Under the Boardwalk down by the sea ...

It’s been said before but I’ll say it again, lest we take it for granted, the great thing about UK climbing is the awesome diversity of venues and climbing styles that we have - usually within spitting distance of each other. Few countries have the former, still less have the later. As a photographer and calendar producer I’m always looking for something a bit special to include within the calendar so having easy access to this variety comes in real handy. Of course Hard Grit continues to be a big pull to Johnny Foreigner; lets face it, it’s been a top export commodity since Slackjaw’s video of the same name was released and immediately shot to iconic status. Just this month, top Spanish sport climber, Dani Andrada, came to the UK and sent much of his time climbing on the Grit.

But what of the rest of UK Climbing PLC? As an island, the UK is surrounded by sea; no surprise then that we Brits have a long tradition of climbing anything of any size on said coastline. These crags also offer another great experience do they not - stunning locations and climbing, each venue with an ambience that is very special, if not unique. The biggest and most spectacular cliffs are north of the border; The Old Man of Hoy being perhaps the most famous coastline feature. Gogarth was tremendously popular in its early years and will always have a faithful fan club. Cornwall is even more old skool than Gogarth but who amongst us hasn’t enjoyed a summer trip to climb at Bosigran? And by no means are these the only ‘must visit’ venues either…

By late July and August of this year (2007 AD – Annus Deluge?) the monsoon eventually abated and I was in the throes of revisiting some of my favourite UK seaside climbing locations whilst finishing off the calendar. A trip to Lower Pen Trwyn, (a.k.a. LPT) North Wales reminded me what a superb venue it was. Ben Moon firmly established LPT on the map back in 1984 with his ascent of Statement of Youth, the country’s first bolt-protected F8a. And what a route to establish the benchmark grade. Flashed by Simon Nadin in the days when flashing F8a was incomprehensible, Statement should be on every sport climber’s wishlist. Heel hooking the lip of a roof is required to gain the real meat of the line, the upper headwall. The moves aren’t excessively difficult (for F8a) but the crux is still challenging and interest is maintained, as they say in guidebook cliché-speak, right to the very top. Today, the routes at LPT span from the likes of Skin Flick (F6a+) to those with the sharpest of sharp cutting edges, ie. The Big Bang (F9a) - ouch. It’s always been a popular sport climbing crag and no wonder - the grade range, the route quality and the seaside location are irresistible. I photographed Neil Gresham on Chris Plant’s The Battle of the Little Big Orme (F8a+). This route really deserves more attention and it would certainly get it at a lesser crag. After a powerful start, Battle turns technical and exhausting on the headwall. The backdrop across the bay includes Llandudno Pier and the Little Orme and really is picture-postcard stuff. I love that place; the atmosphere, the routes and the location – get thee there if you have yet to sample LPT’s delights.

Running close behind Pen Trwyn for me is Torbay on the south Devon coast. The tourist board would have it as the English Rivera; not too far from the truth I ‘spose. The weather is suitably temperate and the coastline ‘looks and feels’ somewhat akin to an English version of Nice – providing you squint hard enough. The cliffs in the area cater for most tastes. Traditionally, Berry Head is the place to get your nuts out – literally and metaphorically. There’s a stack of trad climbing in the Great Cave and most are bold undertakings for their grades. Moonraker (HVS) and Dreadnoughts (E3) are classics, but Mick Fowlers’ Caveman at E6 is the money-route in the harder grades. All that said, it’s the deep water soling (DWS) at Berry Head which is really pulling in the summer crowds these days. At around 30 to 60 feet in height (depending upon the tide) the long cliff right (looking in) of the Great Cave is just perfect for DWS. Drop down to sea-level as per the Great Cave, (or ab in when restricted) then ride the Rainbow Bridge until one of the lines above takes your fancy. In the main the routes are steep, sustained and satisfying. I was there to photograph Adrian Baxter. Wrestling with ‘iffy’ ab-points (opposition wires and slings over dodgy blocks) and racks of camera kit on hanging abseils doesn’t make for an easy (or pleasant) day but the sun was out and conditions were good, two major pluses. On the other side of the glass Aid romped up a rake of routes, Aeronautics (F6c) and White Rhino Tea (F7a) included. By the time I had got my shots, packed my camera kit away and pulled on my boots for a bit of ‘me time’ the sun had gone off the cliff, some seepage had returned and it was as greasy as a plate of fish and chips. To make matters worse the tide level had gone down making the routes another fifteen feet higher. It was a very crest-fallen climber that emerged from the cliff top after a harrowing ascent of a route that should have been a path. I’m no DWS proponent, in fairness it scares the crap out of me at the best of times, but you have to give things a go don’t you? Of course the experienced DWS climbers in the team knew the score and had moved on. By the time I’d topped-out I realised why Mike ‘The Tower’ Robertson was directing the faithful on a mass traverse of the classic (low-level) traverse Magical Mystery Tour (F6a+). Another lesson learnt; when in Rome…

On the other tip of Torbay is Anstey’s Cove. Swanage and Portland are awash with great routes of all grades but I reckon Anstey’s is the sport climbing destination of the South-West. Don’t let the diminutive height fool you, it might be small but it punches well above its weight. Local climber, Ken Palmer, is the man having developed many of the best routes at the crag. There’s nothing particularly easy, nor is there anything right up there on the very cutting edge, but there’s more than a few day’s worth of routes between F7a to F8c; enough to keep all but the very best busy for a lifetime. Routes like Might and Main (F7a) and How the Mighty Fall (F7a+) are the best of the easier routes on the crag but the uber (grade 7) classic of the crag is, without a doubt, Empire of the Sun (F7b). The steep and powerful start knocks you back onto your heels a little, though once safely through it’s a matter of hanging in. Climb quickly and with conviction and even with pumped arms you’ll probably make the lower-off. The Ferocity Face at Anstey’s around the corner has harder testpieces; Nick White’s Cider Soak (F8a) being perhaps the most popular of the oft-attempted classics. None though are better than Empire. Photographing Audrey Seguy on Empire proved just too much for me and as soon as she’d despatched it I was straight in for a burn myself. Empire is a great route to climb and photograph; a win-win for me.

So there you have it; a quick spin around some of my personal favourite seaside climbing crags in the UK. The climbing on offer at LPT, Berry Head and Anstey’s are right up there in terms of pure climbing quality. Each venue has its own distinct character and perhaps this is what makes them so endearing. Even better, they are the tip of the iceberg that is UK Climbing; it’s this diversity that makes climbing here so appealing for many, myself included. If only the bloody weather was better! Ah well, there’s always next year, that surely will be better! Meanwhile there’s just the small matter of the winter to get through – now where’s my Peak bouldering guide?