South West (England) Bouldering

[kingholmesy]

… and out in the wild wild far West, is that Cornwall bouldering guide ever going to see the light of day??

It’s coming along. No idea when it will be done (a while yet I reckon), but the sections which have been completed look brilliant - really clear, easy to use and stylish, crisp look to it.

 

[user 20719]

… and out in the wild wild far West, is that Cornwall bouldering guide ever going to see the light of day??

It’s coming along. No idea when it will be done (a while yet I reckon), but the sections which have been completed look brilliant - really clear, easy to use and stylish, crisp look to it.

Looking forwards to seeing it, the rate of development could make it an never ending task though!

Grant, exmoor coast must have a huge amount of potential still does it? I spent a bit of time up there last summer, mainly running. But there is so much coast that is so innacessibke. Is there much around heddons mouth? Looked like lots of rock there.

Nope. Everything has been done and what's left is :shit: :whistle:
Plenty of potential, especially if you're into long and/or adventurous approaches or own a boat. On the other hand there are some very good and very accessible venues that haven't been tapped to their full potential. I've recently done an excellent new one at Lynmouth that has been in plain sight for years (albeit a bit algae covered!). The coast comes into it's own over the summer months being north facing has it's advantages.

 

[CapitalistPunter]

… and out in the wild wild far West, is that Cornwall bouldering guide ever going to see the light of day??

It’s coming along. No idea when it will be done (a while yet I reckon), but the sections which have been completed look brilliant - really clear, easy to use and stylish, crisp look to it.

Looking forwards to seeing it, the rate of development could make it an never ending task though!

Grant, exmoor coast must have a huge amount of potential still does it? I spent a bit of time up there last summer, mainly running. But there is so much coast that is so innacessibke. Is there much around heddons mouth? Looked like lots of rock there.

Nope. Everything has been done and what's left is :shit: :whistle:
Plenty of potential, especially if you're into long and/or adventurous approaches or own a boat. On the other hand there are some very good and very accessible venues that haven't been tapped to their full potential. I've recently done an excellent new one at Lynmouth that has been in plain sight for years (albeit a bit algae covered!). The coast comes into it's own over the summer months being north facing has it's advantages.

Nice one Brutus! Where is this new problem at Lynmouth?

I've always wanted to try and mantle the nose that Slopey Traverse Extension begins on. May have to attempt that as a heinous new problem assuming it hasn't already been done.

 

[user 20719]

… and out in the wild wild far West, is that Cornwall bouldering guide ever going to see the light of day??

It’s coming along. No idea when it will be done (a while yet I reckon), but the sections which have been completed look brilliant - really clear, easy to use and stylish, crisp look to it.

Looking forwards to seeing it, the rate of development could make it an never ending task though!

Grant, exmoor coast must have a huge amount of potential still does it? I spent a bit of time up there last summer, mainly running. But there is so much coast that is so innacessibke. Is there much around heddons mouth? Looked like lots of rock there.

Nope. Everything has been done and what's left is :shit: :whistle:
Plenty of potential, especially if you're into long and/or adventurous approaches or own a boat. On the other hand there are some very good and very accessible venues that haven't been tapped to their full potential. I've recently done an excellent new one at Lynmouth that has been in plain sight for years (albeit a bit algae covered!). The coast comes into it's own over the summer months being north facing has it's advantages.

Nice one Brutus! Where is this new problem at Lynmouth?

I've always wanted to try and mantle the nose that Slopey Traverse Extension begins on. May have to attempt that as a heinous new problem assuming it hasn't already been done.

New one at Lynmouth is on the 'jammed log' boulder, first boulder you get to in the jumble beneath the big slab boulder. (The log is no longer there though!) .. Traverses the lip r to l beneath the v green slab on the seaward side of the boulder, needs summer, warm sunny breezy weather to be in condition Every Day I'm Shuffling 7b. Manteling this lip from hanging at any point would be very hard if you're into that sort of thing. Also the mantel on Walker's _ It Ain't Over Til It's Over is tough one. There currently isn't a direct mantel on the nose of the Slopey Traverse boulder, fill your boots. Capitalism sucks yoof :ras:

 

[CapitalistPunter]

The mantel on It Aint Over Till Its Over looks great. I was hoping to hop on the new link Pete put up leading into it but it was too wet for that.

And dont say that about my beloved capitalism! I will buy the land at Lynmouth and make people pay £2 per attempt on Slopey Traverse.

 

[user 20719]

Trying to work out who you are.. Not local, visited Lynmouth a fair bit. Hi Adam ???

You'd not make much money on Exmoor. Definitely a market to be exploited int Peak though!

 

[CapitalistPunter]

Correct haha, good investigation work.

 

[Tom Last]

I'm still amazed the stuff alexis hs done at hopes nose upper crag hasn't had more attention. Its so good. Upwards of 10 grade 7's, techy, high and very very good.

