UKC

Every day we choose a new 'Crag of the day' from the database of all the crags in the UK.

We don't choose the best or most popular crags, or even crags where it will be dry today! The main point it to get people talking about each crag - what there is to climb there, good points, bad points, any access problems, etc. If you spot any mistakes, or if you have any comments about the crag or photos of climbing there, please send them in!

Crag name	Almscliff	Will Karl Walton, Sep 2004 © Wil
Location	North Yorkshire, Yorkshire & Lincolnshire
Grid Ref	SE 268490 (Landranger map 104)
Rocktype	Gritstone
Altitude	UNKNOWN
Routes	125, trad (? - ?), bouldering (? - ?)
Aspect	W-facing
Guidebooks	Yorkshire Gritstone (1999) Bouldering on Yorkshire Gritstone Yorkshire Gritstone (1990) Yorkshire Gritstone Bouldering
Map	Clickable 1:50,000 OS map (open in new window)
Aerial Photo	Clickable 1:50,000 aerial photo (open in new window)
Weather	Today   Sat   Sun   Mon   Tue  Light rain/ drizzle Sunny/ clear 7 °C Moderate rain Cloudy 6 °C Dry Broken cloud 6 °C Light rain/ drizzle Broken cloud 6 °C Moderate rain Mainly cloudy 7 °C Forecast for this crag, or UK Weather forecast
Indoor walls	List climbing walls within 25 miles
Features	Over 100 climbs and a similar number of boulder problems packed onto one tiny hillside. Classics abound, from Fluted Columns (VD) to Wall of Horrors (E3). Nasty, brutish and short, these climbs may seem somewhat undergraded to the uninitiated. World class bouldering. Oh, and it gets a bit windy sometimes.
Access	Park in the layby below the crag and walk up the obvious path. Dries very quickly, but the bottom of the crag can get muddy. BMC access notes are available for this crag.
Updates	Click to  if you have newer information.
Comments	There are no comments for this crag available. Click to Submit a comment about this crag.
Photos	Click to view all 135 photos of Almscliff, or you can submit a new photo of this crag.

In reply to Charles Arthur - UKC: Horrible pile of choss, go to Stanage instead and leave this place alone.

Andy F

In reply to andy farnell:

At last we agree on something

Bob

In reply to Charles Arthur - UKC:
Ok, Im going here on Sunday for the first time, whatre the best routes there up to VS (or maybe soft-middle HVS)?

In reply to Si dH: Nope, like I said go to the Peak and leave this place to the few locals who go there.

Andy F

In reply to Si dH:

The best route of any grade is the road leading away from the place. Do as Andy says and leave the place to those who do not know better.

Bob

In reply to andy farnell:

Quite right - this is a local crag for local people.
There's nothing for you here.

In reply to keith w: youre all so mean.

good amount of lower level stuff on Lower Man. Fluted Columns is a really enjoyable climb, but a potential frightfest for anyone expecting an easy v diff lead.

Whisky crack is good if you like chimneys.

Birds Nest Crack and the Traditional Climb on higher man are excellent jamming practice, and overhanging groove is a very do-able HVS, with a really nice layback. Demon Wall, on the other hand, is a complete bastard for anyone without orang utan arms and the strength of 10. The classic climb is Great Western - I'm told its a fabulous traverse, but its beyond my feeble ability so i cant speak from experience.

In reply to Vertically_Challenged:

Give it a go on a day you are feeling strong! It's not much harder than overhanging groove.
The traverse probably isn't the hardest bit just don't hang about on it and you can have a good rest in the niche bit before tackling the top jamming bit (I found this was the trickiest bit but I suspect it's not that hard for a competent jammer).

(overhanging groove is the nicer climb though)

In reply to Si dH:

Must do's at notionally about severe are;

Square chimney,
Central Crack,
Birds nest crack,
The zigzag, was once a vdiff,
Parsons chimney,

Five routes to warm up on, all below VS and guaranteed to make you think you know sweet sod all about grading.

In reply to MeMeMe:

>The traverse probably isn't the hardest bit just don't hang about on it and you can have a good rest in the niche bit before tackling the top jamming bit (I found this was the trickiest bit but I suspect it's not that hard for a competent jammer).

I thought the hardest bit was definitely the big cross-though and steep bit to get into the niche. Brilliant climb for the grade, significantly harder than OG, which is just one big reach.

In reply to Not Fozzz:
significantly harder than OG, which is just one big reach.

but OG is not just one big reach if you are 5'4" - you have to get sneaky then. There are some little balancy/laybacky intervening holds that hold you just long enough to get a hand into the nice positive break.

