BMSCMC

Portland Deep Water Soloing Trip 2026
2026-08-21 - 2026-08-23 | Portland Bill, Portland Bill, Portland, Dorset, DT5 2JT, United Kingdom
Come and make the most of the sunny south coast in the middle of summer!
If you’ve never tried Deep Water Soloing (DWS) then Portland Bill is a great spot to start. Access to the routes is easy, grades go down to sport 4+, and there are plenty of short routes over very deep water (including several traverses where you’re only just off the surface). Add to this, high tides through the middle of the day, on both days and it’s like bouldering with a large, blue, splashy mat! 😊
For those who want to push things a little harder, there are safe 3-star routes all through the grades, up to 7b+ (!).
If it is too wavey for DWS (or it just doesn’t take your fancy) Portland is probably the best sport climbing destination in the country, with a wide range of grades and route lengths available.
The Plan: On Friday night, for those staying in Dorchester, meet up for some drinks and / or food at one of the many local pubs / restaurants. For those who choose to stay on Portland we’ll see you at the crag on Saturday morning.
Climb at Portland Bill on Saturday before a BBQ back at ours (Dorchester), more climbing Sunday before heading home Sunday afternoon / evening. If sea conditions a poor then we will switch venue to one of the many sport climbing crags on Portland, so bring your harness just in case.
There are many routes at a range of grades at Portland Bill, so two days will give us plenty of time to explore and for those new to DWS to build confidence. DWS is very much like bouldering, short intense bursts interspaced with chatting / recovering, so there will be plenty of time for swimming, etc., and eating ice creams! There is also plenty of sport climbing in the area if you want to mix it up.
What to bring: Swimmers, liquid chalk, climbing shoes, sport climbing equipment (in case of poor DWS conditions), large beach towel, small hand towel, optional wetsuit or rash vest, waterproof sun lotion, anything else you want for the beach (e.g. changing robe, paddle board, snorkel, etc.)
Services: There are several supermarkets in Dorchester and one on Portland, as well as plenty of pubs, restaurants, and takeaways in the area.
Accommodation: I’m based in Dorchester (about 45 minutes’ drive to the climbing) and have a baby, so will be staying at home. It would be ideal if people could stay in the Dorchester, however accommodation in the town is limited to hotels, and a couple of AirBnB’s, with camp sites on the outskirts. There is room on our couch and space for a tent on the patio, as long as you don’t mind sharing the place with a 1-year-old.
As this is the South Coast in August, it is advisable to book accommodation as far in advance as possible.
Hotels:
Booking.com: Hotels in Dorchester. Book your hotel now!
Camping:
Thorncombe Farm, Dorchester, Dorset – 2026 from £17/nt
Dewflock Farm, Dorchester, Dorset – 2026 prices
If you’d rather stay on Portland, then there is a bunkhouse (PortlandBunkhouse | The perfect Portland Holiday), and basic campsite near the Bill.
Food: Meal out on Friday night for those who wish, and BBQ in Dorchester on Saturday.
Transport: Car is by far the easiest way to both get to Portland and around it. However, there are two train stations in Dorchester, and the nearest station to Portland in the nearby town of Weymouth. So, depending on the number of cars between us, we could organise a lift from Dorchester or pickup from Weymouth.
Tide Times:

Lliwedd Trip September 2026
2026-09-12 - 2026-09-13 | Llanberis youth hostel, Llwyn Celyn, Llanberis, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, LL55 4SR, United Kingdom
Synopsis:
Come to Snowdonia to do Avalanche, Red Wall and Longlands Continuation, a 280m, 12 pitch link-up (S 4b). Meet early Saturday morning at Pen Y Pass car park for a full day on the wall.

Info:
Come to Snowdonia to do Avalanche, Red Wall and Longlands Continuation, a 280m, 12 pitch link-up (S 4b). Meet early Saturday morning at Pen Y Pass car park (book online as early as possible) for a full day on the wall. This route is long and is best climbed in pairs and so please make sure you have an agreed climbing partner for this trip. Please do not expect to tag on a rope. Options to travel back Sunday or get a route, before leaving. Get in touch with Amy if you are keen.
Services: Banks and food shops available in Betws y Coed and Bethesda on the road in.
Accommodation: Staying at Llanberis youth hostel – details here: https://www.yha.org.uk/hostel/yha-snowdon-llanberis?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=906487151&gbraid=0AAAAADpWiI9mwuM8gsYxrD3YH9L98SymV&gclid=CjwKCAjwuO_QBhAWEiwAIkVhU5tRsS6u1ACW9mGVYdO0bJhhAMoyBxvfIRHEecTqnsoQnN5p7ukAOxoCgZ0QAvD_BwE.
Food: Probably best to be self-sufficient but a there are plenty of pubs in Llanberis. The hostel has kitchens.
Transport: Car is easiest. Train links to Bangor and local buses out to Llanberis. If you need a lift, then get in touch with Amy or Jim and they will try to coordinate something.
Dates: 12-13 September 2026

Organiser: Amy Milsom.

Please get in touch with Amy Milsom via the BMSCMC WhatsApp group in you need any more information.

