› Home › Bristol Region› The Ring Road Circuit
› Location
The bouldering is found on good quality Frome Valley sandstone buttresses located on the Northern outskirts of Bristol. Don't be too alarmed when you come across the first overgrown buttresses on the approach, the boulderable areas, particularly the Ring Road boulder are of a much higher quality. It is definitely worth a few visits, particularly as a summer evening alternative to another trip to the wall or Cheddar Gorge. Tree cover keeps the boulders dry in showers.
› Approach
There are various approaches to get to the bouldering. The one described here takes about 10 minutes. Park on Hartford drive, approached by turning right off the B4508 from Frenchay along Beckspool Road then left into Penn Drive then first left again. Alternatively exit at Junction 1 on the M32 to get to the same spot. Cross the A4174 Ring road and walk rightwards along the road until you see a footpath on the left crossing the fields. (Frome valley walkway) Cross the field down to the river following a field boundary. Cross the little bridge over a small stream and follow a path immediately rightwards over a fence and down to the main river.
Turn left on the river pathway and walk 50 metres to the Cave, which is set back about 30 metres from the main path. Turn right for the Ring Road Boulder and Hidden wall, cross the small footbridge and continue for about 75 metres. The ring road boulder (actually a small rounded buttress) is up a bank on the right, and the hidden wall is 20 metres right of the boulder at the same level.
› Introduction
These three buttresses provide 30+ worthwhile problems up to V7, enough for several visits. There is also a good spread of grades. The best boulder and with the widest range of problems is the 'Ring Road boulder' although the other two also have a selection of very worthwhile problems. Ring Road, along with Hidden wall were recently discovered by Raphael and Tom. A big thank you goes out to these two for unearthing a great local venue. It looks like persons unknown have bouldered on the Cave in the past so well done whoever you are. The majority of the problems on Ring road can be found on UK Climbing.com.
› Map
For a bigger and more detailed map, click HERE.
For a printer friendly version of this page, click HERE. To download the original pdf click HERE.
› Main Section
A great buttress covered in slopers and pockets. Very finger friendly! All sorts of eliminates can be contrived on this wall particularly around the cave on the left. The obvious challenges are described.
› Problems
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1 On a prayer - V1 5b (FA Tom Dixon) |
| Sit start the left side of the cave on the good flat jug then up using good holds | |
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2 Knuckle Duster - V4/5 6b ** (FA R Bath) |
| Use any combination of the pockets above the cave to make a hard slap to the top. | |
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2a Concatenate Drifts - V6 (FA Matt) |
| Slap from the two left hand pockets to the top of Knuckle Duster from a scissors position across the cave. Morpho. | |
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3 Knuckle Duster S/S - V6/7 6b *** (FA Dan Savory) |
| From a low sit start in the cave make cunning moves in to the stand up version and finish up that. Avoid the big slopey shelf out left on the lip of On a Prayer. | |
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3a Living the Dream S/S - V7 6c* (FA Andy Sainsbury) |
| Eliminate but a logical and hard line. From the same start as the previous problem, take a small sidepull/undercut on the lip with the right, avoiding the left pockets get your left in the right hand pocket. Pull through rightwards to a high right hand pocket next to the big sloper then top out. | |
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4 Paradise - V3 6a* (FA Raphael Bath) |
| Use holds left of the central arête past a big sloper to the top | |
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5 Thunder in Paradise S/S - V8 ** (FA Tom H) |
| A very hard sit start to Paradise starting right of the cave then using the right end of the cave lip as an undercut for the left to get into the stand up. | |
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6 Nose picker S/S - V4 6b * (FA Dan Savory) |
| From the same start as The Nose, go straight to the sloper on the arête and then the left hand jug. From here move leftwards then up to the big sloper on Paradise and top out above. | |
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7 Central arête - V0 5b* (FA Rich Tanner) |
| Climb the central arête from standing. | |
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7a The Nose - V3 6a** (FA Raphael Bath) |
| Climb the central arête from standing. | |
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8 Five foot voyage - V2 5c* (FA Raphael Bath) |
| From central arête traverse the thin seams in the right wall rightwards and up the top of Mini Arete. | |
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8a The Nose/Five foot voyage - V3/4 6a** (FA Ben ?) |
| Link the two problems. | |
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9 The Wall - V2 5c* (FA Raphael Bath) (FA Ben ?) |
| Climb the centre of the thin wall right of the central arête avoiding good holds to the left and right. | |
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10 The wall sit start (aka. Eat your heart out sausage fingers) - V5-V7 * (FA Matt) |
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There are three variations to this problem. All start sitting using a small pocket for the left. Thin fingers and a big span are a definite asset.
