Kinley, this is not to be discussed on that other site (as my Scottish friends read that!). Swear you to secrecy?
Right. Hmmm. My wife hates her job and misses her family. Dad & step mum lives near Welshpool, Sister & brother-in-law in Shrewsbury & a brother in Birmingham.
We live in Glasgow. I love the Scottish mountains.
She has spoken about wanting to move down to be nearer her family / better job ops (as her qualification is more widely accepted in England: she's a counselling psychologist (not like a hippy counsellor: its a proper full on doctorate etc). Not yet: going to do research etc. I have to do mine too!
If we did move down to somewhere close to Welshpool / Birmingham / Shrewsbury...
Anywhere good around there for rock climbing (I know the nearest decent hills are in Snowdonia about 2 hrs drive away from Shrewsbury.), wild camping?
What do people who live there who love remote hill walking, scrambling, winter walking. To be honest I am not really interested in what may be best described as 'country walking', especailly when you've not got the same access rights and what walking I have done in Wales seems to involve a tramp a through a farm yard and a clamber over barbeb wire strewn gates every 50 metres or so. And you must stick to a path!
Its also about 2 hours to the Peak District from Shrewsbury: whats that like in winter (I know its crowded in summer & I hate crowds)?
having to stick to footpaths means you have to be very good at navigation often paths are little used and not clear on the ground, also signs may have been lost! Plenty of areas for rock climbing, Llangollen for one, Got the berwyn range, which is pretty quiet off the main ridge, and covers a massive area.
Within Shropshire, the South Shropshire Hills are the best bet for what you want. I think Andy Howell may have some blog entries about them on his website. The Stiperstones can even get pretty rough when the weather closes in. Shropshire has some of the most beautiful countryside in the UK (though I was born and bred in the Shropshire countryside so I may well be biased), but as you say, other than the aforementioned hills, it often involves navigating public footpaths through farmland and even peoples' back gardens.
Not much rock climbing in Shropshire. Pontesford Rocks has some nice routes in the VDiff to E1 range on igneous rock. Nesscliffe is mainly bouldering/desperate routes on sandstone.
Some nice walks on small hills round Church Stretton. For bigger stuff it's not too far to N Wales, where outside the honey-pot areas there are several un-crowded areas e.g. The Arans.
The limestone crags around Llangollen have already been mentioned, but if you have driven that far you may as well carry on to Snowdonia
Thanks guys. All for a 'worse case' scenario and I have to leave here (my own relocation tendencies would have us move to Inverness to be nearer to Torridon!).
Can anyone comment on the Peaks in winter? Can you wild camp in the the national parks?
Peaks are less crowded in Winter, depending on which areas you go to. For many of the bog trotting bits (Kinder, Bleaklow) it's the best time to go, especially if the ground is frozen.
I lived in Sheffield/Peak for about 20 years. If you can avoid bank holidays and are able to get out in the week you can always find somewhere quiet.
Wild camping is tolerated as long as you are discreet. Basically out of sight of people's property, pitch late, leave early and leave no trace. In the mountain/moorland areas finding a suitable spot normally isn't a problem.
I'm Mid-Wales (near Llanidloes) and know the area well, you have obviously been to the wrong bits, it is far better than farmyards and footpaths . I can't comment on the rock climbing (not a climber) but I guess Snowdonia and I think there's loads of sea cliff stuff down Pembrokeshire?
Wild camping and proper hill walking - Pumlumon, Rhinogs, Arans, there's the whole of the Cambrian Mountains really, with very few people - just avoid Snowdonia and Brecon. There's plenty to keep you busy with open access and few paths.
It's an ace area, easy access to some cracking mid-wales crags (you just need to be willing to explore, there's even scope for new routes and new crags in places!), easy access to north wales, some interesting climbing areas in shropshire, including Nesscliffe, Llanymynech and the ever so esoteric Pontesford...The Llangollen crags are also well worth climbing on, from easy trad to grade 8 sport climbing, good routes in a fantastic location
As for walking, you'd not be far out of the Berwyns, Arans and Arennigs also not too far. Mid wales is fantastic, in fact there are certain areas of 'southern snowdonia' that I rate far FAR more highly than the major north walian honeypots.
I've been living here approaching 3 years now (mid way between Welshpool and Oswestry, and I honestly wouldn't move (and yes, I'm far more climber than anything else).
Thanks again. My pulse has fallen somewhat. Now to see if this idea dies a nice dignified death or manages to stand up on its wobbley legs and begin to go somewhere
often paths are little used and not clear on the ground, also signs may have been lost! Plenty of areas for rock climbing, Llangollen for one, Got the berwyn range, which is pretty quiet off the main ridge, and covers a massive area.
