UKBouldering.com
the shizzle => bouldering => Topic started by: Danny on September 07, 2021, 09:36:48 am
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I often do big trips from where I live in Cornwall to see family in the Lakes, or friends in Northern Ireland. These are reasonably long hauls, so I like to break things up with some R&R.
Last year I discovered Redpoint Worcester using the search along route option on Google Maps. It's only 10 mins or so from the M6. Coffee and an hour of power in the middle of a 7 hour motorway journey was just the ticket. This got me thinking about the idea of bouldering service stations—i.e. crags or walls that are handy to main arterial routes around the UK, and that have logistically easy access.
From a brief skim of the UKC crag map, it doesn't seem like there's much along the M5-M6 in terms of real rock. Though if I was going further north Farleton would be great.
Anyway, I think the UKB hive mind would be well suited to putting some bouldering service station pins on the map for arterial routes around the UK.
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Lancashire has quite a few crags that are close to M61 junctions and have short walk-ins. I don’t have the bouldering guide but I’m sure other UKB users can advise on which are best.
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Eden Rock Carlisle isn't far off the M6 and Eden Rock Edinburgh isn't far off the bypass if you are heading past that way.
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Slightly off topic to this, since having kids we've now been using National Trust properties as service stations for long hauls. Slight detour to a service station (but if you plan ahead barely) however you can either just use slightly nicer toilets and if you want to spend an hour stretching legs etc too can also mooch around the houses / picnic in the gardens etc. Significantly improved the quality and fun of long distances travels.
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It's hard to imagine any crag having parking closer to a motorway than Blackstone Edge. Shame about the walk-in.
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bloc, TCA, or UCR are all < 10 mins from J19 of the M4 (unless its rush hour) - bloc and UCR are probably closer to 5 mins
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Awesome. I'll try to put together a bunch of pins on a map with walls and crags.
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Forest rock, Markfield Quarry, Cademon Woods etc in Leics are just off the M1 junction 23. All worthwhile for an hour or two RnR.
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Pleasley Vale fits the bill for M1 J29 too. Anston Stones J31 but only some of it fits into the roadside bracket.
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Lancashire has quite a few crags that are close to M61 junctions and have short walk-ins. I don’t have the bouldering guide but I’m sure other UKB users can advise on which are best.
For rainier days passing through Lancashire BUK is a few minutes off the motorway at the confluence of the M6 and M61.
I noted how close Nesscliffe is to the A5 the last time I went down to Pembrokeshire, but didn’t find the time to stop, maybe next time.
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I noted how close Nesscliffe is to the A5 the last time I went down to Pembrokeshire, but didn’t find the time to stop, maybe next time.
I was just about to say this - incredibly close. I used to stop in on my way down to my folks in Hereford.
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Pex is just off the M62 and only 15 minutes from the M6/M62 junction. Similar Longridge is only 15 minutes off the M6 by Preston. Both crags have super short walk ins, generally reliable conditions and are good places for a short work out.
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I'm actually posting and thinking about this because I'm on the ferry back from Belfast to Liverpool right now. I hadn't clocked pex at all. I'll probably stop in :clap2:
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It's hard to imagine any crag having parking closer to a motorway than Blackstone Edge. Shame about the walk-in.
Wooley Edge, surely?
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Yeah I was about to say Wooley edge, it pretty much is the service station. :lol: https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/woolley_edge_quarry-8492#maps
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Yeah my eldest is off camping nearby this weekend, and due to a logistical cock-up on my part I've scuppered by ability to drop in for a quick look round the crag!
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Helsby and Harmer's Wood are very close to the M56 for those travelling into or out of North Wales. As is Frodsham though perhaps not as good as the others.
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I've dropped into Depot Manc on my way home from family in Wales. Wasn't much of a detour at all.
Similar for Nesscliffe, although it's a bit of a walk to get to the Northumberland wall.
Speaking of Northumberland, Kyloe is very easy access from the A1.
Buckstones Edge from the M62 would be a good shout.
In North Wales Tremeirchion is a stone's throw from the A55. Pantymwyn also pretty easy to get to on a journey back from the Holyhead ferry.
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These days I spend my life trying to find decent stops for EV charging, which has ended up supplanting bouldering stops .. the holy grail would be a stop with plentiful chargers, bouldering AND coffee..
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Haresfield Beacon (Gloucester) M5 Junction 12 is a good alternative to Worcester if you want an outdoor alternative. Very pleasant spot with in situ ice cream van.. Alas there are no toilets or coffee.
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Similar for Nesscliffe, although it's a bit of a walk to get to the Northumberland wall.
Possible slight derailing of the topic, but if you park near the old Nesscliffe Hotel it's a shorter but slightly steeper walk. Don't know how much longer parking will be available there though as it looks like there might be some building work going on in the future.
