[dunnyg]

I've only been to font for a bouldering only abroad trip. The grit is less good than font. I wouldn't fly halfway round the world to go bouldering though.

I think the weather makes a massive difference. Climbing on mizzly grit in average uk weather. Reliable weather does make holidays way more fun.

I'd rather go to rocklands than peak grit, but that isn't in europe.
I think the swiss bouldering looks pretty good, and probably has better weather?

[ducko]

Just go to Switzerland, grit is a nightmare to get conditions on I live two hours away in wales and I find it hard to make the effort

[petejh]

To throw a curve ball in: if you're prepared to cross-out grit from the must-do list and are still interested in risking a trip to a UK-type climate then you could have as good a bouldering trip by going to Ireland. You'd have similar quality to the UK, similar variety of styles and rock-types. Similar shower-dodging flexibility is required, but Irish roads are much quieter than the UK. The motorways especially are fast and empty so travel between areas is quicker - Fairhead dolerite to Wicklow granite in about 3.5 hrs? You still get to fly across the Atlantic..

[owensum]

Giving my 2c as a Yorkshire-born US expat. I think a trip is worthy if you are into bouldering history, and truly curious to try a relatively unique style/setting. But also it would help if you were excited about UK culture in general, as I think a trip focused completely on grit could be a total wash-out due to the weather (ie. have a solid plan B). In the trips I have had back home in recent years, I would say I had only 1 or 2 days a week with good climbing conditions. The Yorkshire moorland scenery and pub life is a great reason to travel. There are individual world class problems, but the venues are all small and spread-out, nothing compared to true world class areas like Hueco, Bishop, Font etc. But then again the gritstone vibe is pretty unique and special IMO. Northumberland sandstone is great also but much closer in line with sandstone you find elsewhere, less unique internationally I would say, and with a less celebrated history.

For those suggesting Rocklands as an alternative, it's a nightmare to get there from the US BTW. Over twice the travel and cost.

[SA Chris]

Castle Hill?

[Bradders]

I personally think people are mad committing limited leave/travel to the uncertain weather of the UK.

I've done exactly this the last 3 years, using at least 2 weeks annual leave specifically to boulder in the UK. Granted, I live here so it's a zero/low cost option, but I like it that much and I've never not been able to climb in reasonable conditions during October, November, March and April. Went to Cornwall in August 2018 and had a great time.

Thing to do would be to hire a van, allowing you to go wherever the weather is best. Although the original thread subject was grit, I reckon Wales, Lakes, Northumberland and the SW are all just as good.

On Ireland; I've not been to Fairhead but it looks like you'd need a big psyched team to get the most out of it. Wicklow is only really okay. I wouldn't travel far to go there, even if the climate were perfect.

And then there's Scotland....which has problems as brilliant as they get anywhere in the world in my opinion when the weather is good (almost never).

[eastside]

Thanks for all the responses. It's a lot of food for thought.

I usually manage one three week trip per year.

I didn't try Aeroline that I remember in Albarracin.

Yeah Rocklands is definitely high on the list but it's two full days of travel to get there.

I am definitely interested to experience the UK countryside as well besides the climbing, and I do love a good pub. Albarracin had a great scene along those lines, super fun and inexpensive with great food, in France the bars were less fun and more expensive - the food was still great though and the scenery was magnificent once we got out of the urban areas.

Also I do a bit of trad so there's that appeal as well.

[eastside]

Oh and Fairhead, isn't that the crazy basalt blocks by the ocean, some of them are like 30+ feet tall with marginal landings? I watched a video, if it's the same place it looks terrifying.

[Paul B]

I personally think people are mad committing limited leave/travel to the uncertain weather of the UK.

You're taking this a little out of context but I'll admit I wasn't clear. The thread is about a transatlantic visit and IMO there are many places with less uncertain whether and arguably better bouldering that would be higher up my list. What about the other USA venues not mentioned?

