Southern Sandstone Best Practice

As indoor walls like ourselves continue to remain shut, people have been turning to the local outcrops of the southern sandstone.

Whilst it is always great to see people enjoying the outdoors and trying new things, the southern sandstone is a very unique climbing area and there are many nuances and ethics that climbers need to be aware of before venturing out.

Below are our top guidelines that you should follow before you think of venturing out:

1) Buy a guidebook – Guidebooks not only help you work out where routes and problems go, but they are also full of information about best practice.

2) Check out www.southernsandstoneclimbs.co.uk – this website is run by a dedicated group of local climbers who are also BMC Access reps and are constantly updating it with useful information about the sandstone outcrops. There is also a lot of information about how to set up ropes, chalk usage and parking information.

3) Outdoor climbing is not the same as indoor climbing – In recent years these two disciplines of climbing have drifted further apart and they are now very different experiences. Take particular note to not brush holds, use chalk sparsely if at all, and clean your feet thoroughly before climbing. The above website has lots more information on what else you will need to prepare for.

4) Check the weather – The southern sandstone is a very soft rock type and is particularly fragile when wet. Even if it looks dry, if there has been rain in the last twenty-four hours then it is wise not to climb. Even after a prolonged period of dry weather, make sure that you check conditions and do not attempt to climb on wet or damp rock as it will only lead to excessive wear and potentially accidents.

5) Park considerately – With so many people heading out to the crags, the small car parks that most venues have are not able to cope with the amount of traffic that they are experiencing. This is causing numerous problems with landowners, neighbours and emergency services who have had issues gaining access due to inconsiderate parking. If the car park you wish to climb at is full, change your plans and head somewhere else.

6) Check The BMC RAD www.thebmc.co.uk/modules/RAD – This contains all the latest information on all the crags regarding access issues. Before you head to a venue make sure you check to see if there are any issues or information that you need to be aware of. Whilst you are on the BMC website, we would also recommend signing up as a member as it has lots of advantages for those climbing both indoors and outside.

7) Be considerate – Everyone wants to be able to enjoy the outdoors: keep noise to a minimum, don’t play music , make sure you take your litter home and be respectful to other users of the venues such as hikers, cyclists and dog walkers.

If you have never climbed on the sandstone before and do not feel confident that you will be able to follow all the recommendations above then we suggest that you seek professional advice and instruction, especially with regard to rigging ropes. There are many local companies that specialise in these courses, and we would be happy to point you in their direction or please see the above websites which have links to many local course providers.