Majorca 2026
2026-10-03 - 2026-10-10 | Pollensa, Pollensa, Mallorca, 07460, Spain
Information: Majorca (known locally as Mallorca) has long been a well established and popular sport climbing, deep water solo, scrambling, and hiking destination in the Mediterranean.
We are planning to book (very soon!) a villa in the Pollensa area in the north east of the island, with easy access to the Tramuntara mountains that run across the north of the island, while also near beaches and services. The approx accommodation price is around £200-£300 for the week, self-catering. You will need to add your own flight and other travel costs. This trip will be available for non-climbing partners as well as club members (providing they don’t engage in any of the climbing related activities!). We have the up to date climbing guide, and also the Ciccerone scrambling and hiking guide. We will hire a minimum of two cars so that we have transport for all.
We plan to do a mixture of rock climbing and scrambling during the week, including the Cavall Bernat Ridge, which is a scrambling/climbing classic.
We will also visit Caimari, with it’s huge selection of Sport climbing across the grades from 3c to 8c+ and beyond!
Other more local crags include La Creveta and Puig St. Marti
Services: We will be near supermarkets, cash machines and restaurants, and will have hire cars as well.
Accommodation: A nice villa with pool!
Food: For people in the villa, we will share food costs for evenings in. A bbq will be available at the villa.
Transport: Fly to Palma de Majorca airport, which is where we will pick up hire cars.

Yorkshire Limestone Trip to Malham Cove
2027-04-09 - 2027-04-11 | YHA Malham, Pennine Way, Malham, Skipton, BD23 4DB, United Kingdom
Information – Listed as bucket list location for British climbing, the Malham area has plenty of limestone options for trad and sport. I propose a day at Malham Cove and another at Gordale Scar, but I’m open to suggestions.
Services – Limited options in Malham village. Best to stock up on food on the way. There are supermarkets and fuel stations in Skipton for those approaching from the south/east, and Settle for those coming from the North. Both are around 20 mins from Malham
Accommodation – The is a YHA in Malham which offers bunks, private rooms and camping LINK HERE.
Food – Self-catering facilities at the hostel, as well as a restaurant for breakfast and dinner if required. A few pubs/restaurants in the village for drinks and an evening meal.
Transport – Lift sharing potential. If not, there are regular trains to Skipton and it’s likely someone can pick you up.
Itinerary – Arrive on Friday to climb in the day for those who can. Otherwise meet at the YHA on Friday evening or on Saturday morning. Climbing on Saturday and Sunday.
Matt Jones– Please get in touch via the BMSCMC WhatsApp group.

“We are Gods!” – Climb Mount Olympus, Early Summer 2027.
2027-06-15 08:00 - 2027-07-15 17:00 UTC | Mount Olympus, 601 00, Litochoro, Pieria Region, Central Macedonia, Greece
Yes, that’s right, come and climb to the seat of the gods in a long weekend!
One of the most famous mountains in the world happens to be a couple hours flight away, the summit is a scramble, and there are options of multiple hiking peaks. Throw in a night in a mountain hut, and the chance for a post-summit beer on the beach and you’ve got the makings of a great few days!
We will be aiming for towards the beginning of the hiking season, so either late June or first half of July. Exact dates to be determined depending on people’s availability and flight prices. A good level of hiking fitness is recommended, if you would like to go to the summit you will need to be confident at scrambling, if you’d rather hike throughout there are several (slightly) lower peaks that are still accessible.
The general plan is as follows, if you are interested let me know and I’ll send you more details:
Day 1. Fly out to Thessaloniki, transfer to Litochoro (the town at the base of the mountain) and spend the night there.
Day 2. Start early, drive / taxi to the trailhead and hike to the Muses Plateau, staying in one of the two huts there. There are three possible routes to the Muses Plateau, a long & steady hike, a short & steep hike, and a short & steep hike with a bit of scrambling. Depending on numbers in the group we will either decide on one route for all of us or, if there are enough of us, take several routes and meet at the hut. If weather looks bad for day 3 then there is the option to do an alpine start and get to the summit(s) in on this day, staying in the hut afterwards.
Day 3. Summit peak(s) of your choice and return to Litochoro. Have a celebratory beer and meal before staying in town. There is the option of climbing up to 3 or 4 of the peaks of Olympus, depending on how early you wish to get up and how you feel about scrambling and exposure. As with the day before, options will be discussed with the group prior to the trip and depending on the numbers in the group we will either decide on one route for all of us or take several routes and meet up for the decent / at the carpark / on the beach with a beer.
Peak options are:
Profitis Ilias, 2788m. A great place to watch the sun rise before tackling the other summits (for those who don’t mind an early start). Προφήτης Ηλίας – Mount Olympus Summits.
Mitikas, 2918m, II UIAA. The summit of Olympus (for those who don’t mind scrambling). Mount Olympus – Google Maps: Skala, 2882m. Can be linked with Mitikas or climbed separately to avoid the scramble. Skala – Mount Olympus Summits.
Skolio, 2904m. This may be a push in the time available for those climbing Mitikas, but possibly more doable for anyone who is only climbing Skala. Skolio – Mount Olympus Summits.
Day 4. Transfer to Thessaloniki and catch the flight home.