I've done exactly this the last 3 years, using at least 2 weeks annual leave specifically to boulder in the UK. Granted, I live here so it's a zero/low cost option, but I like it that much and I've never not been able to climb in reasonable conditions during October, November, March and April. Went to Cornwall in August 2018 and had a great time.

...but again, the OP was in reference to grit, and is a transatlantic trip. I agree, if you're in the UK and willing to drive you'll be able to find something (Carlisle Slapper never had a problem finding dry rock) but personally, this isn't how I plan my transatlantic trips, for instance if I was trying to organise a trip to Bishop, I wouldn't just be booking a flight to California and nothing else. I also wouldn't be doing it just a few weeks before so that I could check conditions were looking favourable. I also wouldn't have a contingency plan of spending more $$$ and getting on a flight to RRG if the weather wasn't OK either. Perhaps that's just me 

I've been to Fairhead in the early days of its bouldering development and it's good. However, we did spend a fair amount of time not climbing (I remember spending the best day holding down a skyhook for a wad not to do a route). We didn't have pad parties the size you might expect these days and I didn't get hurt (a minor miracle in itself).

I'm currently failing to get a friend from ~Marseille to visit the UK to go climbing. Every time I suggest it he takes the p*ss out of our weather. He's turned me down this year and instead he's off to Taghia.

Don't get me wrong, I think the UK has great and varied climbing but there are a LOT of good places to climb across the globe, and many of them have (on average) better weather.

[SA Chris]

3 weeks in early /mid April (optimum daylight / temps /rainfall / midges) intending climbing grit, but with flexibility to go elsewhere if weather is crap in Peak / Pennines and accepting you might miss a few days due to weather, and you'll have a great trip.

[owensum]

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...?

This is very very true. Not to mention driving on the "wrong" side of the road And the tiny country roads. 2 hrs of driving in the UK, for someone used to US roads, can be absolutely exhausting, and occasionally terrifying.

[eastside]

You're taking this a little out of context but I'll admit I wasn't clear. The thread is about a transatlantic visit and IMO there are many places with less uncertain whether and arguably better bouldering that would be higher up my list. What about the other USA venues not mentioned?

Well I've been to all of them! Pretty much - I live in Bishop, been to Hueco, Joe's, LRC, Rocktown, Horse Pens, etc.. And I can manage a shorter trip to any of those areas as the travel time is short and the jet lag is nonexistant, pretty much.

LOT of good places to climb across the globe, and many of them have (on average) better weather.

I believe it. My original climbing mentor was from the UK and I remember him telling me about a trip where he did nothing but walk around in the rain for weeks and look at all the cliffs he couldn't climb as they were all dripping wet. However I have never been to the UK and for some reason it has always appealed to me to totter around the countryside climbing boulders and the odd trad route before heading to the nearest pub. Perhaps I am over romanticizing what it would actually be like

I realize there are bigger and better venues that I have not yet been to - Rocklands, Switzerland, Grampians for example. And I want to visit those places as well. But I want to sample ALL of the areas that I can, before I get too old to pull down any longer. So I do think I'll make it out to the grit at some point. Although it will be hard to convince my wife, she really wants to go to Rocklands next and I can't say that I blame her, by all accounts it is some of the best bouldering in the world.

[eastside]

This is very very true. Not to mention driving on the "wrong" side of the road And the tiny country roads. 2 hrs of driving in the UK, for someone used to US roads, can be absolutely exhausting, and occasionally terrifying.

Last year in France we took the back roads from Versailles all the way to where we were staying in Larchant by sector Elephant, it was two hours of windy little roads and quite exhausting, and they drive on the "right" side of the road!

[moose]

If the current wet and windy weather in Yorkshire persists, I'm thinking of flying across the Atlantic for a climbing holiday in eastside's "shed" / bouldering cave. I returned just over a week ago from a fortnight in Spain, dry and usually sunny every day, climbing 12 out of 14 days, and I have not seen the sun let alone any dry rock.

