UKBouldering.com
places to visit => conditions reports (isitgreasy on twitter) => Topic started by: TN080 on January 31, 2013, 07:42:20 pm
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Anyone been recently? How dry is it? Mostly keen for the upper section on the right?
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Mainly dry today. First break on Prisoner of conscience was quite wet, start of storm warning looked damp but someone was trying it so must have been climbable but the black streak into black snake moan was wet. Most other stuff looked dry.
Would be good if people could keep this thread updated when they can.
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Yes, it would be really useful if this was updated regularly. I'll try and make an effort to post next time I'm at Brean.
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A few numpty questions if anyone could help out, since it's a high tide in the morning this weekend and we were considering if it's feasible to drive up from devon for a visit (only been before when low tide was middle of the day). How much is access along the beach affected by the tide? The guide says 1 - 2 hours each side of high tide, is this for a totally dry approach or would it be feasible to wade in sooner (& stay dry footed in a pair of wellys)? I heard there's a path of sorts down to Boulder Cove from the seaward end, is this hard to find from above?
Thanks in advance.
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I've left Brean at high tide but never arrived when it was high tide.
At high tide the beach approach is totally cut off by water. Doesn't look that deep - but the sand/mud is very sucky so you might lose your wellies. Wouldn't fancy it myself, especially as there is a path down from the top.
I've scrambled out of the path over the top when cut off. It was a bit sandy/loose when I was there in the spring - don't know what it would be like after the recent weather. It's quite steep and there are some drops but it's not massively exposed, if I recall rightly. I know people who've descended it, but I never have. Seem to recall it had quite a big exit which you'd be able to find from above, but I've never come down that way so I don't know for sure.
Can't help more than that, sorry.
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The tide is ~11m on Saturday (http://easytide.ukho.gov.uk/EASYTIDE/easytide/ShowPrediction.aspx?PortID=0527&PredictionLength=7) which is quite high even for Brean but the sea should be pretty calm (http://magicseaweed.com/Lynmouth-Surf-Report/3718/). I imagine the approach will be properly under water for a couple of hours after high tide, I wouldn't try before about 12.30.
Hard to advise on the path/scramble down without knowing your tolerance of 'typical sea cliff approaches'. I've only done it going up and it is exposed in one spot and not completely trivial. It might be unpleasant if Brean is as wet as everywhere else.
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I was there last weekend.
The path down to Boulder Cove has been washed away by a landslip over the winter. You might scrabble up it to escape, but it looked properly sketchy to come down.
With regards to wading in, the only feasible route would be to keep close to the crag where the ground is more stoney. However, there are still muddy sections and welly loss to full on stuck in quicksand might occur.
Up to you, but it probably isn't worth a day trip to only get an afternoons climbing in?
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Personally, i would definitely not advise wading across brean. The sand/mud is treacherous, and the tide can be very quick.
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Brean mud in Stanage causeway revenge:
(http://www.burnham-on-sea.com/news/2009/brean-vehicle-lost-1.jpg)
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Thanks for all the replies. I didn't fancy wading across the sands, wasn't sure if it might be feasible on the rocks closer to the cliff. Suspect we may well head to Portland and grapple with steep soggy clay paths instead...
Thanks again.
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Anyone been to Brean recently? Probably heading there tomorrow...
Also, slightly off-topic but beta for the Milky Bay Kid appreciated, particularly where and how you link Bullworker with El Chocco.
-ross
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I was there last Monday, everything left of Chulilla apart from Black Snake Moan was fine. There was some wetness on most of the routes to the right, essentially all of the little roofs had seepy bits underneath them so Bullworker and El Chocco didn't look that climbable. I think it's been mainly dry since then though so it might be worth a shot, I don't know how fast seepage dries up there.
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Was pretty good today. A few wet patches and holds but most routes seemed climbable.
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Useless information now but I was there last Weds and MBK was dry apart from the Bullworker break.
Regarding MBK beta, see my thread on the other channel: http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=537517&v=1#x7207480 (http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=537517&v=1#x7207480) to summerise though, you climb Bullworker to a jug and then traverse diagonally up and right and end up mantelling El Chocco facing the other direction (See red line I've drawn on here; http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8231/8451470164_36656838f0_h.jpg (http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8231/8451470164_36656838f0_h.jpg) ). I've not tried the moves yet but there are a couple of sidepull crimps there and the 2-3 finger pocket on the lip.
