UKC

I'm becoming more aware that I need to do some more sport climbing outside. I've never been on limestone in the winter. Does anybody know whether Horseshoe Quarry is good to climb at when it's cold (sadly i'm not competent enough to somewhere more pleasant yet)? It could well have had 3 days of no rain by Saturday, when I may go.

Also, as it is cold at the moment, is it going to do my muscles more harm than good?

Thanks,
Cake

In reply to Cake: in winter horseshoe will b shit, crap and wank, preety much the same as it is all year round.

In reply to Adam Moroz:
Indeed, but can you help me with a sport venue close to Sheffield which is better and has easy routes (<6b+)? Will Horseshoe be any worse than normal?

In reply to Cake:

Most of HS dries quickly and get pretty much any sun that is going. It is your best bet (out of a pretty poor selection) of getting an outside hit at this time of year.

Chris

In reply to Adam Moroz:

+1

alc

In reply to Cake:

Well your profile looks pretty good to me!

I've had lots of good days at Horseshoe, typically sunny summer evenings and sunny, crisp winter days. It's far from brilliant but the stuff on the main wall is - or certainly was (I've been away for a decade) worthwhile. I'd be careful with really easy stuff though, in case it's loose.

It's only a few minutes walk-in so, if you really don't like it - you can bale easily. Stoney's just down the road and it can be dry/sheltered in the bays.

Re cold, I think the trick is to get well warmed up, start on stuff with big holds and keep moving. Too much crimping in the cold has knackered my fingers. Still, it was fun at the time!

Good luck.

Mick

In reply to Cake:

The walk in may be a bit more muddy than during the summer.

Traddy climbers hate it just as much as in the summer, but the advantage is that now their own crags are now midge free, so they can actually go there and not clog up Horseshoe with their incessent moaning about how crap they think it is.

It dries quick, if it ever gets wet, it's fine, if a little cold.

In reply to Tiberius: You confuse "traddy" with gritstone. Any traddy climbers who clog up Whores'Shite in the summer don't know what they're doing, there's plenty of midge-free, traddy fun they could be having.

Besides, I thought you had seen the light?

In reply to Cake:

I'm no lover of crap quarries but HS is OK if dry and sunny. I wouldn't worry about the cold if it's sunny. Most of lower mainwall and either side (basically left to right as you walk in) is ok, as is the upper tier immediately above that. In fact, imo, some of the nicest routes in HS are on the upper tier.

Check out this website for more up to date topo than I think you can get from any guidebook (though I don't thnk even this is completely up to date).

http://www.sportsclimbs.co.uk/mainpages/peak/Horseshoe%20Quarry%20Access%20...

I do particularly like the upper tier; Booker Prize is great fun if a rather stiff 6a (interesting moves at the top, more like 6a+) and Sir Pryse a fun 6a+ if you read it right. There's one or two amenable 5/5+'s up there to warm up on but watch some of the bolting at the starts. I've had some very good half days pottering about picking out amenable lines at HS. On the lower tier, the right sand side is better than it looks (routes largely named with toilets in mind).

Check out the UKC database as well.

http://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crag.php?id=148

In reply to Cake:

Maybe too far for you to get to but much better fare in the Winter Sun at Portland

In reply to Cake:

Not sure where you are based. Some interesting stuff at Clwyd as well - just off the A5 on the way into N Wales (near Llangollen). Trevor rocks area is sports climbing in a rather beautiful location which catches all the sun (but can be windy).

In reply to JonC:

Could also try Llanymynech Quarry (sp?) nr Pant, south of Wrexham. South facing with shelter and long routes in the 6's.

