Had the pleasure of working at the weekend with @rafmountaineer on their Portland meet. Amazing weather, enthusiasm and entertaining banter.

Plenty of routes for some mileage completed and some tricky on-sighting done. Good work.

Sport Climbing in Portland, Dorset

Thinking about giving sport climbing a try but not sure what routes to start on? Then you’re in the right place. It’s a thrilling way to challenge yourself and enjoy the great outdoors!

Even if you’ve just started climbing, it’s important... that you feel comfortable, so getting friendly with the top ropes at an indoor climbing centre is a great place to start. Once you’re feeling confident, it’s time to get yourself outside on some ‘real rocks’ and become an independent climber. Ensure you have all the right equipment, including a good pair of climbing shoes, and you’re ready.

About Sport Climbing

Sport climbing is an exciting form of outdoor climbing that involves routes with pre-installed, fixed anchors, allowing climbers to tackle routes with confidence.

Unlike traditional (trad) climbing, which relies on placing removable gear, sport climbing offers a more straightforward approach, enabling climbers to focus on their movement and technique. This makes it simpler than trad climbing, providing an excellent way to develop your skills and enjoy the thrill of scaling natural features in beautiful outdoor settings.

Why Portland is a Top Location for Beginners

Portland in Dorset is one of the UK’s top climbing destinations for all abilities. The limestone rocks offer a variety of crags for you to explore and try. We’ve selected a few of the best beginner routes in the area for you below. All these locations are suitable for wind direction, but as always, make sure to look at the forecast before heading out. Once you’ve built up experience on these easier routes, you can move on to attempting harder climbs.

Here are a few of our favourite beginner climbing routes in the area to get you started:

Fallen Slab
The Fallen Slab route at Blacknor Beach is renowned for its unique slab climbing style. The route features a mix of technical moves and is graded around 5.10 to 5.11, making it accessible for climbers with some experience.

Triple Slabs
The Triple Slabs area is also at Blacknor Beach and is ideal for both sport and trad climbing. This section features three large slabs facing the sea, with the middle slab being the largest and forming a deep gully that conceals the routes until you're right on top of them. While the main slab is non-tidal, the seaward face is slightly affected by the tides, making it essential for climbers to plan accordingly.

The Bower
The Bower is conveniently situated directly in front of the trail that winds through The Cuttings. Nestled above a secluded raised ledge, this area boasts excellent low-grade routes on well-bolted rock, making it an ideal spot for beginners and those looking to build their confidence.

Get in touch for any more information on these routes, and let us know if you give them a go!

Top Tip: Check the humidity before you go—high humidity (above 80%) can make the rocks feel greasy and slippery, which isn’t so fun to climb!

Lovely to have spent this week with Poole grammar school to up skill their amazing, enthusiastic and entertaining staff on the use of their brand new wall.

Been rather hectic over the past few weeks hence the lack of social media stuff. Also rather nice to have a detox from it

For those who like a list (me!) a few of the days have have been running:
ERCA rescue course
GRA freelancing
Cornwall trad
Calshot CWI training
... Project TA support day
New forest care TA support day
Dartmouth PPE inspection with Luca the hound
Vertex CPD day.

This week I am up near the mountains running an ERCA generic rescue course for @vertexinstructortraining at RRC Crickhowell. Made the most of the sun yesterday before the rain hits this afternoon!

Some of the topics we covered;
Reminder and practice with working at height skills and ...methods 
Vertical accent with ASAP as Vertical Fall Arrest Device 
Horizontal movement on Wire Rope and Nico Rails. 
Additional Skills with a Grillon, aiding accent back using the addition of pulleys, foot loops and ascenders.  

LUNCH from Waitrose!!

Exploring the rescue kit
Intro to ascending and descending on the climbing tower, 
using the 2 ropes in the rescue system.
Intro to abseiling with a person in the system 
Ascending on an petzl ID

Today is my health and safety head on.

Working for @vertexinstructortraining running an audit for haven holidays in Kent.

Working with Sam and the team at All hallows resortto check in with their admin and supporting documents and watching some of their sessions.

Awesome to have spent 2 days with Vera and Romy. The both of them are super stoked for future climbing adventures.

From never done any leading outside to climbing some challenging routes at the end of the second day- really well done. Good to have a few falls there as well.

Been a Dorset based few days over the weekend. A trad guiding day and now some sport climbing on Portland to start this week off.

Looking for a fun day of adventure with friends?

You’re in luck! Our Introductory Course To Outdoor Climbing allows for groups of up to 8 people. With 7 hours of instructor time you’ll end up with all the techniques to give you full confidence to climb.

This includes learning... about all the different equipment you need to climb, climbing knots, belaying and even some climbing lingo. All of this for just £70 per person. Think of all the future adventures it will lead to!

Available dates: 7th and 11th August
Location: Swanage

Grab your mates and book today: https://youngsadventuresolutions.co.uk/activity/dorset-climbing-courses/introductory-course-to-outdoor-climbing/