[gardinrm]

Thinking of making a trip down from Edinburgh to Northumberland next week. I've never bouldered there but have seen plenty of footage: looks excellent. It will only be a day trip so it would be nice to go somewhere fairly easy to access and with some good problems (around 7a). Bowden Doors looks particularly good, but sometimes guides/videos can be misleading.

So, any advice? Where should I go? What should I try?
 

[tomtom]

I love Hepburn.

But I'm (a) no local and (b) no expert at all...

[mrjonathanr]

Only really been to Kyloe in the Woods. It was ace; short walk in, but fits the bill.

[SA Chris]

Kyloe in is closed every day except Sundays at the moment due to forest management, but if you can do that, otherwise a day at Back Bowden / far end of Bowden Doors (depending on best weather) for a first time visit. Or both, same parking place, but you might not have skin. Minimum driving, maximum rock time. Hepburn and others are good, but save them for later trips.

Can't believe you've never been, tantamount to heresy.

[gardinrm]

Can't believe you've never been, tantamount to heresy.

haha. So I've heard. In my defence, its a quite a long way from Manchester.

[SA Chris]

Exactly the same distance as from Newtonhill, and I've lost count of the number of times I've been.

[Fiend]

Shaftoe for the authentic grit-style bouldering experience, plus it's not just base-of-crag bouldering.

[gme]

Shaftoe for the authentic grit-style bouldering experience, plus it's not just base-of-crag bouldering.

Think we will have to agree to disagree on that, i dont even think of Shaftoe as Northumberland sandstone, its a little bit of grit stuck in the county. My least favorite crag up here and think if its your first visit to the county you many not bother coming back.

First visit has to be to the northern Kyloe/bowdens area and even more so if your coming down from Edinburgh, loads in the 6C-7B grade some with top outs but as hinted above many are drop offs these days.

Hepburn/Bertheles stone/hepburn south is a brilliant area too with one of the best boulders in the country stuck in the middle of it, All proper boulders not drop offs on some of the best rock in the country, a bit of Font dropped in Northern England.

I think those areas alone would keep someone happy for a decade without even starting to look elsewhere.

[SA Chris]

I wouldn't go to the county for the first time on a day trip, then drive an extra hour each way to climb on grit.

[Fiend]

Kyloe In is only popular because it's perma-dry. Climbing-wise you might as well go to Eden Rock. Bowdens okay but far better for routes than bouldering. Heppy is good aye. Shaftoe still one of my favourites for pure blocs. If it's taking you an extra hour you need to ditch your satnav.

[teestub]

Kyloe In is only popular because it's perma-dry. Climbing-wise you might as well go to Eden Rock.

Nice joke. The section from Bad Company to Nadser is one of the highest concentrations of quality boulder problems in the country.

[SA Chris]

Bowdens okay but far better for routes than bouldering.

Doors or Back? If Doors, I agree, if Back, no.

[gardinrm]

Back Bowden does look very good. Also Bowden Doors Boulders. Any particular problems to jump on?

I appreciate the question of this thread would be like 'where should I go on the peak' and that there is a lifetime of bouldering to be done. Hopefully I get the bug and try make it a more regular thing. With the arrival of my children, Northumberlad could be an excellent holiday spot in the future...

[Paul B]

What GME said (not what Fiend said). I used to bloody love driving up from my folks, to Bowden before thrashing over to Kyloe in via the small roads (almost always finding my tips too sore to do much useful).

I honestly don't think you need specific recommendations as the problems will stand out. Maybe watch Stick It! for some additional psych?

[SA Chris]

We've just had a week there with kids (8&10) and loads to do, esp in good weather, some fantastic beaches, family friendly climbing spots, good cycling and walks, plus castles and stuff, and east access to newcastle etc by train.

As far as probs go, depends on grades, but first visit be great to get a big volume of easier stuff, also depends how many spotters and pads are available

[Johnny Brown]

What Gav said, Shaftoe is basically shit, a local's venue. Go to Bowden.

[Nigel]

What Gav said, Shaftoe is basically shit, a local's venue. Go to Bowden.

Jesus, Shaftoe! It's dreadful.

[cheque]

I appreciate the question of this thread would be like 'where should I go on the peak' and that there is a lifetime of bouldering to be done.

I’d agree with this. As an irregular visitor I’ve bouldered at all the crags recommended in this thread  (apart from Shaftoe) once each and wouldn’t have been disappointed to visit any of them before the others. All great venues with lovely varied situations.

[gardinrm]

Maybe watch Stick It! for some additional psych?

Believe it or not, I've never seen Stick It. I had a quick look to see if I could download it somewhere, but I could only seem to buy a DVD. I can't remember the last time I bought and/or watched a DVD. Does anyone know if its possible to buy a digital copy? Or if its now been released to the wild (like some other older films).

[T_B]

I went to Shaftoe this year and had a nice time. Timmy Tip Toes is a great problem (powerful sloper moves and a proper high finish) as is The Neb Roof (more like 7a).

Bowden? It’s trashed. Apart from Dog Eat Dog I can’t think of there being much there that isn’t ruined or an eliminate, unless you’re climbing 7c+ and above. And some of those are sandy and/or broken. Great for routes, nice for a picnic but it’s the County equivalent of bouldering at Froggatt.

Kyloe In is unique and I remember going there as a kid and being blown away. But you’ll be crying into your chalk bucket unless you have strong fingers.

Back Bowden is world class but not for 7a problems.

Only been to Hepburn once before that main block was discovered maybe.

[Fiend]

At last someone is talking sense 

[teestub]

At last someone is talking sense 

Ah, so you were denigrating Kyloe In because you have weak fingers?

[Fiend]

No you tit, I've done the hardest problems I've ever done in The County there. I'm denigrating it because it is basically the Almscliff of Northumberland - popular almost entirely for it's relative dryness. Yes it has some okay problems but they're mostly aimless indoor-wall style cranking that hardly has the intricate and elegant character of some sandstone. Not that you could actually tell it was sandstone nor feel any of the texture under the solid layer of perma-chalk.

On the subject Back Bowden might well be amazing for 10m 8A highballs but at more common grades it's got a far better spectrum of routes than bloques too. Arches, Witch, Wizard, Sorceror, On The Verge, Tube, Bottle Crack, Roof Route and lots of others I forget. Again I suspect a disproportionate amount of it's popularity is that the grotty sub-Raven Tor traverses under the Sorceror stay dry...

[teestub]

This is total bollocks.

- To start with it has the most solid rock of the entire county (only other bit I’ve been to that comes close is Heppy south).
- It has a more interesting collection of holds than most of the other crags; crimps, pockets, cracks, slopers.
- These holds have formed a diverse range of technical 3* challenges all within a 20m length of crag. Almost all the problems require you to be technically able as well as strong, and there’s a huge variety of styles across Nadser, Monty Python’s, Hitchhikers, Yorkshireman, Rudies.
- Almost all of the sit starts add quality to the problems, meaning you get more value for money out of the best stone.

If I had to do a County too 10 6 or 7 of them would probably be at Kyloe!

[Will Hunt]

Fiend is talking shit. I've not bouldered a huge amount in the County (because I've always tradded there or it rains) but Kyloe In has lots of very memorable climbs, just not freestanding boulders with striking aretes.

The only other memorable problems I've done in the county are Northern Soul (Hepburn) and Hard Reign Direct (Backers).

There is some amazing highballing to be had at Callerhues and there are some nice problems on the flanks of the crag but not sure that's what the OP wants.