If it's not too windy and the sun is out then it's a heat trap. We climbed there last winter, the car read -5 at the parking, but we were climbing in t-shirts on the main wall in the sun. Some good climbs on the main wall too

In reply to Cake:
Thanks to all. To clarify, I am in Sheffield and I was thinking about a quick afternoon, so I won't be heading any further than the Peak. I may well head down to Horseshoe then, though I can imagine I will be more tempted by Froggatt. However, I will try to stick to the training mindset

In reply to Cake:

For total misery you could head for Harpur Hill

In reply to Bulls Crack:

Yup, Harpur Hill really is above and beyond the call of duty, even if in training mindset! Armpit of the climbing universe.

In reply to Cake: don't listen to all those negative comments about HQ and HH - I don't like the cold myself, so unlikely to be seen at either venue until warmer days, but I've had good times at both and will again. HQ particularly, as pointed out, is sheltered from many a wind and can give a very PLEASANT afternoon's climbing

In reply to HB1:

The Main Wall has some good routes

By any yardstick the rest is pretty dire

In reply to Cake: it will damage your mind. Start winter climbing instead.

In reply to MattG:

That would damage my marriage. I will go for my body's sake, not my mind's and so will you when you we get shot down at somewhere proper like Chee Dale.

In reply to Cake:
We cimbed there at well udner 5 deghrees during the cold snap last year, it was fine while the sun was out. If you go when cloudy and windy itll be baltic. The 6b+ up the main wall is good, the rest isnt in my opinion...

In reply to Si dH:


Shot Yer Bolt?? Have you done the other stuff on the main wall? I thought most of it was better than SYB.

I can't understand why people continually slag Harpur Hill off. A pleasant place to climb, in summer. The little crimpfest (Power of Sole?) on the main wall particularly fun.

Was going to suggest Trevor Rocks but got a feeling that the OP was Sheff based. But (as previously noted) a fantastic location for anybody based further west. Obviously highly exposed to the elements.

Happy climbing!

Mick

In reply to Mick Ward: Megalithic Man is a better 6b+ and the route I think Si is on about. I don't think I've done a bad route on the main wall they have all been pretty good.

In reply to Mick Ward:

No? Different strokes etc I thought it dismal and overated eg Coral Seas

In reply to Bulls Crack:


. . . that's just your opinion, not a yardstick. I see quite a few people whenever I visit HQ, and they seem pretty pleased to be there actually. As I am usually

In reply to HB1:

Popularity and qulaity aren't neccessarily the same thing. There's no way the dross on the wings of HQ can ever be high qulaity but people are free to enjoy it!

In reply to Bulls Crack:

Until it falls on their head and kills them.

I wouldn't mind if it was just sh!t, it's the fact that it's dangerous and irresponsibly bolted that gets my goat.

In reply to Cake:

I'm no sport expert, but much of the main wall seems safe enough to me. Mind you, while climbing there, I always climb slower, because I'm kicking stuff and I always stand well back and wear a helmet to belay.

Cake

In reply to Jon Stewart: I wondered how long it'd be before you came along with your tuppence-worth Why have I never noticed the dangerous and irresponsible bolting?

In reply to Adam Moroz:
I really dont understand such negative attitudes to the peak bolted quarries.( Particularly from this individual who would be better spelling his name with an `n` rather than a `z` )
Yes they have their drawbacks but they give people an opportunity to get outside most of the year provided it isnt mega wet or snowing.
Horseshoe is one of the quickest drying crags I`ve climbed on, it is a sociable place and provided one picks the better routes , can give a good day out particularly in the "off" season.
Harpur Hill has a realy interesting range of climbs albeit best in the summer, whilst further South, Intake Quarry is another all year round venue.
Masson Lees is also good ,particularly for climbers in the upper 6`s and 7 `s whilst Colehill offers climbs of a unique nature on sloping and non juggy rock but with a good rough texture.

In reply to Cake: Main wall at Horseshoe is worth a visit on sunny winter days. Quality isn't great but it beats indoors somedays. Stoney is better though and has some suntrap areas and shelter from the wind.

In reply to Martin Haworth:
I think the trad leading season is over for me. Too cold to belay