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Honorable mention for Church Crag as well for proximity to the A1.
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Haresfield Beacon (Gloucester) M5 Junction 12 is a good alternative to Worcester if you want an outdoor alternative. Very pleasant spot with in situ ice cream van.. Alas there are no toilets or coffee.
This one is new to me!
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Lovely spot, but not a lot to do there. Good grassy area for kids to run about though.
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Awesome and The Depot are 5/10 mins of the M1 in Sheffield.
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Haresfield Beacon (Gloucester) M5 Junction 12 is a good alternative to Worcester if you want an outdoor alternative. Very pleasant spot with in situ ice cream van.. Alas there are no toilets or coffee.
This one is new to me!
Yeah. It's a good one for us SWers heading north. Not loads there but it's pleasant enough.. There are some harder offerings at 'Gandalf's' which is very nearby.
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Handy thread this.
Kinda stretching the definition but in the past I've made the significant detour from the M6 to Carrock Fell for an hour when driving home from visiting family down south.
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Of you're driving down to South Wales from up north then you can swing by biblins cave without much of a detour, though the walk in isn't super quick.
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i was gonna recommend Heighley Castle Quarries for those on the M6 but a quick check suggests there's access issues these days (last time i went was prob >20-years ago)
https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/heighley_castle_quarries-909#overview (https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/heighley_castle_quarries-909#overview)
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On the off-chance anyone is heading up the M9 / A9 in Scotland. Wolfrag Quarry just above Bridge of Allan is a minor detour and has a very short walk in. Good old skool chip crimping, nice spot for kids to run about a bit too. Fine pieces and bog in town centre.
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Haresfield Beacon (Gloucester) M5 Junction 12 is a good alternative to Worcester if you want an outdoor alternative. Very pleasant spot with in situ ice cream van.. Alas there are no toilets or coffee.
It's in grimer's Boulder Britain.
The Weston-super-Mare Toll Road crags (https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fb50e3490cc1c797604ab3a/t/5fcffd323308cf4e6fc525bd/1607466329974/Toll+Road+climbs.pdf) are 12 minutes from M5 junction 21 when the traffic is quiet (if it's a sunny Saturday morning in August it could take an hour). Scores highly on coffee and ice-cream. Check the tides and bring a pad or two.
The north Bristol crags like Winterbourne Down, Blaise Castle, and the Ring Road boulder must be contenders.
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All of these are terrible, I certainly wouldn't bother.
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All of these are terrible, I certainly wouldn't bother.
Duma! Wash out your mouth, those are some of Bristol's finest bouldering spots! :lol:
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Exactly! :lol:
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All of these are terrible,...
... those are some of Bristol's finest bouldering spots! :lol:
Not mutually exclusive!
I think the Toll Road area is not terrible. The ring road crags are ... very close to the motorway.
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Windy Clough, Newbiggin, Farleton, Woodwell, Warton, Trowbarrow all 10-15 mins from the M6 near Lancaster.
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For rainier days passing through Lancashire BUK is a few minutes off the motorway at the confluence of the M6 and M61.
What did the M65 (https://www.google.com/maps/place/Boulder+UK/@53.7257036,-2.5927396,13z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x487b732352d5f683:0xd7968d074f575796!8m2!3d53.7253298!4d-2.6430745) ever do to you? :chair:
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I ended up nipping to Pex and also to Gandalf's on the way home. Very enjoyable on both counts, but perhaps a bit excessive for one trip to Cornwall. Oh well!
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On the off-chance anyone is heading up the M9 / A9 in Scotland. Wolfrag Quarry just above Bridge of Allan is a minor detour and has a very short walk in. Good old skool chip crimping, nice spot for kids to run about a bit too. Fine pieces and bog in town centre.
Typical Scotland, can't escape the bog even in built up urban areas....
P.S. Good thread all. I don't have anything to add that hasn't already been covered.
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All of these are terrible, I certainly wouldn't bother.
A38 is brilliant! Admittedly you'd need to be with a partner (and I know bouldering is in the thread title), but that's not inconceivable for northerners heading for Devon or Cornwall, or Londonians heading to Pembroke.
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Typical Scotland, can't escape the bog even in built up urban areas....
By bog I clearly meant loo. No point in stopping for a climb and a coffee if there isn't a shitter nearby.
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All of these are terrible, I certainly wouldn't bother.
A38 is brilliant! Admittedly you'd need to be with a partner (and I know bouldering is in the thread title), but that's not inconceivable for northerners heading for Devon or Cornwall, or Londonians heading to Pembroke.
Of course, but if you're going to put a rope on then Avon gorge is better, and more convenient.