UKC

While working on the new Northern England Rockfax guidebook, Chris Craggs kept encountering fantastic crags with hardly anyone on them. He has made a selection here of ten of the best of these crags. If you have already visited some of this eclectic mix give yourself an award for getting off the beaten track:
1-3 Neophyte
3-5 Traveling Man
7-8 Guru
9-10 Grand Master

Read the article here - http://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/page.php?id=817

UKC Articles

In reply to UKC Articles:

Hah, excellent - 4 out of 10 are regular LMC evening meet venues. And we've been to Crag Lough for a day too.

In reply to UKC Articles:

Trade crags the lot of them!!

For a moment I thought this might be remotely taxing. Still, the sentiment is a good one.

In reply to Bog Standard Climber:

Oh and that will be 10/10, several of the more than once.

In reply to UKC Articles:

PS You should add Deer Gallows.

In reply to UKC Articles:

Is Roof Route the same thing as Ceiling Crack?

jcm

In reply to UKC Articles: Ah...its an ad!

In reply to UKC Articles: What a strange article-I have been to 4 of the ten, having not been in the North for very long, and not having a car. I didn't consider any of them as esoteric, and yet here is Rockfax claiming, hang on, ah, it's an advert.
Sam

In reply to Sam L: I lie, Eavestone is pretty esoteric. Lets hope this guide doesn't increase traffic there!

In reply to UKC Articles: Raven's Scar? Thats a one of the most major crags in the moors.

In reply to johncoxmysteriously:

Yes - my mistake, I'll get Alan to change it.



Chris

In reply to UKC Articles: Even I've managed 4 and I've barely climbed anywhere...

I really want to go back and do Chevin Buttress though...

In reply to Lemony: Also, as far as I can tell the description of Whaup Edge bears absolutely no relation to what I climbed...

In reply to Sam L: no... lets hope it does!!! Eavestone needs traffic.

was dissapointed Guisecliff never found its way into the guide - thats a place that does need traffic

In reply to Mattyk: I always quite fancy guisecliff but never end up going. What would be your reccommended routes selection for a first time bumbler like myself (up to VS in other words) since it sounds quite intimidating on first aquaintance?

In reply to Lemony: i think we may know some of the same people looking at your profile!.. er well my honest and sadly honest advise is don't bother!

Its an impressive cliff but so so dirty! intimidating too. We ab'd in and found it tricky to move along the bottom, felt similar to being in borneo or something as it is quite warm and humid down there. after scratting around a bit we eventually found a desperate VS to get back out, on route via the dirty offwidth we found 2 dead birds.. lovely! i mean its a place birds go to die!

If you plan to go, do a search of these forums, i think some classic lines were cleaned up last year and may be worth a look, but be prepared to find a dirty vdiff to escape, or leave your ab rope and learn to prussik just in case!

In reply to Mattyk:

Traffic maybe, people ruining the atmosphere definately not!

In reply to Mattyk: haha... Maybe one for when I'm feeling a bit adventurous then.

Are you a member/ex-member of the hiking club by any chance?

In reply to UKC Articles:

8

Who hasn't heard of Widdop and Eastby ...I ask you?

In reply to Bulls Crack: Indeed, Widdop isn't even slightly esoteric.

In reply to UKC Articles: Are UKC from Sheffield by any chance? Don't think they are based in Bacup that's for sure.

In reply to UKC Articles:

Crag Lough is certainly not esoteric, nor far off the beaten track. It has been recognised as one of Northumberlands major crags for decades.

In reply to Lemony:

Indeed, apart from the word "layback".

In reply to UKC Articles: hmm, been to 7 of them. I s`pose he didn`t actually say "esoteric" so we`ll let him off : )

Coincidentally, how many of the people that have answered have been to Guisecliffe ?

In reply to UKC Articles:

Some folks seem (deliberately?) to be missing the point - obviously if you live in Leeds you will have heard of Eastby and in Middlesborough, Ravenscar. The aim was to flag up a few less visited venues for 'outsiders'.


Chris

In reply to Chris Craggs: I'm an outsider and have been to four of them. This mainly makes me feel old.

In reply to TobyA:

Four - well your obviously a 'travelling man'.
Six more to visit though!



Chris

In reply to Chris Craggs:

Visited 5, climbed on 3, attempted to climb on 1 but the herbage won.

In reply to sutty:

Which was that?

In reply to Chris Craggs: From my current place of residence I have to say there are a few places higher on my list of priorities! Although I will definitely take my kids to see Hadrian's Wall some time and will combine that with another visit to Crag Lough which I enjoyed last time.

Pule Hill is the site of my easiest ever leader fall when I fell off the *** severe there - it was -5 though and frostbite seemed the other option!

In reply to UKC Articles:

4/10 for me, and I've been a local (well, East Leeds), for a few years - I hang my head in shame.

I was about to suggest a few others, like Hetchell, Wetherby, Becca Bank, Adel, but then I noticed the list is supposed to be "fantastic" crags from the new Rockfax NE guide.

My nose has been buried in the new guide (thanks to the bestest girlfriend) all weekend. For the crags it does cover it seems really good, but the acid test will be whether I can actually navigate around Brimham using it

In reply to UKC Articles: Crags we've never heard of?
Well you don't have to live in Leeds to read the news articles on UKC - Feb 21st

In reply to Sam L:


Eavestone needs traffic, once neglected it rapidly dissapears under leaf litter and slime.

jk