Articles - Sport Climbing in Sunny(ish) Swanage.

“When I finally get myself together,
I’m gonna get down in that sunny Southern weather. . .”
Dave Crosby

Here’s a slice of history for you. Way back in 1990, a short route called Volx With Friction was bolted up on the back wall of Dancing Ledge Quarry, near Swanage. It was the first fully bolted line in Dorset; the event was derided, the route was steep but horribly tottering, and that little corner of the quarry was later lost to a necessary access agreement with the owners, the National Trust. Time marched on, and the ubiquitous staple bolt arrived; with its teething troubles and anti-trad persona, ’twas the new devil incarnate, the harbinger of ruin.

Of course, it wasn’t quite that bad. The shiny new Staples had a vigorous and protracted punch-up with the long-standing and often scruffy residents, the Wires; it was a lively and passionate contest, and the result was something of a stand-off. The Wires pretty much ended up keeping their own secluded patch of the cliffs, and the Staples, with their rather more labour-intensive personality, continued to slowly infiltrate the various neglected parts of Swanage and much of the Isle of Portland.

Sixteen years later, and we have more of the Staple family than you’d want to count. Portland has some 600 or so sport routes, and please don’t go forgetting the sheltered walls and faces of Swanage’s three main quarries: Winspit, Hedbury and Dancing Ledge.

Some things time just can’t change. We still have wires and staples vying for attention, the earth still appears to be flat, and we still have three quarries sitting beside the south-west coast path at Swanage. The popularity of the quarries remains undiminished, and the route tally has risen over the last decade – the three venues now total over 160 routes. Here’s a look at the region. 

Dancing Ledge

The biggest and most varied of the venues, the Ledge has more than just a quarried back wall. The grassy, spacious floor drops down into a sea-level area of lower caves and zawns, as well as opening out onto a bigger, above-sea wall to the east. It’s quite a collection of bolted styles and shapes, and even harbours a few deep water solos!

We’ll start with the back wall; a veritable sun trap, so try to save it for a cool day (winter visits are de rigueur). The routes are a combination of face climbs and overhangs, with one or two grooves thrown in for good measure. Borra Ring (F5+) would be a great intro, with some nice moves linking its horizontal breaks, whilst Date With a Frog (F6a) gives you an idea of what’s to come. Over on the left, you’ll find gems such as Chicago Pipe Dreaming (F6a) and Transparent Birthday Suit (F5+) – two short and succinct Ledge face routes.

Lovers of slopers (cold days only!) will enjoy Slopin’ and Hopin’ (F6b+), and might even up the ante to the right, with an ascent of the excellent Mr Choo Choo (F7a). Further right, you’ll have a huge choice of styles, with routes such as the brilliant face climb Rambling Moses (F6b+), and the wickedly good, hanging crack-line The Wonders of Wallkraft (F7a).

That wall above the sea I mentioned before? Not for soloing, this one – but what a position... Beyond the hanging arête of Option B (F6c+), the sheer face of the quarry dives out over the washed ledges below, giving such challenges as the groove of Born Again (F6b+) and the sustained Hieronymous GBH (F6c+). With the sea once again close by, lovers of atmosphere and waves should venture down to the lower tier, where the routes dive off in every direction. The massive, 2-pitch traverse of Slave to the Cave is pure 3-star dynamite, whilst the similar, hanging traverse of Mariner’s Graveyard (F7a+) is the mother of pumps, just metres from the sea-washed boulders below.
 

Hedbury

A mere 600m from Dancing Ledge, Hedbury used to be somewhat quieter, but the wealth of good routes packed into one area couldn’t really be kept under wraps... The classics here include the fun face climb Tethered by Gravity (F4+), the similar but harder Ammonitemare (F6a+), and the technical, precarious groove Of Mice and Men (F6b). Further right the routes get more varied, with the classic Moves For The Masses (F6a+) giving excellent moves on moulded flowstone holds, and the accompanying, diagonal line of Jumping The Gun (F6b) giving one of the quarry’s best and longest lines. The far end of the quarry has undergone some changes in the last few years; no longer are bolts the domain of the steely-fingered set. The last wall on Hedbury’s eastern flank now has a number of very easy climbs, and the UK’s easiest sport route, at F1! There are no excuses for avoiding the sharp end at Hedbury...

