Worst crag in the UK
Marcus
I'd like to start the ball rolling by nominating Sandford Quarry,
Churchill, south of Bristol.
I suggest this apology of a climbing venue meets all the following
criteria:
* featureless, crumbling rock
* pitiful protection possibilities (eg tied off buddliea at 80ft,
rotting pegs)
* post-industrial landscape (strewn with rubbish, rusting machinery)
* used by scramblers (as in motorcylists)
* looks like a Doctor Who location
The only thing it lacks is close proximity to a major road (cf Avon
Gorge), denying one the comforting roar of heavy traffic.
Duncan H.B. Irving
Fits the desciption of most of the Llanberis slate quarries and there's a
whole guidebook for them. Maybe you should do some mushrooms and then
revisit Sandford, it seemed to do the trick for the slatefreaks...
Duncan
--
Duncan H.B. Irving
Alpine Periglacial Processes
Department of Earth Sciences
University of Wales Cardiff
Andy Robinson
"Duncan H.B. Irving" wrote:
> Marcus wrote:
> >
> > I'd like to start the ball rolling by nominating Sandford Quarry,
> > Churchill, south of Bristol.
> >
> > I suggest this apology of a climbing venue meets all the following
> > criteria:
> >
> > * featureless, crumbling rock
> > * pitiful protection possibilities (eg tied off buddliea at 80ft,
> > rotting pegs)
> > * post-industrial landscape (strewn with rubbish, rusting machinery)
> > * used by scramblers (as in motorcylists)
> > * looks like a Doctor Who location
> >
> > The only thing it lacks is close proximity to a major road (cf Avon
> > Gorge), denying one the comforting roar of heavy traffic.
>
> Fits the desciption of most of the Llanberis slate quarries and there's a
> whole guidebook for them. Maybe you should do some mushrooms and then
> revisit Sandford, it seemed to do the trick for the slatefreaks...
>
No really, this place is fucking awful - there are some really shit places
to climb in the Bristol environs but this takes the biscuit.
There are also some splendid places worth avoiding in leicestershire and I
seem to remember John Henry quarry in the Chew valley to be a particularly
sub-ideal place to climb. John Henry is no friend of mine.
Cheers,
Andy Robinson
______________________________________________________
Dr Andy Robinson
Tel: +44 (0)117 9289000 x4798 Fax: +44 (0)117 9253385
CETSEI, Dept. of Geology, University of Bristol, UK.
URL: http://sun1.gly.bris.ac.uk/cetsei/
Byran Munday
In article <334D62...@cf.ac.uk>, "Duncan H.B. Irving"
<irvi...@cf.ac.uk> writes
>Marcus wrote:
>>
>> I'd like to start the ball rolling by nominating Sandford Quarry,
>> Churchill, south of Bristol.
>>
>> I suggest this apology of a climbing venue meets all the following
>> criteria:
>>
>> * featureless, crumbling rock
>> * pitiful protection possibilities (eg tied off buddliea at 80ft,
>> rotting pegs)
>> * post-industrial landscape (strewn with rubbish, rusting machinery)
>> * used by scramblers (as in motorcylists)
>> * looks like a Doctor Who location
>>
>> The only thing it lacks is close proximity to a major road (cf Avon
>> Gorge), denying one the comforting roar of heavy traffic.
If you want to go on about the worst crags, how about Stannignton Ruffs
in Sheffield, bloody awful place, why anyone wants to climb there I'll
never know (I only went once as its at the back of a mate house). Full
of robbish, no sound holds and it smells too!
Bryan
--
Byran Munday
Adrian Carlson-Hedges
If this ever gets as far as being broken down by reason, then under the
section for polished I would like to suggest Chudleigh (Devon). Even if
the rumour about the little gnomes coming out at night to polish the
rocks isn't true, then the many groups of people abseiling certainly
don't help.
That aside of course Chudliegh is quite a pleasant place to climb with a
few classic routes.
Adrian
--
Adrian Carlson-Hedges
Chris Mellor
My vote is Symond's Yat followed by Chudleigh - both obnoxious
overgrown heaps of choss.
