Southern Sandstone on the outskirts of Tunbridge wells is one of the souths only inland crags. The style of climbing is totally different from anywhere else and has put plenty of people off. But stick with it and there are great rewards to have. Having recently past my driving test i can now look forward to the freedom this brings with regular visits to the sandstone. I have pledge to climb as much as i can this year. Sandstone is incredibly soft and for this reason extreme care is needed when you climb. NEVER climb here when its wet or even damp. The holds can break very easily and permanent damage can be done. They are a load of helpful tips and hints as well as the Sandstone Code of Practice avaiable here for anyone thinking of venturing down.
So if the weather is good i aim to get down there as often as possible in between work and other trips abroad.Monday 28th proved to be a good start with bright sunshine. The rock had already had two days of sunshine with a good wind to dry the rock out so i headed up nice and early for the first boulder around of the year. I opted for Harrison's and the North boulder. The boulder was in great condition apart from the west face which was still slightly damp so i stayed clear of this. The sun was soon shining and i happily bouldered the day away without seeing another sole all day. Here is a list of routes that i managed to get done:
Groovy Graeme 5b +
Layaway Cure 5c+/6a
Orginal Route 5b
Trigger 5b
Ok Coral 3b
Ragtime 5c+/6a
Monch 3c
Hard Furka 4c
Grimy Grimsel 5a
Eigahhhhhh 5b
Verbier 3b
