Climbing in Portland

Sixth Former Casper Sunley, Captain of the Climbing Club, writes: On Sunday, members of the newly-invigorated school Climbing Club were lucky enough to be taken to Portland coastline for our first outdoor climbing trip. We left at 7.30am with Rebecca Ting and Thomas Holdsworth. After gathering gear, ropes and donning our helmets we walked down the coastal path to our first location, Sharbutt’s Quarry, at Blacknor South. This site warmed us up for the bigger climbs after lunch. The first set of climbs was shorter though more technically challenging than the afternoon. Having learnt manoeuvres on the indoor wall, we were excited to try the real life experience, which offered spectacular views. After lunch we moved to a lower pitch on Blacknor Beach and spent the afternoon climbing on the corner of a slab that overlooked the sea. After that, a swim in the sea seemed the obvious thing to do, and whilst cold it was very refreshing! After a few more climbs in the late afternoon sun we headed back to the minibus ready for a fish and chip stop before we headed back to Oxford. A thorough wash of all the hardware (to ensure the seawater did not corrode the metal) brought an end to a fantastic day. We would like to thank Miss Ting and Mr Holdsworth for their knowledge in leading us on the trip, which we hope will be the first of many.