Chris
Chris Mellor
Mr J.P. Tayler
> There are also some splendid places worth avoiding in leicestershire...
<snip>
Ok, one last time I shall defend Leicestershires honour in terms of the
dangly stuff available! Good grief, what do you want? Blood?
I realise that it will never reach the shining zenith that is the
Auguille de Kepier, but considering the alternatives i.e. chin ups
in yer cellar, its not too bad...
I reckon that Leicestershire and environs hold some excellent locations
you just have to look hard and be imaginative. (and be prepared to solo
things). If and when Markfield is resolved - it'll be top.
Not of course that I ever climbed there while it was against the law -
clad head to toe in black with me balaclava on. Gets bloody hot at midday
I can tell you...
love to you all my darlings
J
Dunc
N. Queensferry crag is remarkably hideous.. the guide book("Lowland
outcrops" SMC) warns of kids adding to the natural hazards which include
crumbling rock and dodgy fence belays.
DUNc
--
.........................
............... Duncan Borthwick
....... DUNc e-mail dun...@hgu.mrc.ac.uk
.. tel UK (0131) 332 2471
David Stark
In article <andrew.robinson-...@performa19.gly.bris.ac.uk> andrew....@bristol.ac.uk (Andy Robinson) writes:
> "Duncan H.B. Irving" wrote:
>
>> Marcus wrote:
>> >
>> > I'd like to start the ball rolling by nominating Sandford Quarry,
>> > Churchill, south of Bristol.
>> >
>> > I suggest this apology of a climbing venue meets all the following
>> > criteria:
>> >
>> > * featureless, crumbling rock
>> > * pitiful protection possibilities (eg tied off buddliea at 80ft,
>> > rotting pegs)
>> > * post-industrial landscape (strewn with rubbish, rusting machinery)
>> > * used by scramblers (as in motorcylists)
>> > * looks like a Doctor Who location
>> >
>> > The only thing it lacks is close proximity to a major road (cf Avon
>> > Gorge), denying one the comforting roar of heavy traffic.
>>
>> whole guidebook for them. Maybe you should do some mushrooms and then
>> revisit Sandford, it seemed to do the trick for the slatefreaks...
>>
>No really, this place is fucking awful - there are some really shit places
>to climb in the Bristol environs but this takes the biscuit.
>There are also some splendid places worth avoiding in leicestershire and I
>seem to remember John Henry quarry in the Chew valley to be a particularly
>sub-ideal place to climb. John Henry is no friend of mine.
>
>Cheers,
> Andy Robinson
>
>______________________________________________________
>Dr Andy Robinson
>Tel: +44 (0)117 9289000 x4798 Fax: +44 (0)117 9253385
>CETSEI, Dept. of Geology, University of Bristol, UK.
>URL: http://sun1.gly.bris.ac.uk/cetsei/
Now maybe if John Henry was a pretty Spanish schoolgirl (OSBOOOUURNE)
David Stark
Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research
91 Riding House Street
London W1P 8BT
0171 878 4047
vst...@fs2.ba.umist.ac.uk
In article <andrew.robinson-...@performa19.gly.bris.ac.uk>,
andrew....@bristol.ac.uk (Andy Robinson) wrote:
> No really, this place is fucking awful - there are some really shit places
> to climb in the Bristol environs but this takes the biscuit.
> There are also some splendid places worth avoiding in leicestershire and I
> seem to remember John Henry quarry in the Chew valley to be a particularly
> sub-ideal place to climb. John Henry is no friend of mine.
>
Oh yes! I'll second the nomination for John Henry quarry. I don't know
about Bristol coz some people (you know who you are...) keep forgetting
to invite me....but John Henry is a sorry, interest-free pile of
crumbling crap if ever there was one. It sells itself as a
vegetation-free quarry with 25 routes of lower grades - it's certainly
vegetation free, and about as fine as a weekend chewing glass with your
old headmaster. Short, squat and featureless. Sounds like a
mother-in-law joke, really.
Vicki
-------------------==== Posted via Deja News ====-----------------------
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R Webb
jon...@liverpool.ac.uk (Mr J.P. Tayler) wrote:
>things). If and when Markfield is resolved - it'll be top.