Winspit

Of course, Winspit’s been around for ever (or at least since 1987). Even before the Staple family moved their battery packs into town, trad climbing had begun around here, nibbling away at the lines that offered a little natural pro. 1993 saw a massive boom in fixed gear here, and the beautifully laid-out dips and bumps of the quarries saw the enthusiastic arrival of a fresh breed. Winspit’s one of those timeless venues, with grassy slopes, a mix of south and west faces, and a gorgeous little bay tinkering away below. Even unruly climbers bring their Tesco bags down here to remove litter. It’s that nice.

Routes? Some 50 of ’em. Starting in the towering West Quarry, we have such misadventures as Think About It (F6a+), a curling face of excellence, Any Old Time (F6b), a hanging arête with some very out-there moves indeed, and Restless Heart (F6b+), a technical and sustained face, with a surprise awaiting the too-relaxed climber at the very top... This side of Winspit has seen recent activity; the rock to the right of Post-Coital Snooze gave a fine new route by the name of Iron Bar (F5+), and the terrain right of Idiot Village has given birth to Autumn Leaves (F5+). Over on the west-facing Quarryman’s Wall, the classics still enjoy as much attention as ever; Stonemason (F6a+) still whips ass, as does the classic workout of Queen Anne’s Men (F6c-ouch!) and Peppercorn Rate (F6c+). And back on that crack theme – surely the brilliant Unseen Ripples of The Pebble (F6a+) must be one of the best bolted routes in town?

Finally at Winspit, over on the eastern side of the quarry, the Staple family have recently been seen strutting their stuff, providing the excellent Plaice a Bolt (F5) and Fishy Business (F6a), both in the centre, right of ‘that’ supporting pillar. (I spot a theme emerging, hmm.) The gun was held by no other than local collaborator Scott Titt; he of “all manner of 60’s looseness and mayhem”. Which just goes to show that you really can teach an old (sea) dog new tricks, after all...

There you have it. Whatever your poison (or fish), there’s probably a route or two that’d suit you in Swanage’s trio of sunlit quarries. We’ve even timed this article to coincide with the winter, so we do care, after all. So pack your fish sandwiches and pay a visit. Last one to the Square & Compass is a cissy... 

Swanage – What you might want to know, hey: 

Situated: Down on the south coast, a little west of Bournemouth, where the sun reputedly always shines (a goddamn lie). But there’s officially more sun here than anywhere else in the country, so that’s nice, isn’t it?  

Food and slurps: There are lots of food establishments in Swanage town, and the queues will be shorter in the winter, when the quarried sun-traps come into their own as out-of-season training venues. Since the demise of the favoured Ricky’s Cafe, climbers are spreading out, with the morning venue in vogue being the airy Caffe Tratt, with good coffee and a very Mediterranean, ‘open front’ thing sometimes going on. Umm. There are numerous pubs offering food, including the well-positioned and friendly Anchor pub, right in town; but for a pasty and a pint, you’ll never do better than the Square & Compass at Worth Matravers – it’s about 3 miles out of Swanage, and very local indeed to the venues described in this article. This renowned, three-star gaff offers you the chance to catch up with the latest ciders and suchlike – all very nice if you’re riding shotgun, frustratin’ if you ain’t, pardner. Go figure. 

Camping & Digs: A lot of climbers opt for Tom’s Field at Langton Matravers, which is within steady walking distance of all the routes shown in this article (even for the average stick-legged, tab-smoking, slightly feeble sport climbing weedling). There’s also the well-positioned and exquisitely-named Swanage Auberge bunkhouse, in the centre of Swanage. It’s geared specifically for climbers (posters of famous climbing folk on t’walls, a sympathetic ear when it rains), beautifully-equipped, and costs £16 a night: Pete and Pam, the owners, can be reached on 07711 117668, or found at swanageauberge.co.uk He’s barking mad, by the way. Although this in no way reflects on the spiffing nature of said establishment. But remember my usual advise re the nightly resting thing: you could always sleep standing up, like a horse. 

Gear shops: Swanage has no gear shops; the nearest is the excellent Blue Lagoon Store, in Wareham. Martin, the dedicated and horribly friendly proprietor of the shop, can be reached on the blower on 01929 550882, and might even do you a deal, if you ask sportingly. 

Further reading: The current Dorset Rockfax, by Mark Glaister and Pete Oxley, is the best guide to buy right now. Shiny, refreshing and kind of a nice winter companion; good to have by your side when the long nights set in. Although a spaniel would be better. Note: the damned roving Staple family have already rendered the guide out of date, especially at Winspit. Damn, damn them.

More Dorset sport crags : Portland.