A Taste of the
Peak District
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This is just a brief overview of some of the bouldering that is available in the Peak District of Derbyshire. OK, we confess, basically our favourite areas! There are several good guide books available from local outlets such as Outside at Calver and at Hathersage or Scarthin Books at Cromford or on the internet such as the Davies and Barton book, Peak District Bouldering - the latest of the guides or the older, but nonetheless very good RockFax title - Peak Bouldering.
There are masses of boulders out there in the Peak District just waiting to be climbed, Burbage Valley is a great place for a first taste since there is so much at both ends (and the middle!). Stanage plantation and the rocks at the foot of the Archangel/Goliath's Groove area are generally harder grades but they make for some excellent sessions - take a spotter and as many mats as you can muster! Higgar Tor overlooks the Burbage valley and has problems for all grades, some of them can be a little intimidating as the ground is quite rocky and slopes steeply away from the edge in places. For that reason, we feel it is less suited to solitary bouldering. Froggatt has a few gems whilst Gardom’s Edge has a small number of tough but quality problems at the Baslow Edge end just above the Sheffield to Baslow road.
Millstone
has a few problems but on the moors above the quarry there are Owler Tor
(Pictured left), Mothers
Pet
Rock, Mother Cap (highball
problems such as Conan the Librarian) and the aptly named Secret Garden
which can be tricky to locate! The latter is a paradise
for lovers of steep stuff climbed on slopers.
Curbar has the Trackside boulder and the ferocious Gorilla Warfare as its main foci but the other problems are well worth seeking out. The trackside boulder has grades for everyone and can easily occupy an evening session.
Nearby Baslow edge is not high and has some good soloing potential, if you are so inclined. Try to find the Walnut Whip (usually just referred to as the Walnut) near the area of Gun Chimney. There is an hour or two’s worth of fun working the traverse with it's multiple cruxes in a truly peaceful setting.
Harboro Rocks in the south of the Peak District is a place where groups are often taken at weekends but evenings are generally quiet and there is plenty to occupy boulderers of all standards on the dolomitic limestone (both upwards and horizontal problems are available - for a great traverse, start at the right hand end of the lower tier and you can traverse left for about 50 metres, with several crux areas). Pumpy in places. The lower tier can easily occupy you for a complete session. The upper tier has generally longer routes and if you are that way inclined, there are some sections which would be classed more as soloing. The things we like about Harboro are the endless variations and mini-challenges in most of the sectors coupled with plenty easier routes for warming up or recovering. The rock here can be a little friable though, especially after a wet spell.
About 10 mins away, back on grit, is Cratcliffe,
Robin Hood’s
Stride and Rowtor with its ‘mantles from hell’! Also in the Cratcliffe
area is the esoteric Eagle Tor, for me personally it was a relief when the
new owners banned climbing (too much noise, litter, bad language and crapping
in the woods - surely not? We climbers are all better behaved than that?)
as I could only get of the ground on about 5 of the problems!
Disclaimer (probably not necessary but just in case ...): This is not a guide, it is for general information only, we can accept no responsibility for your actions should you visit any of the sites mentioned. You decide for yourself whether to climb there or not and must assume responsibility for your own safety.