Portland Sport Climbing – Day Trip (12th March 2022)

13 March 2022

By Paul Nicholls

The first rock climbing trip of the year was an interesting and enjoyable day, and a day of firsts.

Tara, Peter, Debbie and I left about 7.30am (after a couple of pickup stops) and arrived at the Church Ope car park in Portland around 9.30am where we met up with Adan and Ciara. The forecast clouds were looming over the sea!

As we set off for the crags the heavens opened and we were soaked to the skin by a torrential downpour (first time I’ve got that wet on a day out cragging). By the time we were descending the path towards the cliffs there were rivers running down the paths and everything was very wet. But, as we descended the scramble down to the Neddyfields area crags, the sun came out and the rock started to dry out – and so did we.

Adan throwing some shapes leading up Jobby’s Leaving Gift 5b.

The first couple of routes that we attempted were tricky, mainly because of the claggy mud sticking to our feet before we even got off the ground. Both routes, ’Jobby’s Leaving Gift’ (lead by Tara & Peter) and ‘Joe Stole my Route’ (lead by Adan), were 5b with the same starting point.

Ciara leading on Joe Stole my Route 5b.

We were all slipping and sliding around trying to change in to our climbing shoes and belaying wasn’t easy either. (First time any of us have had to negotiate such thick mud at the base of a climb).

Negotiating the mud and all starting to dry out on Jobby’s Leaving Gift 5b and Joe Stole my Route 5b.

A first for Peter as he made his outdoor debut with the club, climbing both of the first routes with what appeared to be relative ease and he gets extra points for sporting a Don Whillans style woolly jumper, old school!

Peter ‘Don’ Griffiths leads up Jobby’s Leaving Gift 5b.

As we picked and kicked the mud of ourselves Tim and Liz descended the cliff to meet up with us and seeing our muddy state decided to head round to some climbs over at the end of Godnor North, climbing on ‘Kung Fu Panda’ 4c and ‘Nonnie and the Pulp Fiction Tantrum’ 5a.

Two of our outdoor newbies Ciara and Debbie get to grips with the Neddyfields Main Cliff.

Having all climbed the first couple of routes, most of us had almost completely dried out and it was a beautifully sunny day. We pulled ourselves out of the mud, enjoyed a spot of lunch, and headed round to the climbs on the Neddyfields Left-Hand Cliff.

Lunch in front of the crashing waves.

Adan lead up ‘Brace Yourself Sheila’ 5a and Tara lead ‘Midday Massacre’ 5a. Another first for me was a hanging belay on a sport climb! The ground below Midday Massacre was so steep the belayer had to be secured to the rock to be anyway effective, which lead to a bit of fun and anchor geekery in cleaning the route and getting Debbie (who was also on her first trip with the GMC) and I off the climb.

Tim leading on Lucy’s Off the Wall 5a.

Tim lead ‘Lucy’s Off the Wall’ 5a. Most of us also shimmied up ‘Brace Yourself Sheila’, for me probably the most fun climb of the day, although cleaning the route wasn’t much fun. The wind had picked up and the temperature had dropped and this particular climb was quite exposed at the top.

Tara belaying me as I clean the route on Brace Yourself Sheila 5a, meanwhile the day starts to get rather cold.

There were various slips and falls throughout the day, none due to climbing, all to do with the mud. But everyone left the crag safe and happy having had an interesting and enjoyable day of climbing.

We have another trip pencilled in for Portland in a couple of weeks. I wonder if we’ll be back at Neddyfields or looking for somewhere a little less muddy (to be fair, by the end of the day it was a lot drier).