UKC

Is there any chance of climbing at Houghton quarry this year? Home to 2-3 of the best quarried routes in the country.

There’s a BMC NW area meeting tomorrow, so come along and ask there maybe?

Somebody has to say it: Hoghton.

There was a meeting between the BMC and the estate about a month back. The estate who own the crag have a number of concerns and are reluctant to reopen access. Follow on discussions continue though and we are putting forward proposals to address the various issues. Whether these are acceptable and when they might be applied remains to be seen.

I thought it was Hufftown? 

I remember the most recent access agreement with a 2 month window per year. Unfortunately this wasn't long enough to maintain the routes. I fear the quarry is effectively lost for this generation at least 😕

Great routes for sure but I suspect their reputation is skewed by their almost mythical status.

Good interpretation. Would go with Brufftown on the opposite side of what they try to tell me is now a city, where all the best Prestonians were bruffed up!

Yes, we pushed hard for a longer opening but there are other competing interests and stakeholders. The owners are also asking for some means of booking in and monitoring who visits. Which given the complexity and cost of setting up and administering challenges the viability of the whole arrangement, given the likely brevity of the climbing season and the outsized amount of crag maintenance required to keep even the classic routes in a climbable state.

Nothing to add but thanks for the effort you're putting in, I really want to get back to Hoghton as I'm sure many other do too.

For those who don't know the place its like a more overgrown Millstone on steroids. I have fortunately had the chance to do the amazing Rhododendron Buttress (E2 5c) and Mandarin (E2 5c) but would love the chance to explore further. The opportunity to clean and climb Boadicea (E2 5c) would be much appreciated.  I hope that should access be restored people respect the agreement even if it is restrictive as some limited access is still better than non IMO.

Photos selected from the crag galley, see individual photos for credits

Wrong.

I would agree with you there. I've not climbed there but I did once many years ago pop in to see what it was like.

What an impressive place, and if it could ever have a decent length season and be kept clean, it would likely be the most impressive quarried gritstone in the UK.