Climbing
9 stunning UK bouldering spots beginners will fall in love with
Don't be stuck between a rock and a hard place: try your hand at bouldering with one of these awesome beautiful UK bouldering crags.
Itching to scale the heights of success? It pays to start small. By tackling lower bouldering spots, you’ll reduce your risk of injury and hone essential skills required for higher climbs. Best of all, these outdoor pitches get you out of the local leisure centre and into the great outdoors.
Here, Paul Jackson, a performance climbing coach offering outdoor and indoor courses at Jurassicclimbing.co.uk, breaks down his favourite UK crags.
1. Bonehill Rocks, Dartmoor
The most popular bouldering area on Dartmoor, this contains a high concentration of quality challenges in superb countryside. There is something for everyone, with grades ranging from scrambling to 8A. But the best quality climbs are found on the easier to mid grades. Expect rough rounded holds and small crystal crimpy holds. There are a few high problems, but you’ll be fine with one mat.
2. RAC Boulders, Snowdonia
Situated on the roadside between the Pen-y-Gwryd Hotel and Capel Curig in North Wales, this is a top venue for lower grade bouldering. The rock is perfect: a nice height with generally good landings, although it’s a bit boggy in the marsh area! It’s usually quieter than the nearby Llanberis Pass boulders and gets lots of sun.
3. Thorn Crag, Lancashire
The crag is high up on the moorland and made up of four main areas: Crag, Trackside, Paradise, and Seaview. The rock is brilliant, untouched gritstone, and there are problems of all grades from 2 all the way up to 8A. It’s brilliant for beginners: the problems are a nice height, with lots of slabs, arêtes, and bulges on great holds. A word of warning though: the area is exposed to the elements, so you need to pick your day. Plus, there’s a long walk in at about 40 minutes. But the bouldering is fantastic!
4. Goldsborough Carr
This crag is high up on open moorland above Baldersdale, and very exposed to the weather. The problems are rather on the high side, but cover a range of grades from 3 to 7c with plenty for the beginner to go after. The starts are generally steep, with good holds that are strenuous. The crag is family-friendly, as is the 10-minute walk in from the roadside parking.
5. Burbage South, Derbyshire
The valley boulders at Burbage offer some of the most friendly bouldering around, making it a beginner's paradise. The grades are super friendly, with great landings, and nothing gets too high. The problems tend to be slabs with some rounded arêtes and slight overhangs thrown in. A lot of the problems are friction-related from climbing on pebbles. The area is family friendly, with an easy walk in.
6. Cratcliffe, Derbyshire
The boulders are located south of the main Cratcliffe Crag and are great for easy stuff on slabs and little bulges. Holds are rounded but with grit friction, and you will also find lots of easy padding feet-only slabs, which are great for improvement. Since some vandalism in Feb 2013, be very wary of the boulder problems with chipping, as the exposed core is incredibly soft and will damage easily. The bouldering in the trees can take a while to dry, but those on the grass hillside dry quickly.
7. Stone Farm, East Sussex
This is owned by the BMC, and is a very good venue for those working in the lower grades. It’s a very enjoyable place to climb as it is never very crowded and is hidden away, with great scenery. The problems tend to be on the high side but with good landings, so a mat is advisable. The problems are slabby, vertical and overhanging on soft sandstone with rounded edges or rounded pockets. Some of the problems are in the trees, otherwise everything is sunny and sheltered. The car park is close by, leaving a five minute walk into the boulders.
8. Torridon, Ross and Cromarty
The Celtic Jumble is a great bouldering venue in a stunning rural location. The climbing is on sandstone boulders and edges, pristine in nature and surrounding the loch. The problems range from low starts to highball with a full spread of grades and there is something for everyone. Grades can be sandbags or extremely soft touches, so accept it for what it is and enjoy the climb. The sandstone is quick to dry, but avoid wet patches as you will damage the surface of the rock.
9. Fisherground, Eskdale
Some of the Lakes' best bouldering here, in an easily accessible, tranquil setting which faces south and dries quickly. It’s also less than a five minute stroll from The Green station on the miniature 'ratty' railway. On following the path, the first boulders you will find on your left is The Diamond Area. Three other areas, Animal, Fisherground Needle and Hollinghead, lie further on up the track. The rock is fairly solid with the climbing being mainly friction-based. A great spread of grades to suit everyone and plenty for the beginner.