ACCESS UPDATE 2025:

Climbing Skeleton Ridge HVS 4a on the Needles Isle of Wight.

Anyone wishing to climb this route must be aware of the risk and dangers involved and understand The BMC participation statement. 

The BMC recognises that climbing and mountaineering are activities with a danger of personal injury or death. Participants in these activities should be aware of and accept these risks and be responsible for their own actions.

To climb Skeleton Ridge requires careful and considered pre-planning, there are only a handful of days when conditions will make an ascent possible. Assess and egress is only available through the good will of the National Trust, who own and manage the site. You must get permission from the Old Battery manager in a reasonable time before making an ascent. Access issues have arisen over recent years due to climbing parties not following the agreed arrangements or not give enough notice to the staff. This new agreement reached with the National Trust and the details of the associated procedure must be followed at all times to ensure access is retained to this historic and adventurous route.

These new arrangements supersede all current written guidebook information.

As of May 2025 this is only process you must follow to climb the ridge.

No commercial or guided groups. 

No drones.

Access to the ridge is only allow during the time the Needles Old Battery is staffed, March to October.

You must finish the route by 1700hrs. Bearing in mind that you can only get to the start of the route at low tide, a very low spring tide is the only time you won’t have to wade.

Too much swell will render the approach inadvisable or impossible.

Once you have chosen a likely day you will need to contact the National Trust Old Battery Manager. Preferably by email to needlesoldbattery@nationaltrust.org.ukideally a few weeks in advance. Requests with insufficient notice may not be granted.

Let them know the time you wish to start. If an early start is required to catch a low tide, with prior agreement a member of NT staff will come and give access for 0800hrs. The Old Battery opens a 10.30am to the public.

You must confirm or cancel the day before by phone (01983 754772) do not presume they can read your mind if the weather forecast is bad.

You must also contact the coastguard to let them know your intention on the day (01983 754231) this will prevent unwanted distress calls from concerned passing boats.

The National Trust would like you to have liability insurance, the easiest way is to be a member or affiliated member of the BMC.

As you are entering a National Trust property all members of your party must pay the entry fee (free to NT members)

The new access to the abseil point is through the old battery, from the three stainless steel stakes in front of the searchlight bunker. You MUST get a member of the battery staff to open the locked gate for you, DO NOT JUMP THE FENCE.

DO NOT ATTEMP TO USE THE OLD ABSEIL POINT IN THE MOAT, THE STAKE HAS BEEN REMOVED.

The cliff top is SSSI and a fragile habitat for rare plants. Tread with care and avoid any damage to the ground.

You will need a 100m rope to make the abseil to the beach over the south face and a 30m rope to pre-rig for a belay on the end of the ridge to the west. While you are doing this you are in full view of the public, act appropriately. Treat the edge with care to avoid erosion as much as possible and use edge/rope protections as there are sharp flints in the chalk.

There is a small groove in the cliff edge to mark the line of the abseil.

Once you have finished your climb (this must be by 1700hrs) you MUST get a member of staff to open the gate for you, DO NOT JUMP THE FENCE. Either ask a member of the public to kindly find a staff member for you or ring the reception (01983 754772).

DO NOT JUMP THE FENCE

Remember there is no easy retreat from the ridge, even reversing the route will find you cut off by the tide. Do not attempt if the weather is challenging, chalk is very slippery in the wet and the ridge is very exposed to the wind. Good communication with the NT staff is vital not to avoid any inconvenience or undue concern. 

These common-sense guidelines agreed between the BMC and the National Trust must be followed to maintain climbers’ access for the future. Failure to follow them will quickly result in loss of access.