Looking for something a bit more relaxed after the cornwall meet? Only 3(ish) hours drive from London? Single Pitch trad and some backup sport options for rain? Come to the Wye Valley!
I won’t be able to make it, having accidently signed up for a carpentry course at the height of climbing season, but will be there in spirit…
Various club members enjoying classic routes at Shorncliff
Meet type: trad limestone single and multipitch, sport single pitch.
When: Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th July
Location: Wye Valley, near Chepstow
Experience level: Basic. Lower grade trad is a bit thinner on the ground due to access reasons (most of it was at Symonds Yat) but there is still some to go at. However, abseil descents are common for trad and the rock quality and gear can be poor in places, so scope out the routes first!
Skills needed: lead belaying, abseiling.
Equipment required: basic stuff (helmet, harness, belay device, rock shoes) ideally some additional personal kit (prussik loops, slings, carabiners)
Sign up: Wye Meet 6th-7th July - Google Sheets
Accommodation
Beeches Farm Campsite is conveniently located and a nice place to be - they provide fire pits (although you have to use their wood) and generally don’t mind group bookings. Will see if they’ve got space, otherwise there are some backup options.
Dinner
There aren’t many decent pubs in the area for dinner - if the weather’s good cooking at the campsite might be the nicest option. Without making any promises, last year the surprisingly good sounding Thai takeaway down the road was doing deliveries to Beeches…
The crags
Trad
Shorn Cliff
Concealed cunningly in the woods (and therefore fairly shady) above Tintern, Shorn Cliff is mainly steep slabs and technical wall climbs (but there are exceptions, check out Tigers Don’t Cry!), single pitch and about 20-30m. Very good if you operate in the VS-E2 range. All trad, and often considered to have many ‘low in the grade’ routes.
Wintour’s Leap
The big bad multi-pitch cliff of Wintour’s Leap looms above the murky Wye and occasionally (quite large) bits fall off. A pretty serious cliff but there are in fact a number of decent easy multipitch routes (note, not much easy single pitch), a number of good VSs on Fly Wall, as well as the adjacent Woodcroft Quarry for sport. A bit of a suntrap and can be roasting.
Symonds Yat
Currently closed for climbing after rock fall.
Wynd Cliff
Not to be confused with Wyndcliff, Quarry Wynd Cliff has a right and a left crag each featuring generally steep trad routes up to about 35m across the grades including the classic VS duo of Cadillac and Questor but does have some suspicious rock quality/routes which no longer bear any resemblance to the guidebook description.
Sport
Wyndcliff Quarry
Very sunny quarry - good quick-drying option after rain, can be busy with people who drop rocks off the upper tier so wear a helmet.
Woodcroft Quarry
Sport routes of varying quality but some of them surprisingly nice. Some long routes at around 6a+ and entertaining low grade multi-pitch. Has some shady spots with routes which can be a nice respite if it’s hot.
Ban Y Gor
Steep blocky limestone requiring some burliness (“short, steep and bouldery” says the guidebook…!). Average grades a bit higher than most of the other sport crags here - not that much below about 6b.