In reply to Vertically_Challenged:

Have to admit I got half way up Parsons, didn't like the look of the top chimney one little bit and decided that OG was a relatively benign looking escape option.

In reply to sutty:


Remember the old Constable guide? The one that called The Nose 'the hardest VDiff in the world'?

In reply to sutty:
Cheers Sutty,
Out of interest are they all given Severe now then? I'll have a go at the ok-looking ones and use the rest as sand-bagging material

Si

In reply to Si dH:

No

In reply to andy farnell:

It's a bit like me saying Northumberland's not up to much in the hope that the hordes will stay away!

Alan

In reply to stuartf:
What are they then? I can see you trying to sandbag me up somehting nasty, and I wouldnt mind a bit of local knowledge myself...

In reply to Si dH: if you are used to climbing in the peak, the routes here are graded significantly harder! warm up on the low man, then move onto the routes on the high man, left hand of the corridor, as you stand on top of the low man looking at it. several vs cracks, we could only top rope!

In reply to Not Fozzz:


I didn't think that bit was too bad. I had no idea what I was doing at that point and had my hands the wrong way around because I didn't realise there was this big hold there. Was just a bit strenuous but not technically difficult.

OG is harder for the short (as VC mentions), especially if you have no idea there are going to be jugs after the difficult bit.

I thought Demon Wall was harder than both (good gear on it luckily).

In reply to MeMeMe:


True, and just as well. Fell off the last move onto the one and only bit of gear I'd placed......

In reply to Not Fozzz: hee hee bet you were glad your gear was good. And did you yell?

In reply to Not Fozzz:

I fell off there too! Couldn't find the damn hand hold at the top and ran out of strength.
Had more than one piece though, two or three that would of stopped me hitting the ground.
I am not that good at placing gear and I know that I'm not that good so always try to back things up.

In reply to Not Fozzz:

Have you tried the climb just to the right? (no idea what it's called).
You end up on the little ledge beside the arete then there is a fun little bit going from there to the top up the face just left of the arete. It's pretty nice too although very short.

In reply to Charles Arthur - UKC:

A turd of a crag. The OTT hyping up in Yorkshire Gritstone is laughable. Great Western is probably the most overrated route on gritstone. The bouldering is okay tho.

In reply to Si dH:

They are all awkward, of the type with moves you will never find on a climbing wall. Birdsnest is ok, standard severe if you can jam and well protected. I may come and laugh at you struggling

In reply to sutty:

Im not a "climbing wall type" and if its severe jamming I should be fine. I will reserve judgement for now though

In reply to Si dH: great western is easy hvs,must be i soloed it.very overrated but worth doing.

In reply to Vertically_Challenged:

I was being ironic! I like Almscliffe; and if other people want to go and queue with the minibus-loads down at Stanage that's fine by me.

In reply to KeithW:

I think you will find that Almscliffe on a fine day makes Stanage look deserted. A car parked for every four routes on the crag. Luckily most are cushion dwellers to try the myriad of problems to be found there.

In reply to Charles Arthur - UKC:

Crap like all gritstone. The atmosphere is further enhanced by the presence of a nice mat of cow shit to land on.

In reply to sutty:


Just thought id say, awesome day at Almsliffe today.
Zigzag direct (4c lol!) was awesome, aand South Chimney Layback's jamming crack was fun too
I couldnt get up Square Chimney though, shame since the crack (Whisky?) above it looked like jamming heaven
I really need to practice chimneys...

In reply to Si dH: Square chimney is a great thrutch. the first time I did it it took me 1 hour to get up the chimney and 30min to get up the crack and I was almost dead as a result. Second time the whole route took 5 min amazing what practice can do!

Parsons chimney is an excellent route too, great fun involving every sort of body posistion consevable and a couple more!

In reply to sutty:

Ermmmm... that's why I was keen to encourage people who think it's not worth bothering with!

I'll shut up now.

In reply to Si dH:

Glad to hear you liked it.

Was it not a bit damp today? Was pretty miserable in Leeds.

In reply to KeithW:

I know what you meant, but you have to let these southern grit people come and get bloodied on the turd.

I HATE Square Chimney, it is the evilest route on there I think.

Sid had a good day anyhow. he will be back for Franklands in a month or two. and jibbering at the top.

In reply to MeMeMe:
In the morning some bits were damp some dry, but midday onwards it was fine, exceting the north facing bits which looked very green.
Great day. Southern grit types rofl...

Si not logged in