Hiking, Scrambling, Mountaineering, and Climbing

Saw the short edit of that at a Brit Rock Film Tour showing a few years ago. Wonderful and utterly mad.

Freebies here if anyone is interested: https://www.lfgss.com/conversations/378423/

Just arrived in Porlock for a few days fucking around on tidal sea cliffs.
Well aware this bit of coast isn’t exactly renowned for its quality rock but some fun slabs and some crumbly flakes are on the cards…

Anyone on here walked the Ridgeway before? Got 6 days off in September and looks ideal - any views/experiences to share?

From memory, food, water, and accommodation are almost non-existent on the trail.

OTOH, the views are fantastic, and, if you don't die of thirst, the western half is one of the nicest walks within easy reach of London.

Good call, thank you! Google tells me water is a known issue so will be sure to plan carefully.

It’s gorgeous, innit? Wound up on the western side for one sunset/dusk/night ride and it was amazing - hares sprinting away over the ridge and all that

Just cycled it from Watlington to Avebury today. Not much to add really, lovely path, the history is amazing, views etc. Would be less fun in shit weather. Transport options and resupply are limited. There are a couple of drinking water taps, locations well advertised

Ran it as Race to the Stones - love it up there. Would highly recommend that event!

You should have messaged me, I’m local (Swindon), so could have brought you supplies or ferried you in the van

We drive the motorbikes across parts that are open to motor vehicles. As everyone says, practically zero anything en-route.

When you’re near Barbury Castle you need to go miles into Wroughton, from Hackpen a couple miles to Broad Hinton (little shop and pub). From Sanctuary it’s Avebury.

But as noted to @el_presidente message me when you are anywhere between Chiseldon and Devizes and I can bring supplies from Swindon.

Oh also, where there isn’t grass or a rut, it is exposed chalk with loose stone on top. When it rains it is lethal. You will fall over.

I grew up in a farm workers cottage on the Ridgeway just outside Wantage. It’s lovely along there and well worth it.
As said before- def not shops and limited water but as in most rural places I’ve never had problems getting water by just nicely asking people in farmyards.

Didn’t die at Hurlstone Point. The sea level approach was way harder and more enjoyable than the slabs at the end of it.

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Valley of Rocks. Few nice little routes on the big block on top of Castle rock. Wanted to do the pinnacle I took this pic from but all the routes looked like they needed a good scrub and prune back some ivy.
The coastline here is pretty stonking. There’s miles of untouched sea cliffs to be had. The fact that all of them have 100+m of crumbling hills above means that access is only for the very brave.

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On the subject of crazy access routes is anyone on this thread proficient in abseiling and jumaring and up for sharing some knowledge? Would like to get more into sea cliff work.
I can ab comfortably and did a spot of foot locking in my tree work days but only done limited stuff while climbing.
Or any recommendations for a London based coach who knows the score?

I’m sure they prob run a class at the castle but thought I’d ask here..

Yes sure drop me a pm and we can chat. I was a proper climber once and cut my teeth in the Boulder Ruckle. I did do a few years industrial as well.It's definitely easier than foot-locking !

Sent you a dm

I walked Ilfracombe to Lynton once and bivied halfway along, on the top of a cliff somewhere were there was a spring. Loved looking at the lights of S Wales out of my bivi bag. Spectacular coast and very remote in places. There are two local legends, one of a "gert fish" that lives in one of the coves,, and also that in the war U-Boats used to regularly beach to top up on fresh water, in complete safety due to the remoteness.

Edit: https://www.greatbritishlife.co.uk/homes-and-gardens/places-to-live/exmoor-s-secret-visits-from-german-u-boats-7118070

I'm having a crack at the Wildspitze normal route with a friend at dawn on Tuesday.

I'm confident in my glacier travel safety and ability to manage the pretty straightforward climbing sections but I've never done anything of this scale. 1,900m of up is a few hundred more than I've tried at 3000m+ before.

Wish me luck!

Let's see how much my legs hate me on Tuesday night!

Good luck.
Eat eat eat!

Good luck. Check your progress regularly against guidebook times

Thanks, will do.

Have been testing myself at 450 to 500m metres an hour over the last couple of weeks and that has gone well. If I can find 300 to 350m at that altitude everything should be golden.

The freezing level has been over 4000m a fair bit here lately. Early and swift is always going to be a good thing.

Climb's off. Way too hot up top and things are a little dicey in one of the couloires. Cooling off at the end of the week but will be blowing and snowy so will have to play things by ear.

Anyone done an intro to trad climbing course at Bettws or similar? Basically looking to do some grade 3 scrambles and work from there onto some easier trad routes. Just want to make sure we're doing stuff properly/safely really. Done plenty of indoor climbing but it's very different when the holds are bright colours and the gear is already bolted on.

Had a fun time scrambling on Tryfan on Saturday afternoon and then an easy scramble up Moel Siabod and walk Crimpiau on Sunday.

Did my first alpine multi-pitch route last week, Guarda Ben (5b) on the Spazzacaldeira, six pitches. There were very little bolts but the easy climbing made it manageable. At the top we traversed a little ridge to get to Fiamma (5c), a nice and very photogenic spire. Great experience overall!

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