Climbing Forecast › Devon — South Hams › Bolt Tail

DEVON — SOUTH HAMS · SCHIST · tidal

Bolt Tail climbing conditions

Good — dry and climbable

Right now

Temp15°C
Wind23 km/h
Gusts34 km/h
Humidity78.1%
Rain 48h0.4mm
Last rain32h ago

Assessment

Should be dry
Tidal access: Base ledges cut off by high tide — climb 2h either side of low water
Breezy — good for drying

7-day forecast

Scroll through each day — hourly detail is shown inline.

Today Monday 28 September
Good
Temp0°C
Raindry
Wind23 km/h
Gusts34 km/h
Humidity78%
Should be dry
  • Schist climbs well when dry; lichen may slow drying in shade
Time °C Rain Wind (km/h) Gust Hum
10:00 — dry — — null%
18:00 15° dry 23 — 78.1%
19:00 15° dry 23 — 83%
20:00 15° dry 26 — 84.7%
21:00 15° dry 28 — 82.8%
Tue Tuesday 29 September
Poor
Temp20°C
Rain6mm
Wind32 km/h
Gusts—
Humidity87%
6.4mm rain forecast
  • Wet schist is slippery and slow to dry
  • Damp air — slopers and friction edges may feel greasy
  • Breezy — helps drying
Time °C Rain Wind (km/h) Gust Hum
06:00 17° dry 28 — 92.3%
07:00 18° dry 30 — 92.3%
08:00 18° dry 28 — 90.8%
09:00 19° dry 30 — 90.9%
10:00 19° dry 30 — 91%
11:00 20° dry 30 — 89.4%
12:00 20° dry 32 — 88.8%
13:00 20° dry 32 — 87.1%
14:00 21° dry 32 — 86.2%
15:00 21° dry 33 — 85.4%
16:00 21° dry 34 — 83.9%
17:00 21° dry 37 — 81.9%
18:00 20° 1mm 35 — 82.6%
19:00 19° 0.5mm 36 — 88.4%
20:00 19° dry 40 — 88.2%
21:00 19° 0.4mm 43 — 85.2%
Wed Wednesday 30 September
Poor
Temp19°C
Rain8mm
Wind33 km/h
Gusts—
Humidity77%
8.3mm rain forecast
  • Wet schist is slippery and slow to dry
  • Breezy — helps drying
Time °C Rain Wind (km/h) Gust Hum
06:00 17° dry 28 — 88.5%
07:00 17° dry 29 — 85.9%
08:00 18° dry 29 — 84.4%
09:00 18° dry 29 — 81.6%
10:00 19° dry 32 — 79.4%
11:00 18° dry 33 — 78.8%
12:00 19° dry 32 — 77.6%
13:00 19° dry 32 — 76.8%
14:00 19° 0.1mm 33 — 73.6%
15:00 18° dry 33 — 76%
16:00 18° dry 34 — 77%
17:00 17° 0.1mm 31 — 76.7%
18:00 17° dry 32 — 76.3%
19:00 17° 0.1mm 30 — 76.9%
20:00 16° 0.3mm 31 — 76.6%
21:00 16° 0.7mm 32 — 79.9%
Thu Thursday 1 October
Poor
Temp17°C
Rain1mm
Wind26 km/h
Gusts—
Humidity61%
1.2mm rain forecast
  • Wet schist is slippery and slow to dry
  • Breezy — helps drying
Time °C Rain Wind (km/h) Gust Hum
06:00 14° dry 27 — 81.4%
12:00 17° dry 26 — 61.1%
18:00 16° dry 19 — 72.8%
Fri Friday 2 October
Good
Temp18°C
Rain0.1mm
Wind17 km/h
Gusts—
Humidity75%
Should be dry
  • Schist climbs well when dry; lichen may slow drying in shade
Time °C Rain Wind (km/h) Gust Hum
06:00 16° dry 17 — 85.7%
12:00 18° dry 17 — 74.9%
18:00 16° dry 6 — 84.2%
Sat Saturday 3 October
Good
Temp19°C
Rain0.1mm
Wind8 km/h
Gusts—
Humidity91%
Should be dry
  • Schist climbs well when dry; lichen may slow drying in shade
  • Damp air — slopers and friction edges may feel greasy
Time °C Rain Wind (km/h) Gust Hum
06:00 12° dry 8 — 100%
12:00 19° dry 8 — 90.8%
18:00 16° dry 7 — 93.6%
Sun Sunday 4 October
Good
Temp18°C
Raindry
Wind9 km/h
Gusts—
Humidity85%
Should be dry
  • Schist climbs well when dry; lichen may slow drying in shade
Time °C Rain Wind (km/h) Gust Hum
06:00 11° dry 9 — 98.4%
12:00 18° dry 9 — 85.1%
18:00 16° dry 2 — 92.7%
Mon Monday 5 October
Good
Temp18°C
Raindry
Wind11 km/h
Gusts—
Humidity78%
Should be dry
  • Schist climbs well when dry; lichen may slow drying in shade
Time °C Rain Wind (km/h) Gust Hum
06:00 14° dry 8 — 98.5%
12:00 18° dry 11 — 77.6%
18:00 15° dry 9 — 93.1%
Tidal access
Base ledges cut off by high tide — climb 2h either side of low water

About Bolt Tail

Tail Wall (VS 4c), Hope Cove Route (HS 4b), Atlantic Wall (E1 5b)","Bolt Tail is a dramatic slate and schist coastal promontory guarding the south end of Hope Cove in South Devon. The rock character features layered slate and quartz-veined schist, providing steep face climbing, sharp horizontal edges, and small wire crack placements. Facing west into Bigbury Bay, the cliff receives full afternoon sunshine and dries fast in coastal breezes, though lower tiers pick up ocean spray during high swells. Traditional climbing options range from Severe up to intermediate E-grades, featuring classic lines like Tail Wall. The approach takes fifteen minutes along coastal paths from Hope Cove car parks followed by a rocky descent. Tidal restrictions submerge base ledges, requiring low-tide visits.

Region
Devon — South Hams
Rock type
Schist
Aspect
west-facing
Altitude
40m
Exposure
low
Seepage
medium

Other crags in this region

Bolt HeadGamper HeadPrawle PointStart Point