SANDSTONE OUTCROPS OF THE FOREST OF DEAN

The sandstone outcrops in the Forest of Dean have been long overlooked as climbers made a bee-line for the classic limestone crags. Publication of the early developments at Huntsham Crag and Near Hearkening Rock in the 1999 Symonds Yat guide led to an immediate explosion of exploration of the numerous outcrops and boulders throughout the northern sector of the Forest of Dean. The area now offers many hundreds of boulder problems and short climbs of between 5 and 12 metres on natural conglomerate and sandstone that in places attains top gritstone quality.