The two harder variants are both morpho.
V5 – From the pocket, use the middle break to get to the high crimps and the top V6 – From the pocket, use another tiny pocket below the middle break to get to the high crimps V7 – From the pocket, span all the way to the high crimps and the top | |
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11 Mini arête - V1 5b* (FA Raphael Bath) (FA Ben ?) |
| Climb the right hand arête | |
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12 Mini arête sit start - V3 6b* (FA Raphael Bath) |
| Make a big move to the flat jug on the arête from a sit start | |
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12 Mini arête sit start - V3 6b* (FA Raphael Bath) |
| Make a big move to the flat jug on the arête from a sit start | |
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14 The Underpass - V5 6b* (FA Dan Savory) |
| Sit start in the cave on the left. Make a low powerful traverse right then up the Nose and along Five foot Voyage to finish (No white foot block) | |
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15 The Undertaker - V5 6b* (FA Dan Savory) |
| Sit start as for the Nose and take a very low line into the Mini Arete, then up this to finish (No white foot block) | |
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16 Undercrackers - V6 ** (FA Dan Savory) |
| Link the Underpass into the Undertaker for a powerful low-level pump out. Try not to get your bum dirty! | |
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17 PROJECT: - |
| Traverse the left wall thinly along the mid height line to join and finish along Five Foot Voyage |
› Hidden Wall Sector
Another excellent find tucked away at the same level 30 yards to the right of the Ring Road Boulder. Walk past a scrappy cleaned wall (with a few easy problems) on the right and it soon appears. This 12 foot high plum vertical wall is covered in a great selection of finger edges and crimps. Again good eliminate potential.
› Problems
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1 Left Wall S/S - V2 ** (FA Dan Savory) |
| A fine little problem following an obvious line of crimps on the left end of the wall from a sitter. | |
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2 Happy Slapping - V6 ** (FA Dan Savory) |
| A great dyno from two obvious side by side crimps in the middle of Left wall to the cleaned hand rail. | |
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3 Central Wall S/S - V2 ** (FA Dan Savory) |
| Another crimpy problem up the centre of the wall from a sitter. | |
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4 Pocket to me S/S - V2 * (FA Tom Dixon, Dan Savory S/S) |
| The right hand line from a sitter past small pockets. | |
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5 Rise and Shine - V4 ** (FA Dan Savory) |
| A great technical traverse starting on the bottom right and following the obvious rising seam up and leftwards. Finish on a jug on the far left. Only use hand holds in the seam. | |
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6 PROJECT |
| High level traverse of the wall with a tricky finish. |
› Ring Road Cave
The third area, 'The Cave' provides a few problems of interest with one good harder problem. Its main feature surprisingly enough is a cave feature formed out of large flaky chunks of sandstone. It's a bit loose in the middle but solid on either side of the arch. The problems all finish on the obvious ledge. All look to have been climbed before but were re-climbed, named and graded by Dan Savory. Anyone want to own up?