[Alex-the-Alex]

Here's viddy from a visiting boulderers perspective. Though they might have edited some of that sun in... A van would see you right, you could aim for Torridon, Cuckoo Tor or Tor Eiffel at a moments notice and chase the good weather around. And you'll get every dry rock tipoff you need on here. Good odds.

[ashtond6]

To all those talking weather, other than this current ridiculous rain spree, you can normally get out.

I’ve been to Yosemite three times for 2 weeks... two of those visits included 4/5 day snowstorms!

Personally I can’t recommend anyone flying this way but maybe it’s local bias and maybe it’s because I can’t fly to boulder.

[JamieG]

Can’t believe what I’m seeing in some of these replies. Shame on you! :-) Gritstone bouldering is world class. Absolutely worth traveling over the Atlantic for. As good as (or better) anywhere else I’ve climbed. Unique style in unique settings. Sure British weather is more unpredictable but you’ll always get climbing in. Unless you’re incredibly unlucky. It just adds to the charm and mystique. Doesn’t give up its secrets so easily.

Also if you do decided to visit. I’m happy to lend pads and guide books.

[Ru]

However I have never been to the UK and for some reason it has always appealed to me to totter around the countryside climbing boulders and the odd trad route before heading to the nearest pub. Perhaps I am over romanticizing what it would actually be like

The lines, the history and the climbing on grit are world class. It's a bit more spread out than other areas and the weather is less reliable, so you need to plan and be psyched. Apart from during the random stable dry weather periods that mostly seem to occur in late spring and in autumn, its harder to have a good day in the UK just hanging out at a crag than it is elsewhere. But apart from that it's probably everything you think it will be. The country pubs, winding lanes, etc are all as romantic as you think they might be, it's just that, like anywhere, the romance wears off for the locals who then see the negatives. The driving isn't that bad if you're travelling outside of rush hour. It's not like being on an American highway, but no-one expects it to be. There is some chance of hitting an absolutely awful patch of weather and that chance is higher than in other countries.

[Will Hunt]

Yep. You can definitely have a good trip. If you wanted to go somewhere else and your mates dragged you to the grit then maybe you'd be more inclined to see the faults, but the heart wants what the heart wants. It may not be rational or the best decision on paper, but if you want to go and pull on the same holds as Jerry and Dawes and Brown and Dolphin, then you have to scratch the grit itch.

[Bradders]

Here's viddy from a visiting boulderers perspective. Though they might have edited some of that sun in... A van would see you right, you could aim for Torridon, Cuckoo Tor or Tor Eiffel at a moments notice and chase the good weather around. And you'll get every dry rock tipoff you need on here. Good odds.

What a lovely video, thanks for sharing that.

[Nibile]

Not the Atlantic, but I've flewn across the channel many times to climb on grit (and not only grit), and many of my best climbing memoris were born there.
But what do I know? 

[Trail]

Oh and Fairhead, isn't that the crazy basalt blocks by the ocean, some of them are like 30+ feet tall with marginal landings? I watched a video, if it's the same place it looks terrifying.

They're not all 30ft and are dolerite! although generally tend towards the higher end of bouldering. Maybe my view on what is considered a highball has been skewed! If i'm by myself I usually have 2/3 pads and can get on most things. No shortage of boulders to climb and having a sit and looking out across the sea to Rathlin and Scotland is pretty special.
If you aligned your trip with the Fairhead meet there's usually no shortage of pads or people about (and the weather is usually ok). Also some good bouldering in the Mournes but the walk in takes a bit longer.
Plus the Guinness is better 

I think generally in the UK & Ireland if you're able to move around you'll get dry rock (although current weather is not holding true to this  )

[Bradders]

Is the Fairhead meet trad only or is there a bouldering equivalent?

[yetix]

And when is this fairhead meet you speak of (if bouldering)

[Plattsy]

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.

Yes.