>Not of course that I ever climbed there while it was against the law -
>clad head to toe in black with me balaclava on. Gets bloody hot at midday
>I can tell you...
I dont think it was against the law ......... *Then*
__________________________________________________
R Webb
David Stark
In article <andrew.robinson-...@performa19.gly.bris.ac.uk> andrew....@bristol.ac.uk (Andy Robinson) writes:
>
> (Andy Robinson) writes:
>
>
>> >sub-ideal place to climb. John Henry is no friend of mine.
>> >
>
>>
>>
>
>Yours in fond memory of spanish "climbing" trips
>
>Andy
>
>______________________________________________________
>Dr Andy Robinson
>Tel: +44 (0)117 9289000 x4798 Fax: +44 (0)117 9253385
>CETSEI, Dept. of Geology, University of Bristol, UK.
>URL: http://sun1.gly.bris.ac.uk/cetsei/
I was being reasonably fair - the photos were not too bad, except for the
rather nasty one of Rich's butt and tackle of course.
Sheridan Mayo
In article <andrew.robinson-...@performa19.gly.bris.ac.uk>,
Andy Robinson <andrew....@bristol.ac.uk> wrote:
>There are also some splendid places worth avoiding in leicestershire and I
>seem to remember John Henry quarry in the Chew valley to be a particularly
My other half, Mark, and I went to relive some of Mark's
youthful glories (as a member of the Hinkley Mountaineering
Club) by cragging in some of the Leicestershire quarries. Armed with
the ancient guide book we were somewhat disappointed to find that
two of the ones we visited had been used for landfill! They're not
all bad by the way, although some were a tad loose (especially Huncote).
Sherry
Duncan H.B. Irving
I've spent a couple of pleasant summer evenings escaping the Ratho
hoardes at N Queensferry to the serenades of the local scrotes. It's not
a patch on being shot at by 12-yr olds with air-rifles or bombarded
with dead birds as has been observed in the valleys down here!
Robert Waugh
Andy Robinson wrote:
>
> "Duncan H.B. Irving" wrote:
>
> > Marcus wrote:
> > >
> > > I'd like to start the ball rolling by nominating Sandford Quarry,
> > > Churchill, south of Bristol.
I would like to nominate Bell Hag just out side Sheffield (possibly
still inside). It has no protection and a nasty slope for your fall. It
is also in the most bland midle-class area in Sheffield. Every time I
have been there you see people washing the Rovers on Sunday morning.
I also have been to a crag in leicestershire which was limestone. It was
wet, miles from the road, no "real" pro except a old tree root anf is
toped with bramble bushes for that trick last move. Although it does not
realy have many routes up it (for obvious resons) so is a good place to
chalk your first up! I did E3 5a!
Matt Wenham
Mr J.P. Tayler wrote:
> I reckon that Leicestershire and environs hold some excellent locations
> you just have to look hard and be imaginative.
Indeed, but Blackbrook Quarry, has to be a contender for the UKs worst
listed crag (its in the guidebook). It came away in me hand gov'ner...
> If and when Markfield is resolved - it'll be top.
> Not of course that I ever climbed there while it was against the law -
> clad head to toe in black with me balaclava on. Gets bloody hot at
> midday I can tell you...
Just go after 5:30 in the summer when all the Tarmac jobsworths have
gone home. Early in the morning for Pocketgate Quarry and the one on the
golf course (Hangingstone Rocks?). Access has even improved at Bardon
Hill lately, but you WILL get caught.
Matt, not that I was ever there you understand.
Duncan H.B. Irving
robert jones wrote:
>
> Duncan H.B. Irving wrote:
> >
> > Marcus wrote:
> > >
> > > I'd like to start the ball rolling by nominating Sandford Quarry,
> > > Churchill, south of Bristol.
> > >
> > > criteria:
> > >
> > > * featureless, crumbling rock
> > > * pitiful protection possibilities (eg tied off buddliea at 80ft,
> > > rotting pegs)
> > > * post-industrial landscape (strewn with rubbish, rusting machinery)
> > > * used by scramblers (as in motorcylists)
> > > * looks like a Doctor Who location
>
> >
> This sounds only too familiar! You are describing Rosyth Quarry, in
> Fife. This hellhole also has the advantage of local youths with
> airguns. Beat that.