There has been so much new stuff going down everywhere it is hard to keep pace and with the lack of someone like Hendo rounding things up a lot of it is slipping under the radar.
I just started cobbling together a list of new stuff done on Exmoor Coast in the last couple of years... thought it would be a quick job. :no:

That's just the tip of the iceberg though.. There's new stuff on the Culm lots of new stuff particularly around Milook/ Hartland. New stuff in Tintagel away from the main area . Bodmin Moor - new stuff around the Trewortha, Hawks, Kilmar area and out in the wild wild far West, is that Cornwall bouldering guide ever going to see the light of day??

Hey Brutus. Hope you're all good. Sorry only just seen this, I only ever lurk on here. Guide is coming along. I'd say 85% done, but not in a useful way, since every crag is 85% done. So there's lots of fiddly stuff to do basically and then there's paying for the damned thing to be printed etc., which will no doubt be a whole other story.

I think we've pretty much kept up with any significant developments on Bodmin Moor, South Coast and Penwith, but perhaps not the culm so much (remember, Hartland is not in!) - it's hard to find time to get up there between working, also Mr B. has his hands full these days.

Honestly though, general shout for anyone reading this thread, if you have done/know of anything good that's been done anywhere in Cornwall, then please get in touch and I can put stuff in. unk:

Oh, and Kingholmsey, thanks for the shout :icon_beerchug:

 

[user 20719]

Hi Tom :wave: I am all good. Hope things are good with you.
Cheers for the update. Such a difficult task putting together a guide, fully appreciate the effort. Even knocking up a basic topo for one venue is time consuming. I guess ultimately every guidebook producer has to draw the line and accept it's going to be out of date the day its printed.

 

[Ged]

I'm still amazed the stuff alexis hs done at hopes nose upper crag hasn't had more attention. Its so good. Upwards of 10 grade 7's, techy, high and very very good.

There has been so much new stuff going down everywhere it is hard to keep pace and with the lack of someone like Hendo rounding things up a lot of it is slipping under the radar.
I just started cobbling together a list of new stuff done on Exmoor Coast in the last couple of years... thought it would be a quick job. :no:

That's just the tip of the iceberg though.. There's new stuff on the Culm lots of new stuff particularly around Milook/ Hartland. New stuff in Tintagel away from the main area . Bodmin Moor - new stuff around the Trewortha, Hawks, Kilmar area and out in the wild wild far West, is that Cornwall bouldering guide ever going to see the light of day??

Hey Brutus. Hope you're all good. Sorry only just seen this, I only ever lurk on here. Guide is coming along. I'd say 85% done, but not in a useful way, since every crag is 85% done. So there's lots of fiddly stuff to do basically and then there's paying for the damned thing to be printed etc., which will no doubt be a whole other story.

I think we've pretty much kept up with any significant developments on Bodmin Moor, South Coast and Penwith, but perhaps not the culm so much (remember, Hartland is not in!) - it's hard to find time to get up there between working, also Mr B. has his hands full these days.

Honestly though, general shout for anyone reading this thread, if you have done/know of anything good that's been done anywhere in Cornwall, then please get in touch and I can put stuff in. unk:

Oh, and Kingholmsey, thanks for the shout :icon_beerchug:

Alexis has done a bunch of stuff at Porth erras. He's not sure if it's new or not. Is that in?

 

[Tom Last]

I'm still amazed the stuff alexis hs done at hopes nose upper crag hasn't had more attention. Its so good. Upwards of 10 grade 7's, techy, high and very very good.

There has been so much new stuff going down everywhere it is hard to keep pace and with the lack of someone like Hendo rounding things up a lot of it is slipping under the radar.
I just started cobbling together a list of new stuff done on Exmoor Coast in the last couple of years... thought it would be a quick job. :no:

That's just the tip of the iceberg though.. There's new stuff on the Culm lots of new stuff particularly around Milook/ Hartland. New stuff in Tintagel away from the main area . Bodmin Moor - new stuff around the Trewortha, Hawks, Kilmar area and out in the wild wild far West, is that Cornwall bouldering guide ever going to see the light of day??

Hey Brutus. Hope you're all good. Sorry only just seen this, I only ever lurk on here. Guide is coming along. I'd say 85% done, but not in a useful way, since every crag is 85% done. So there's lots of fiddly stuff to do basically and then there's paying for the damned thing to be printed etc., which will no doubt be a whole other story.

I think we've pretty much kept up with any significant developments on Bodmin Moor, South Coast and Penwith, but perhaps not the culm so much (remember, Hartland is not in!) - it's hard to find time to get up there between working, also Mr B. has his hands full these days.

Honestly though, general shout for anyone reading this thread, if you have done/know of anything good that's been done anywhere in Cornwall, then please get in touch and I can put stuff in. unk:

Oh, and Kingholmsey, thanks for the shout :icon_beerchug:

Alexis has done a bunch of stuff at Porth erras. He's not sure if it's new or not. Is that in?

