The borders of Kent and East Sussex host several sandstone outcrops, which date back to the Cretaceous period, about 130 million years ago. Being the closest climbable crags to London, they see heavy use, and being easily eroded, their use needs careful management. Sandstone is among the softest of climbable rock types and is formed from lightly compacted sand with a thin outer crust. Once this had worn away, sandstone erodes rapidly. It's essential that climbers follow the Southern Sandstone Code of Practice (https://www.thebmc.co.uk/southern-sandstone) when climbing in the area to prevent damage to the fragile rock. This protects climbers' access to the climbing here as well as preserving the crags themselves; a worthwhile endeavour, as though it may lack the drama and exposure of mountains and sea cliffs, there's some great climbing to be enjoyed here, demanding a distinctive style and in some really beautiful settings.
2 hour session run with a group of 10 cadets, a leader and another rci instructor. We set up 3 top ropes and taught them to belay. It was very useful to see ways of redirecting the rope to fit down the crag correctly. It was interesting to test what methods of teaching how to belay with a manual breaking device worked for different individuals.