>
> Robert
Yep, we have that here too. (See elsewhere in thread!)
Graham Robinson
Duncan H.B. Irving wrote:
> > This sounds only too familiar! You are describing Rosyth Quarry, in
> > Fife. This hellhole also has the advantage of local youths with
> > airguns. Beat that.
> >
> > Robert
>
> Yep, we have that here too. (See elsewhere in thread!)
>
So far, this thread seems to be arguing between the S Wales Valleys, and
the Fife quarries..... Having climbed at both (I think I've done the
oppsite to you Duncan...gone from S Wales to Ed!) I can definitely say
that the quality of Yobbo in Fife isn't a patch on that in the Rhondda
or Ystrad Mynach! And as for the rock, well the "Oh shit, this bits
falling apart" factor isn't nearly as high in Fife. My tales of scraping
out coal seams to get friend placements, cammed hexes in shot holes, and
all the other esoteric sandstone pro techniques, as well as peeling 20ft
long ledges off the top of crags (Golf Club Crag, Pontypridd) just
aren't believed up here! Climbing in Scotland is positively pleasant,
but I do miss the serenade of "Ow, Butty! Why are ew going up there,
it's easy up ere" ( to be read in quality Trebanog accent!).
My vote for the worst crag goes to either Ferndale or the "falling
washing machine wall" at Llanbradach.
Cheers
Deri
Kevin Whitworth
For what it's worth, has anyone been to Whitescar Cliff in the NOrth
York Moors?
Access to the base of the cliff is decidedly dodgy (steep muddy ravine
at one end and steep grassy bank the other). Once you've reached the
base of the cliff, you need a size 10 machette (maybe size 11) to get
anywhere. either end is just about reachable, but the middle is a
nightmare to get to. It's also a nature reserve so they don't like you
straying too far from the cliff base.
The far end (from the car park) is really crumbly sanstone with none or
little protection, which will almost certainly take the rock out if you
were to load it, in fact the rock doesn't look strong enough to hold any
weight anyway.
One more thing, the belays at the topp are very dubious. The ones
available involve running a rope across the footpath to the trees, which
are so far back that you'll probably need a second rope just to set up
the belays. Then of course you get walkers triping over the rope, and
you can't leave them set up to ab down on 'cos they're obstructing the
path.
Maybe not as bad as getting shot in quarries, but I won't go back there
again in a hurry.
Kev
--
_________________________________________________
Kevin Whitworth Work: +44 1473 642417
ke...@dwarf.bt.co.uk klw...@tower.york.ac.uk
http://www.york.ac.uk/~klw100
http://bahji.dwarf.bt.co.uk:8080/
Roger Peppe
On Wed, 16 Apr 1997 09:34:39 +0100, Kevin Whitworth <ke...@dwarf.bt.co.uk> wrote:
> For what it's worth, has anyone been to Whitescar Cliff in the NOrth
> York Moors?
i presume you mean whitestonecliffe ?
however chossy this crag is (and it certainly is!) it doesn't in
any way qualify for "worst crag of the UK". i mean, it's got a nice
view, atmosphere galore and some of the routes are actually quite
good. (well Nightwatch is, and i really enjoyed the HVS i did towards
the left of the crag. scary, pulling on those big detached blocks
that creak as they take your weight, especially as your best gear
at the time is a hex behind said flake!)
anyone done that E2 (Black Mamba ?) there ? i keep looking at it
and wondering... (also wondering whether that's the scene of the
well described, and well frightening, huge fall in the book
"Climbers" by M.John Harrison). i'd like to have a go at it.
if you like a bit of spice, this crag is actually quite good!
mind you, there's a crag mentioned in the guide, also on sutton bank a
little bit eastwards, that of which it says something like "routes have
been done on this crag, but it's so chossy they aren't mentioned
here".
now *that* might be a candidate.
cheers,
rog.
Deri Jones
helen wrote:
>
> The worst crag in the UK has to be Taff Wells Quarry. Street ligting &
> above a round about , loose sandstone! It is a dream!
