Chockstone Forum

      Sponsored By
      ROCK
   HARDWARE

Chockstone Photography

Australian Landscape Prints

Chockstone Forum - Trip Reports

Tells Us About Your Latest Trip!

Author

Cheddar Limestone in UK Trip.

henners

4-Oct-2009
9:38:35 PM

Hi everyone.
im new to Chockstone, and im just doing a short report for my first entry to the site. Im a 13 year old
tasmanian living with my parents and three brothers in Somerset for 6 months while dad does
sabbatical, and we asked the local outdoors shop were the closest climbing spot was. "Cheddar gorge"
was the reply, and so on our first saturday we packed the gear and headed up to cheddar. That was
about 5 and a half months ago now, and back then we were climbing grades like F5 (17) and we were
stoked with an F5+ (18) onsight.
Time has passed and we're nearing the end of our stay, and in that short amount of time my grades
have soared to F6c (22) onsights and so we decided that for our last day at cheddar we'd try the
longest sport route in Britain.

It was a real disappointment. Despite the first pitch being severely undergraded, and too hard, the rest
of the climb had no hangers! In england, at least in cheddar anyway, there are very strict rules about
when and where you climb. Unlike Australia, you have to be a member of the BMC to climb on a
certain side of the gorge! So a 25 meter abseil was the end result of a very optimistic start to the day.
We finished our time at cheddar with a redpoint of a 6b+ (22), and that felt good and was really fun.
But then as dad started up a 5+, the dark english skys opened and we had to go home. Oh well, we
were already running late for mums dinner arangements anyway (poor mum).

Thanks for your time folks, and ill be posting more reports on the site when i get back to tassie. Im
planning a trip to freycinet with my bros and a friend from melbourne who is also on this site, so that
should have a few cool photos and storys.

Thanks again. From henners.

Jim Titt

5-Oct-2009
4:54:25 AM

You don´t have to be a member of the BMC to do anything. You EITHER have to be a BMC member and have their third party liability insurance OR you can arrange your own and show this when you register to climb.
Climbing on Castles Made Of Sand (Britains longest sport route) is PROHIBITED during the summer months until the 1st October (the first pitch is allowed). The upper pitch hangers are removed to stop people who are too lazy to read the access conditions.

henners

5-Oct-2009
6:04:31 AM

Hi Jim.
I knew that climbing on the Cheddar caves and gorge side is not allowed in peak periods, but the thing is
that we tried the route yesterday; 3rd of october.

I didn't know about the arrangements for the insurance. I knew that insurance was needed, but when i
asked, the man from Taunton Leisure said:
"joining the BMC allows you to climb on the Cheddar Caves and Gorge side all year except for peak
periods, which is most of summer and september". So i assumed BMC membership was needed.

Thanks for your input.

Sarah Gara

5-Oct-2009
12:10:45 PM

Hey Henners,

Yeah i've heard Chedder gorge is pretty overrated - but never been there meself - lots of birds that poo on you and various other distractions -tourists etc...

It's a bit of a hike but well worth heading up to the Peak district, North Wales and the Lake district for the weekend if your dad could be conned into that - I'd esp recommend some of the routes around Wass water in the Lakes - a nice novelty route there too - Napes needle - apparently first Rock climb rather than mountaineering - so I'm told.

Also Cornwall and the South cost is supposed to have some good sea cliffs..

As for insurrance - I think the Uk is pretty cool in that they'll look after you for free in hospital - don't quote me on this - but everyone always moaning about non british residents retiring to the UK and getting free medical care.. eek! (I so don't want to get into a debate on this..don't care...)

I suppose though this info a wee bit too late;if you back in tassie so soon - Where else did you make it too in Uk? and what was your fave route?

Thans for posting always good to know what others are up to... Think I may be heading to tassie at Xmas..Look forward to reading your TRs so i can use them to plan my trip...

