A Dense Loner? It looks like Batman's but more bald.