› Problems
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1 Creaky roof traverse - V4/5 6a (FA Unknown) |
| Great looking line but the creaky jug spoils it. From a low sit start on the right, traverse across the arch past a creaking jug to a hard finishing rock over from the last two slots on the left. Pumpy. | |
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2 Edge of it all - V4 6b* (FA Unknown) |
| Sit start the obvious long thin crimp on the right and make a hard throw for the top. A good one move wonder. | |
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3 Throw up - V3 6a* (FA Unknown) |
| Eliminate but a nice move. From sitting the low jug under the right end of the cave as per the traverse, reach left to a crimp on the lip and throw for the top with your right. | |
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4 Dinner plate roof - V1 5b* (FA Raphael Bath) |
| From a sitter below the centre left side of the roof follow the obvious flake and selection of slots and pockets over the lip to the top. | |
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5 The Rocker - V4 6a* (FA Raphael Bath) |
| From a sit start on a large horizontal flake on the left, reach edges over the lip then the two leftmost slots. Make a tricky rock over/slap to finish. | |
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6 Cave roof - V2 5b * (FA Raphael Bath) |
| The best problem at the cave by far. From a sit start on the large flake at the back, reach slopers on the far left side of the roof. Take the leftmost slot and the small edge next to it and make a hard lock to the top past a small intermediate. | |
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7 Youch! - V6 6b/c** (FA Dan Savory?) |
| Start up The Rocker then follow holds over the lip rightwards until a top out can be made past a long white crimp at the apex on the roof |
› Ring Road eliminates
Plenty of opportunity to make stuff up, but to get you going:
› Problems
| 1. Slopey jug 2. Slopey jug 3. Side pull 4. Undercut 5. Pinch pocket 6. Big pocket and undercut 7. Big rounded side pull with small edge 8. Pair of pockets in break 9. Good side pull 10. Good side pull 11. Good edge 12. Long low jug 13. Big rounded side pull on end of lip 14. Big sloping shelf 15. Three finger undercut on lip 16. Long pinchy lip 17. Good flat jug 18. Big sloper 19. Good flat jug 20. Edge in break | 21. Edge in break 22. Side pull edge with mono 23. Edge in break 24. Good slopey pocket 25. Good pocket 26. Sloper 27. Very good pocket 28. Very poor pocket 29. Shallow pocket 30. Useless slopey pocket 31. Long slopey side pull 32. Big sloper with edges 33. Good pocket 34. Pocket/edge Big juggy ramp |
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1 Knuckle Duster - V5 | |
2 Knuckle Duster S/S - V6/7 | |
3 Living the Dream - V7 | |
4 Concatenate Drifts - V6-8 |
| (L25 R24) L29 Top | (L10 R8) L/R12 R26 R27 L25 R24 L29 Top | (L/R12) R15 L intermediates to 24 R23 R33 Top | (L27 R25) Top (morpho) | ||||
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5 Paradise - V3 | |
6 Out of the Pudding Zone - V6/7 | |
7 Left Nostril - V4 | |
8 PROJECT - V7 |
| (L23 R22) L33 R32 Top | (R/L 16) L25 R24 L29 Top | (R1 L2) R/L18 R/L19 L31 R32 Top | (R/L 35) R25 L27 L24 R23 R22 L31 R/L19 | ||||
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9 PROJECT - V8 | |
10 Thunder in Paradise - V8 | |
11 Paradise Lost - V6 | |
12 Parody - V4 |
| (R12 L11) L13 R24 L29 Top | (R3 L6) L16 R22 L33 R32 Top | (L16 R3) R22 L23 L32 Top | (L16 R22) L33 R32 Top | ||||
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13 Smiler's slap Hooooooo! - V6 | |
14 PROJECT - V7 | |
15 PROJECT - V9 | |
16 Hands out your pockets boy! - V6 |
| (L16 R22) Top | (L/R35) R25 L24 R23 R33 Top | (L12 R11) L13 R24 L30 R33 Top | (L25 R24) Top | ||||
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17 Feather Duster - V7 | |
18 PROJECT - V7 | ||||
| (R12 L11) L13 R24 L25 L29 Top | (L/R 14) R25 L29 R30 Top |