And welcome to chocky. x

bl@ke

5-Oct-2009
6:32:12 PM

Hey Henners! Its Me!!. Thats a bit of a bummer about not bagging the route.
Dont get Sara Gara started on england ;)

henners

5-Oct-2009
7:20:21 PM

hey blake.
I didnt think id get a trip report out of a failed climb! but there yiou go. Such is life.

So do you know many people on the website personally?
Cyas

bl@ke

5-Oct-2009
7:22:04 PM

Yeah i know a few. will PM you. Should get a wicked TR about our tassie climbing tour :)

henners

5-Oct-2009
7:25:09 PM

yeah i know. itll be awesome. ill have to stock up on trad gear a bit tho.

I read about risa! bit of a laugh that was eh?

henners

5-Oct-2009
7:35:18 PM

hey saara.

Ive been told by blake not to start you on the UK, but it sounds like you know a bit! Ive been to north wales for three days in the holidays, and it was really cool. Tremadog was great, we Seconded christmas curry and led a few easy routes on little tyrfan, that huge slab.

We drove through the peak district, and saw a load of really nice crags. We werent far from Malham cove either, and us being sport climbers, manthat was annoying!!!

we coming back to Aus soon, be going to Freycinet peninsula for a big trip in January. Then we can forget all about the uk!

Sarah Gara

5-Oct-2009
8:43:47 PM

On 5/10/2009 henners wrote:
>hey saara.
>
>Ive been told by blake not to start you on the UK,

shut it Blake!!! hehe

>went to North wales for three days in the holidays,
>and it was really cool.

I only just started climbing before I left the UK -but I've been to a few places... I cried before I left -feeling emotional - as I'd never climbed at Malham either... Just have to do it on Holiday...

> Tremadog was great, we Seconded christmas curry
>and led a few easy routes on little tyrfan, that huge slab.

I've driven past tyrfan several times and had stuff pointed out - but never climbed there.. Never done Christmas curry either but attempted it several times - and gone elsewhere as the queues just too much... I fell off the traverse on Valerie'r rib at tremadog too. I really like wales though - did my first multipitch (in winter conditions) there -grade 3 ice climbing at one point -(yes I fell -several times) So fond memories of Wales.

>we coming back to Aus soon, be going to Freycinet peninsula for a big
>trip in January. Then we can forget all about the uk!

Have really hated it that much? x

bl@ke

5-Oct-2009
9:44:58 PM

Na henners would have liked it if the rock was less than 50 percent choss ;)
I think a famous climber once described it as "scrap" ??? who knows.

Wollemi

5-Oct-2009
10:10:55 PM

13 year old doing grade 23 onsights. I click the OK button...

MisterGribble

5-Oct-2009
11:08:27 PM

On 5/10/2009 Wollemi wrote:
>13 year old doing grade 23 onsights. I click the OK button...

So would I, I'd kill to be able to climb 10 grades less than my age, or his!

Check out Avon Gorge while you're in Blighty. You're probably a bit young for a bellyfull of Scrumpy but the climbing down is quite OK although I imagine it's getting a bit polished now.

henners

6-Oct-2009
3:04:03 AM

On 5/10/2009 Wollemi wrote:
>13 year old doing grade 23 onsights. I click the OK button...

The onsight was really easy because it was a very obvious where the holds where. Theres a f6b+ that i
definately couldn't onsight because it has normal moves and holds that is really unobvious where you
have to go.

by the way, f6c is a 22, got my grades wrong.

Rob S.

6-Oct-2009
5:43:36 AM

Hey Hen, we don't actually know that it will be freycinet we visit when Blake comes down, theres a
million cool places we could go.

Paulie

6-Oct-2009
8:54:49 PM

Me and Gem visited Cheddar with the intention of climbing something but upon seeing walls and walls of uninspiring wet looking chossy crap we retired to the nearest pub. There's a good reason one of the routes is called "Cheddar Choss" ha ha :-)

Sammy S1

10-Oct-2009
6:07:52 PM

Year the rock there is pretty crap isnt it

There are 17 messages in this topic.