Definitely not, Taffs Well is alovely place, all those solid holds, tons
of gear (Diamonds wall), 24Hr climbing, the sea cliff feeling because
you can't hear your partner over the traffic....AHHH, it takes me back
to my youth! Seriously, there are a lot worse places than Taffs Well in
S Wales, at least it has some good routes as reedeming features, namely
pine Tree, Changes (still one of my scariest leads, after 5 years!),
Diamonds (on the blunt end of the rope), and some of the new bolted
routes in the RH side look pretty gobsmacking.
Cheers
Deri
PS: it's loose limestone, but it looks like sand!
--
Deri Jones AMADEUS Research Associate
Dept Mech & Chem Eng
Heriot Watt University
Riccarton Campus
Edinburgh EH14 4AS United Kingdom
Email: J.P.P...@hw.ac.uk www.hw.ac.uk/mecWWW/research/amintro.htm
Tel: +44 (0)131 449 5111 ex4737 Fax: +44 (0)131 451 3129
Chris Shorrock
helen wrote:
>
> The worst crag in the UK has to be Taff Wells Quarry. Street ligting &
> above a round about , loose sandstone! It is a dream!
This quarried limestone cliff has a superb outlook over the South Wales
valleys, Taff Gorge and the Garth (of Man who went up a hill and came
down a mountain fame).
It houses a series of multli pitch low grade classics such as Pine Tree
*** VD, Sub Wall * HS, No Name * VS etc. And is wreckoned to be one of
the best higher grade limestone cliffs in the South West of Britain
(speek to Martin Crocker or Gary Gibson).
Its proximity to a city is no draw back however its proximity to the road
is, but if you climb in the right hand bay this is hardly noticeable.
Just thing of it as a Wintours Leap except that the road is at the bottom
rather than the top.
If you want a real tottering sandstone crag, far worse than any Southern,
South Wales or Northumbrian venue, why not try Ormsgill Quarry in
Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, but watch out for those glue sniffing
vandals.
--
Mr. Christopher Shorrock
Laboratory for Strain Analysis
Crustal Processes Group
Department of Earth Sciences
Cardiff, University of Wales
Matt Wenham
GB Peacock wrote:
> Ah, that was the name of it - I was trying to remember the name of
> Pocketgate Quarry, along the lines of this thread. I went there once
> because the guide has a three star VS there. Having just about wrecked
> the car on the track (I always fancied off-roading!) We fought our way
> through thick bramble etc. to get into the quarry, only to be faced by
> the aforementioned VS slab in lime green, with NO CLIIMBING written in
> six foot high letters across the middle of it. Considering the approach
> to the slab was going to involve swimming across a stagnant pool, then
> blow-torching the route to dry off the moss, we cut our losses and went
> to beacon hill instead.
> So, have you actually climbed there then Matt?
We were similarly put off by the 'No Climbing' sign. When we went to the
golf course pavilion to ask why we couldn't climb there the jobsworth
said that the ban had been imposed to protect the rock, since there were
rare fossils in it. We didn't ask what the long term effects of the
paint used to write the NO CLIMBING on the rock were... We were also put
off by the fact that we only had top-rope gear with us, and there was no
belay at the top which wasn't visible from the golf course.
Matt...
GB Peacock
On Mon, 14 Apr 1997, Matt Wenham wrote:
>
> Just go after 5:30 in the summer when all the Tarmac jobsworths have
> gone home. Early in the morning for Pocketgate Quarry and the one on the
Ah, that was the name of it - I was trying to remember the name of
Pocketgate Quarry, along the lines of this thread. I went there once
because the guide has a three star VS there. Having just about wrecked
the car on the track (I always fancied off-roading!) We fought our way
through thick bramble etc. to get into the quarry, only to be faced by
the aforementioned VS slab in lime green, with NO CLIIMBING written in
six foot high letters across the middle of it. Considering the approach
to the slab was going to involve swimming across a stagnant pool, then
blow-torching the route to dry off the moss, we cut our losses and went
to beacon hill instead.
So, have you actually climbed there then Matt?
Graeme