Hi Ged.

Brilliant, thanks. I'll give him a shout. There were a couple of easy existing problems on the big pea boulders where the beach meets the descent which I've put in, but the hanging groove on them was an obvious problem that needed to be done. I wonder if it was that?
Cheers for the info ;D


Brutus. You're right, but I can pretty easily add new stuff up to the 11th hour, it's all the fiddly nonsense at the end that's the pain. And maps! Urgh.

 

[user 20719]

Maps are indeed a pain in behind.
Mikey's done loads of stuff from Moor to coast most of which I'm sure he's spoken to you about but he may have snuck some bits in that you're not aware of.
Worth talking to Solly, Kyle and Ruby about new stuff they've done on the Cornish Culm.

 

[user 20719]

A quick update blog on some very cool new things that have been done over the last year or so on the eternal backwater that is the Exmoor Coast. It's all insta links I'm afraid but hit me up if you don't instaspam and want more information or details on approaches, venues etc.
(Rumour has it that up to dates guides are incoming for Exmoor trad and undocumented bouldering venues are in production, contact Martin Crocker if you have details of anything trad like!)

https://www.exmoorbouldering.com/post/exmoor-coast-update-september-2022

 

[kingholmesy]

Rumour has it that up to dates guides are incoming for Exmoor trad

That sounds exciting - there’s a lot of rock on that coast and some excellent, infrequently travelled, trad.

 

[user 20719]

Rumour has it that up to dates guides are incoming for Exmoor trad

That sounds exciting - there’s a lot of rock on that coast and some excellent, infrequently travelled, trad.

Martin Crocker is busy compiling notes etc.. so much good quality rock (and some other rock ) with an extra element of adventure and remoteness despite being relatively close to civilisation. Didn't you repeat some stuff near Lee Abbey with Stu B? I'm sure MC would appreciate any information anyone who has visited recently has got, particularly if nature's done some resetting.

 

[kingholmesy]

Didn't you repeat some stuff near Lee Abbey with Stu B?

I repeated Crocker’s route Terry (named in honour of Terry Cheek) and on my recommendation Stu has since climbed it too.

This four pitch E5 is one of the best sea cliff routes I have ever done and I would highly recommend it. The rock and gear is a bit spicy in places, but the hardest climbing is all well protected and on good rock. Overall it’s quite soft for E5 too - I don’t get up hard E5s!

Stu has also repeated Turnball’s route Chimney Sweep which is E5 (or XS) and shares the same first pitch. He said it was pretty good, although being Stu he was disappointed that more offwidthing wasn’t required. :lol:

The nearby Yellow Stone offers some less committing but still worthwhile single pitches.

All of the above is already in Littlejohn’s SW Climbs. There must be swathes of rock along that coast though not currently covered by a guide, including plenty of unclimbed shale challenges for anyone keen.

 

[user 20719]

I repeated Crocker’s route Terry (named in honour of Terry Cheek) and on my recommendation Stu has since climbed it too.

This four pitch E5 is one of the best sea cliff routes I have ever done and I would highly recommend it. The rock and gear is a bit spicy in places, but the hardest climbing is all well protected and on good rock. Overall it’s quite soft for E5 too - I don’t get up hard E5s!

I'm sure you're just being modest! I don't get up any E5s myself, let alone 4 pitches bit hard to protect with crashpads. I knew there was a connection with Stu as I recalled him mentioning you (don't worry he was full of praise!) at a talk pre COVID times.
Terry was an absolute legend and really encouraging on bouldering and promoting climbing in general on Exmoor Coast. Apt that the route named in his honour is a diamond.
Exmoor has always had that little bit of mystery about it and never truly been in vogue. Just a little bit tricky to get to and harder to find information on but damn does it reward the effort. Been in love with the place since I move to N Devon and it hasn't really wavered.

 

[kingholmesy]

:lol: glad to hear Stu had nice things to say.

I’ve not climbed on the Exmoor coast since moving further west into Cornwall, but I ought to make the effort again sometime. If only there was a decent guide …

 

[Jonathan Platt]

Hi folks

Great thread.
We are going to be staying in the South West for a couple weeks late July and early August.
Staying in Croyde for a week and near St Columb major the second week.
Reading this thread and looking on UKC there is obv loads of bouldering.

Will be there with the family and likely have a few evenings to get out bouldering.
Wondering if there was any recommendations for family friendly venues.

Ideally would have easy stuff and things in the 6`s and low 7`s.
Lynmouth looks like could be a good option?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

 

[kingholmesy]

While staying at St Columb I suggest Little Fistral for bits and bobs of bouldering straight off the beach.

Other options would be Helman Tor or Roche Rock inland if it’s not too hot for the granite. The latter has less bouldering than the former but has some bits, plus some easy routes if you’re into soloing.

All are family friendly (short walk ins, flat areas to chill) and you should find enough info on UKC to get by without a guide.