A Luxury Holiday

After a great week of adventures with Gem in the Wye Valley, it was time for my own adventure.

I had four days of fun for myself, I just had to choose the destination. North Wales was looking wet, as was most of the South West. The best place it seemed, though it was a slight risk, was to return to the Southern Sandstone. It seemed sunshine mostly, though showers were forecast I hoped it wouldn't be too bad.

I haven't been to the Sandstone for some time, 3 years at least I think, so I was excited to return. There is just something uniquely special about the rock there, the way it's formed, the texture, colour, the picturesque locations - for me it's just a magical place that will always have a homely feel to it.

Dirtbag

So Monday night, I got my shit together and packed the car. That evening I came upon a blog entitled 'The luxury of being a dirtbag' by Menna Pritchard. I was taken by the words and felt somewhat emotional about escaping for the week. It was time for my 'luxury' getaway!





I drove straight to Stone Farm Rocks the next morning. Having only been to Harrison's Rocks before I was keen to explore the other crags in the area. The night before had rained quite a bit, and much of the rock was still damp, and not climbable. Some sections such as the overhanging areas did seem dry however. After exploring the crag little and getting my bearings the rain clouds rolled in, and it chucked it for about ten minutes whilst I sheltered behind a boulder. From my squatting position I looked up at the sky and the rock, and thought 'what a bloody waste of time this was, might as well go home now'.

The rain moved on thankfully, and the sun came out again! I noticed the overhanging bits of rock were still bone dry, even after this downpour. So I did a Font 5+ traverse of a crack line.

The sun shone and there was a good breeze too, so I hung about at Stone Farm a while longer, playing on what dry bits of rock there were before heading over to Harrison's to pitch up.

Harrison's Rocks (part of)

Base camp established, I took a walk down to the rocks. You'd be surprised to think there were any rocks in this part of the country (Sussex), but like walking through the wardrobe in to Narnia there they are, just coming up from the ground and turning this woodland walk in to an adventure! I'm not sure if I ever came here as a child, though I suspect it's highly likely growing up next door in Surrey, but I think it would of have made the same impression on me then, as it did when I first came as an adult. In awe.

Campsite

I bouldered about a little on the North Boulder, things were drying out nicely though still a little damp on the top, so I retired to the pub for the evening after my tinned curry dinner.

The weather was behaving itself nicely by now, and I went again down to Harrison's Rocks the next morning. I warmed up again on the North Boulder before exploring the rest of the crag and spent sometime on the Isolated Buttress. Some of my climbs included Root Route 2.5 (British 5b), Carrera (British 5b) and the start of Edwards Effort (British 6a) to the second break, followed by a traverse rightwards around the Isolated Buttress across Birchden Wall.

Isolated Buttress

After lunch I set off to Eridge Green, but didn't spend too long there as I wasn't inspired too much by the lines, and a lot of it was off limits being an SSSI, so I headed over to Happy Valley Rocks.

Happy Valley is a must in my book if you're visiting. Very pockety rock with quite a few easy problems, plus a real treat - Red Snapper (Font 6a/British 5b), a steep overhang which takes you too a tough mantel to finish. I took the start easily, and managed to get the mantel on the third go, but with nothing to hold on to I had to do a one arm push up to stop myself falling back to earth.  Boy I was glad to get over that one!

Red Snapper

 

Well, that was me done for the day! Only one thing for it. A pint. I walked over to Toad Rocks across the common and quenched my thirst at the Toad Rock Retreat.

Thursday was to be a bit soggy again. But before the rain came in about lunch time I managed to have some fun again down at Harrison's. I also got chatting to some other climbers - two of which were holidaying from the US - who had pitched up at the campsite the previous day and were my new neighbours. I left them to it however when the rain came and drove over to see High Rocks. £3 entry gave me the chance to have a wander around this substantial outcrop, with some of the hardest lines on the sandstone.

Toad Rock Retreat

After the rain cleared again I went down Harrison's for a little tickle, my arms however feeling tired after all this good climbing! I met the Americans and their friends again, two of which were from Brighton and the other London. We all went out for dinner that night at The Hare just up the road, very nice it was too!

Evening light at Stone Farm

My last day I got up leisurely and packed the car. Pottered about at Harrison's again, then went back to Stone Farm before returning home. This time I managed to get some more problems done, and soloed one or two routes as well. I also enjoyed the sunshine and did my fair bit of lounging about too.

I was treated to some lovely sunlight as the sun went down that evening, and snapped a lovely picture on top of the Inaccessible Boulder.

My mind was clear. No worries or concerns filled my head, just the journey home now. I had lived up to being a dirtbag, not washing the whole time I was there. I wasn't fairing too bad either ;)

Now that was my kind of holiday. No routine, no modern life pressures - just existing.