I'd appreciate any beta you have for the Bullworker crux. Cheers.
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Cool, looks like I was trying to cut across too low.
Bullworker: it's been a while but from the manky break I think I went left hand to the good sidepull, right hand to a far away and ok sidepull (recall there are some closer but crapper ones). Left foot jam (not quite a heal-toe cam, more a twist) in the break and use that to slap your left up. Only works if you have a good span. You're then very stretched and need to take out the left foot jam & bring your weight right back under your left hand to match something, this was the crux for me.
-ross
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I did it similarly to Ross but didn't use a left toe in break (I used a slopey foothold just below the break to make the throw). For me the throw was the crux. As Ross says, you need a decent span (maybe 5'10 and above?).
Once throw is landed, I swung my left foot high and wide onto an obvious but non-giant nubbin, rocked onto it and flagged like mad. This makes the reach up for the crimp with the right fairly reasonable.
There's a shorty way I saw someone do (to avoid the throw) which goes to the big sidepull as a right hand gaston and then does something too clever/powerful for me.
Enjoy.
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Thanks for the beta guys. I assumed it would be high feet and slap for the crux sidepull on bullworker but my left shoulder was aching last time I was on it and I couldn't convince myself to do it. I'll have a better look next time.
I was also trying to traverse into El Chocco lower initially (the yellow line on my link) but it became apparent that it was impossible/too hard. I was pretty pleased to get some confirmation that the traverse is higher up!
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any one been down in the last week? was tempet to head down sunday.
anoher way to do bullworker is get left hand on the sidepull get a high foot (better foothold below break for tallies, worse foothold above break for shorties) throw right hand up into a gaston and roll over with left hand for the crimps.
i haven't done bullworker or el chocco but this was beta from sum guys redpointing MBK which have also both done brean topping
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Brean was in top condition today, everything dry.
Thanks for the beta guys, I did it the same way as you Ross. My problem before was that I was trying the slap using the closer RH sloper but by using the one further right I found the crux straight forward today but that was resting before the crux. Doing it tired is going to be interesting!
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Anyone got any word on likely conditions up at Brean for tomorrow? Having trawled round most of the inland Devon lime today and found it all wetter than I've ever seen it before I don't hold out much hope but if anyone local knows different?
Cheers!
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Not been down brean, but it's been dry and windy all day in bristol. If stays that way i would expect something there to be doable?
Avon gorge was climbable today. It was the sub arctic temperature that i cried off for. Absolutely Baltic.
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Best to wait for a reply from someone who knows the probability of certain sectors being dry.
Not sure i would travel up from devon if that's where you're based mind. Forecast to be about zero degrees again tomorrow, and if the wind chill is as cutting as today, it'll be fecking grim on the headland i should imagine.
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Thanks for the reply! I was rather hoping that Brean would be the sheltered option with the NE wind. I'm being threatened with the Cuttings which will probably have the wind blowing right across it...
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Bear in mind low water is at 11:15 in the morning as well.
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anyone been or going during the week/before sunday, could you post conditions on here please.
thanks
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Does anyone know or would like to hazard a guess at what condition Brean is likely to be in this weekend? I will be staying in Bristol on Sat night and would like to climb on Sunday so would like to know some places nearby that are likely to be dry (trad or sport).
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Today is looking dry, as is tomorrow, so I'd guess that brean will be dry-ish with some streak lines and seepage on the RHS. Other options would be cheddar (likely to be some wet some dry, pick a crag near the top of the gorge), Wye or one of the Somerset quarries. And of course Avon should be ok, but sounds like you are after sport, of which there is a limited amount. Let us know if you decide where you are heading as we're planning to get out tomorrow as well.
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Not sure about Brean, but we were down Cheddar on Wednesday and most crags were bone dry.
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Any one know what conditions are like at the moment? Forecast looks good and thinking of heading there on Sunday.
Cheers
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I have been every weekend for the past month and it has been fine. Even one weekend where it rained heavily over night and the day before it dried back 11 am.
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That's good to know, cheers!
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Does anyone know how Brean is likely to be tomorrow?
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Not sure whether you are nearby, but it's been very wet today and quite a bit of rain over the past few days. I think brean will be wet and seeping tomorrow, though there's a slim chance one or two of the routes on the LHS will be climbable if the rain stops soon and the wind keeps blowing. I'll be heading to tca personally.