Portland

Right – Gav Symonds on Weakest to the Wall (F7b Wallsend Far North) Photo Mike Robertson
Left – Steve McClure on The Gates of Greyskull (F7b+ Lulworth Cove) Photo Keith Sharples

The Climbers’ Club has published a thoroughly modern guide to one of the most popular areas in Britain; Portland, the definitive guide.

Get member’s eShop discount code
Buy in the eShop

Free Sample download The Cuttings Main Cliff

For the first time the number of routes at Portland and Lulworth have become so massive it warrants a single guide all to themselves. The popularity of the amenable sport climbs has given rise to an unprecedented amount of new route activity over the past two decades. With the definitive list of sport and traditional climbing together in one place we are sure the pioneering activities will continue as the untamed gaps are easily identified.

The guide is presented in full colour with photo topos covering all the main areas allowing quick identification of routes. The essence of the traditional CC guide has been preserve with a good description of the climbing for each route and different lines denote if they have fully fixed gear or if traditional equipment is required. The modern approach continues with the inclusion of many of the area’s fine bouldering and the landscape format lends itself to photographs of the wide cliff faces. The deep water soloing has been added to a greater depth and includes many new lines not seen before. The spirit and many faces of the climbers of Dorset are reflected by the sheer number of action shots throughout the book.

The main author, Steve Taylor has spent much of the past decade painstakingly updating and investigating the many hundreds of climbs in the area. He has been at the heart of the new routing activity, both forging new lines and supporting others on their projects. He has added his experience and contacts with the local activists into the definitive guide. Supporting him, two local activists Ben Stokes and Jim Kimber, have helped add their knowledge of their preferred specialism of climbing. The book is heaving with experience and many handy tips and warnings are given within the text or highlighted in blue boxes on the page.

This is a first of its kind for the CC in A5 page format (designed to show topos and routes in one open spread for routes which are mainly one pitch/boulder, where the guide can be left at the bottom). It is a first for Portland and Lulworth to have a book dedicated to them. All in all a modern and unique approach to a very special area.

This definitive topo guide describes all the sport climbs, trad routes, deep-water solos and most of the boulder problems on the Isle, as well as noting projects and the odd unclimbed line. No apologies are made for backing the topos up with plenty of beta in the text.

Included too is the deep-water soloing mecca of Stair Hole at Lulworth Cove, as well as the outlying areas of Durdle Door, Lulworth East and Worbarrow Tout.

This 416-page full colour guide is in an A5 landscape format and contains approximately 250 topos, 16 maps and 130 action shots by notables including Keith Sharples, David Simmonite, Mike Robertson as well as the authors. It contains nearly a thousand more climbs and boulder problems on Portland than the 1995 CC guide and over 500 more than the current Rockfax.

Grades from VB to V10, Diff to E7 and F2 to F8a+ are covered, including the very latest developments at Lulworth East and The Cuttings.

A visit to the area can be combined with trips to the many sandy beaches, unspoilt countryside and the Jurassic Coast World Heritage site – all of which are blessed with sunshine for much of the year. With local venues offering world-class sailing, windsurfing and kite surfing instruction, you’ll be spoilt for choice on your rest days.