Bristol

Overview
ClimbBristol

This is a project to pimp up the Avon Gorge, and promote Bristol as a top climbing venue. It's a great project, and also a good facebook page to catch up on regional goings on, and to alert other climbers about missing or damaged fixed gear, rockfalls, etc.

ClimbBristol Facebook page

Avon and Cheddar Fixed Gear Fund

This is an ongoing work replacing old regional fixed gear. This valuable work keeps us all safer, not just on sport routes. It also helps with access agreements and conservation. If you use the gear, a donation would be a good idea. Donate from as little as £1 here:

http://www.dicksclimbing.com/products/donation-to-the-avon-and-cheddar-fixed-gear-fund

Access and conservation

Worth checking before you travel. Especially between March and June (our feathered friends be nesting).

up to date access information here:

Avon Gorge and Somerset

Cheddar Gorge

Cheddar Area

Wye Valley

If you encounter any access problems, please report them to the appropriate BMC regional Access Rep

Local climbing walls

For fans of plastic and ply, or in the highly unlikely event of rain in the sunny south west:

Undercover Rock : Lead and bouldering.

The Climbing Academy Bristol : bouldering.

UWE university wall

Redpoint Climbing Centre : under construction.

The Warehouse: Lead and bouldering (Gloucester).

Geology and Natural History

A brief overview can be found here for those interested.

Please note there are several important, rare, and even unique species on several local cliffs. These are detailed in the relevant guidebooks. Climbers have a good relationship with local conservation groups. Please tread carefully.

Interesting animal encounters to be enjoyed bouldering and chuffing in the area include majestic peregrine falcons at Avon, big wild boar in the forest, and sharing a cliff top belay with the goats after topping out at Brean.

Accidents

Not likely needed, but good to know:

There are several minor injuries units in the area but most are not 24 hours. The important casualty units are:

Bristol Royal Infirmary. Marlborough Street, Bristol. Tel 0117 9282710

Frenchay Hospital. Frenchay Park Road, Bristol. Tel 0117 9701212

Southmead Hospital. Southmead, Bristol. Tel 0117 9505050

Weston General Hospital. Grange Hill, Upton, Weston super Mare. Tel 01934 636363

Bath Royal united Hospital. Coombe Park, Bath. Tel 01225428331

If you can't make it to a hospital yourself, the chances are the volunteer girls and boys of SARA (Severn Area Rescue Association) will help get you there. You can donate to this brilliant charity here

Areas
forest of Dean sandstone - it's not all limestone in spitting distance of Bristol. Check the sample pages from sandstone outcrops of the forest of Dean (it's only a country mile from bristol, or a tidy step if you're metric). Mean machine anyone? (Bring a crash pad if you must, but it's local tradition to pile leaves and twigs below the usually very highball, high quality lines in the forest)

Sample pages from the CC guide

Weather and Tides
Met Office Bristol forecast

Tide Times (entire years tide times for Weston Super Mare pdf can be downloaded here. Remember incoming tide will hit Brean Down slightly before Weston, and wading out at Brean is a very bad idea)

Guides
The Climbers Club are preparing a Somerset bouldering guide, but sadly it's due for publication in 2017. Martin Crocker is currently writing the Avon Gorge definitive guide, which i think will be a bit more in depth bouldering wise, but this is not due for publication until 2015.

In the links section below are gathered online bouldering links for the region.

Chuffing guides for the area:

Avon and cheddar - Martin Crocker (CC 2004)

Fairy Cave Quarry - Brian Mullan (CC 2012)

Lower Wye Valley - John Willson, et al (CC 2007)

Symonds Yat - John Willson, et al (CC 2010) also covers minor crags in the cotswolds

The Sandstone Outcrops of the Forest of Dean - Martin Crocker (CC 2006)

Wye Valley Supplement 2012 - John Willson, et al(CC 2012)

There are a couple of south west selected climbs guides available as well, but the above are the comprehensive ones.

Links
Ladye Bay, Clevedon

Gollums Cave

Ring Road Boulders

Croscombe

Bourton Combe

Toll Road Crags

Avon Gorge Sea Walls

Avon Gorge New Quarry

Huntsham (Superseded by guide but may be useful for people who just want a look see. And please check current access situation on BMC RAD)

http://bathbouldering.wikispaces.com/ (this might be of interest. Who knows? The site runs like a sack of the proverbial on my phone )