Portland - Escaping Winter

Portland. It's an odd place, and also one one that no matter how many times I visit shocks me, on just how good it is. One of my favourite crags in the country. Following a weekend wall-to-wall sunshine and almost forgetting that winter was over (I actually got too hot at one point), with Tommy Skelhoony, Marsell Jordano, Captain Jonny Stealth, and not least Jenni Climbing, it's about time I put up a short blog about this place.

The classic shot of Blacknor

One of the biggest problems, with Portland and perhaps the reason why I've always had sporadic visits, is logistics. Back in the good ol'days when G-Man Glaister lived in Devon & I was going stir crazy on Uni holidays, we had some great day trips route checking for the Dorest Rockfax. The Mermaid Inn was also open back then, and you could camp in his field for a fiver. It's closure was a big loss as it left the only options as bivvying and camping at crammed campsited the other side of Weymouth for a tenner.

Bygone days, bivvying with Alex Malins

Not to mention being mistaken for Gypos in the Transit

Route Checking with the Rockfax Master

This changed considerably once we found out about Portland Bunkhouse. Perfectly located walking distance from the lighthouse, and all West facing crags (Wallsend, Battleship, Blacknor) it's ugly MoD barbed wire exterior and keep-out signs suggest a darker past. Nowadays the inside is very plush and clean, with a decent fitted kitchen, proper beds and bedsheets, hot showers. Usually full of climbing groups from London or Bristol it's a good & sociable place to stay.

Hardly welcoming

but suits the Beemer style, and very nice inside....

Awesome terrain walking distance from the bunkhouse

I mentioned earlier that the climbing never ceases to amaze. It's sometimes badly bolted, inconsistently graded, usually dusty, flowstone-filled, technique-packed, well featured, pocketed, sustained, full of adventure, and almost always long, and all in all one of the best limestone sheets the UK has to offer.

Total sandbags 'Reve en' something.....

This weekend did not disappoint, repeating a number of the classic lower grade climbs; (Reptile Smile 6a+/6b and Cake Walk 6a, would both hold their own in Spain or Kalymnos), knocking back a project from a few years passed, the uber classic 'Pump Hitler' 7a+/7b, and a steady redpoint of AppleTurnoverload 7a/7a+.

Skelhon flashing the classic Pump Hitler

Everyone else was climbing well too, with an impressive flash of Pump Hitler from Tom Chavwin, a good recovery on redpoint with Jordano ticking his 2nd 7a+ (Appleturnoverload), Jenni cruising the same, and Jonny onsigting some 7b in his stealthy fashion that I never got to see.

I get the feeling this isn't the last trip to Portland for 2015....

Here's a list of all the routes I've sent over the past 9 years at this magical crag!

England's Dreaming	7a+ ***	Tom Jordan, Jenni	14-Jun-14	Blacknor North
Pump Hitler	7a+ ***	Tom Jordan, Jenni, Tom, Jonny	21-Mar-15	Battleship Back Cliff
Appleturnoverload	7a+ **	Tom Jordan, Jenni, Tom, Jonny	22-Mar-15	Blacknor North
Medusa Falls	7a ***	Jonny	08-Jun-09	Blacknor South
Wolfgang Forever	7a **	Jonny	29-Aug-14	Blacknor North
New Saladin	6c **	Jonny	30-Aug-14	The Cuttings
Oblivion is Forever	6c *	Jonny	04-Sep-06	Blacknor South
Buoys will be Buoys	6b+ ***	Mark Glaister	02-Apr-09	Battleship Back Cliff
Inch Perfect, Inchworm	6b+ **	Tom	06-Jun-09	Battleship Main
Raise the Titanic	6b+ *	Mark Glaister	02-Apr-09	Battleship Back Cliff
Carlos Fandango Belay	6b **	Jenni	??/Sep/12	Blacknor Far South
Ocean Drive	6b **	Mark Glaister	29-Mar-09	Blacknor Far South
The Loneliness of the Long Distance Driller	6b **	Mark Glaister	29-Mar-09	Blacknor Far South
Very Sleepy River	6b **	Jonny	29-Aug-14	Blacknor North
Ghetto-Blaster Master	6b *	Jenni	??/Sep/12	Blacknor Far South
Reptile Smile	6a+ ***	Jenni	??/Sep/12	Blacknor North
Consommé	6a+ **	Tom	07-Jun-09	The Cuttings
Evening Falls	6a+ **	Mark Glaister	02-Apr-09	Battleship Main
Paying It Forward	6a+ **	Mark Glaister	29-Mar-09	Blacknor Far South
Punter's Way	6a+ **	Mark Glaister	29-Mar-09	Blacknor Far South
Aim High, Shoot Low	6a+ *	Tom Jordan, Jenni, Tom, Jonny	22-Mar-15	Blacknor North
Escape from the Dwaafee Room	6a **	Mark Glaister	29-Mar-09	Blacknor Far South
Fear's Younger Brother	6a **	Mark Glaister	29-Mar-09	Blacknor Far South
Margaret on the Guillotine	6a **	Tom Jordan, Jenni	15-Jun-14	Battleship Main
Pinch an Inch	6a **	Mark Glaister	02-Apr-09	Battleship Main
Cake Walk	6a *	Tom Jordan, Jenni, Tom, Jonny	22-Mar-15	Blacknor North
Crocadilia	6a *	Tom Jordan, Jenni, Tom, Jonny	22-Mar-15	Blacknor North
The Sod	5c *	Jonny	05-Sep-06	The Cuttings
A Dream of White Porsches	5a *	Tom	06-Jun-09	Battleship Back Cliff
It's My Life	5a *	Jonny	04-Sep-06	Blacknor South
Skating on Thin Ice	5a *	Jenni	??/Sep/12	Blacknor Far South
Do Ixtlan	4c *	Jonny	04-Sep-06	Blacknor South
Jasper	4c *	Jonny	06-Sep-06	Cheyne Wears Area
Amazonia	4c	Jonny	05-Sep-06	The Cuttings
Jody Sunshine	4c	Jonny	06-Sep-06	Cheyne Wears Area