UKC

beeston tor -winter venue?

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 jmills94 14 Jan 2014
have been told by a few friends that this is a great little winter venue and very quick drying. Always been dubious about limestone in the winter just wondering if anyone out there has any insight on this.

cheers.
 cem 14 Jan 2014
In reply to jmills94:

They weren't kidding: it's a real sun trap
In reply to cem:

Agreed. You do need to take a towel to dry your feet after wading the river though.

jcm
 Darron 14 Jan 2014
In reply to jmills94:

getting to the bottom of the crag can be fun if it's muddy (and it will be!)
 caradoc 14 Jan 2014
It does catch the sun but there is a lot of veg and I can't imagine it would be very pleasant at the moment. Aldery might be a better bet, you can belay from the car, well nearly.
In reply to caradoc:

On the other hand the climbing at Aldery is shite.

jcm
 cem 14 Jan 2014
In reply to johncoxmysteriously:

But there's an alternative approach from the top which avoids the river
In reply to cem:

> But there's an alternative approach from the top which avoids the river

Have you no ethics, man?

jcm

 Offwidth 14 Jan 2014
In reply to jmills94:

Beeston Tor is usually approached by fighting along the bank in winter rather than crossing the river (unless its unusually low or frozen!). Aldery can be a bit cold early to mid winter as gets less sun, facing more SE and is much better as a late winter or early spring venue. The popular climbing there is nothing like crap, John, as is not uncommon here, is being childish, exaggerating for effect; it also had the advantage of good routes below VS and being more regularly cleaned. A lot of the more popular Peak Limestone trad venues are good in winter.
 Bulls Crack 14 Jan 2014
In reply to jmills94:

I've climbed there on a sunny day in winter with falling shards of ice being the main issue!
 Jonny2vests 14 Jan 2014
In reply to jmills94:

It is a brilliant winter crag, with some quality routes. Take some secateurs, brambles on the crag can be a pain.
adam11 14 Jan 2014
In reply to Jonny2vests:

..........and there's no snakes in winter
OP jmills94 14 Jan 2014
In reply to jmills94:
im getting the impression its rather vegitated! was looking at doing pocket symphony, the thorn and i think there is another e1 thats meant to be good. would these be really overgrown? Also how do i access it from the top as despite ethics no one likes a freezing river crossing in winter!!
Post edited at 18:19
 Greenbanks 14 Jan 2014
In reply to adam11:

Eh? Snakes? Does that mean at least one of my favourite crags is going to be out of bounds for me?
 Dave Garnett 14 Jan 2014
In reply to jmills94:
> (In reply to jmills94) im getting the impression its rather vegitated! was looking at doing pocket symphony, the thorn and i think there is another e1 thats meant to be good. would these be really overgrown? Also how do i access it from the top as despite ethics no one likes a freezing river crossing in winter!!


We sometimes used to park near the cattle grid on the road above and then descend down the right side of the crag (facing out). Not that I've done it that way recently, so I've no idea how overgrown/muddy it is currently.
In reply to jmills94: you'll have to take your sun cream Ahaha dries quick there like others have said and is good to climb on !
 Jonny2vests 14 Jan 2014
In reply to jmills94:

> im getting the impression its rather vegitated!

Not really, there's just a few islands of brambles, like on the Beeston Eliminate, where you have to traverse past brambles, hence the secateurs which you should rack up.

> was looking at doing pocket symphony, the thorn and i think there is another e1 thats meant to be good. would these be really overgrown?

I remember them as bramble free, but it's been a while.

Its also a great crag for soft, confidence boosting E points, Pocket Symphony, Deaf Dove, Evensong and Black Grub are all a stroll at their grades.

Base yourself at the L of the crag and if you want to do a route on the R (eg Black Grub), prepare yourself for a horizontal fixed tat mission.

I've never seen water in that river, so access is not something I've had to worry about.
In reply to jmills94: it's worth the trip for The Thorn and Pocket Symphony which are excellent, and not overgrown usually. Black Grub is slightly harder but brilliant and there's an old GG route called Majolica which I seem to remember is great fun and well protected for the grade.
BTW JCM is right, Aldery Cliff really is pants.

 EarlyBird 15 Jan 2014
In reply to jmills94:

Pocket Symphony and The Thorn won't be overgrown. Is the other E1 you're thinking of Evensong? That is also unlikely to be overgrown. And re Aldery Cliff - it's not stellar but it's not shit.
 Jon Stewart 15 Jan 2014
In reply to Jonny2vests:

> Base yourself at the L of the crag and if you want to do a route on the R (eg Black Grub), prepare yourself for a horizontal fixed tat mission.

Or traverse into BG from the left instead.

I've never been in winter and am a bit suspicious, given how incredibly wet everything has been for months now. I really don't think all the routes can be dry, but I would be very happy to be proved wrong.

 Jonny2vests 15 Jan 2014
In reply to Jon Stewart:
> Or traverse into BG from the left instead.

From the right?

> I've never been in winter and am a bit suspicious, given how incredibly wet everything has been for months now. I really don't think all the routes can be dry, but I would be very happy to be proved wrong.

For whatever geological wonder, it just doesn't seem to seep, but then as I said before, I've never seen the river with water in it..., although I have encountered plenty of mud on the approach.
Post edited at 07:26
 Jon Stewart 15 Jan 2014
In reply to Jonny2vests:

> From the right?

From the Pocket Symphony ledge. I normally describe features on crags looking in.
In reply to johncoxmysteriously:

> On the other hand the climbing at Aldery is shite.

> jcm

I disagree, I've had some good days out at Alderley Cliff
 johncook 15 Jan 2014
In reply to jmills94:

To avoid the river crossing walk back east, up the road. On the right after 1/4 mile, is a gate with a signposted footpath and stile. This brings you down to the river at the crag side of the stepping stones across the river. Then follow the path and use the fixed ropes to get to the bottom of the crag! No wandering around at the top of the crag looking for a vague path, no wading in ice cold water, just a slighly muddy footpath.
The crag does dry quickly and is a suntrap, on a cloudless day you can climb there without a jacket for most of the day. Many of the routes are not overgrown bramble patches.
Aldery is a great little crag for mid grade climbers. The place is kept clean and tidy by the voluteers who give up their time, and deserves a lot less visitors so that the excellent routes don't get polished to death and overcrowded like Froggatt and Stanage!
OP jmills94 15 Jan 2014
In reply to jmills94:

thanks for all the advise, much appreciated! all i need now is some decent weather to get over there.

evensong is the other e1 im thinking of and early in the season confidence boosters are happily welcomed.

Are these fixed ropes people talk about easy to spot? bit worried about this 'hairy' traverse and it would be just my luck i cant find the ropes.
 Jon Stewart 15 Jan 2014
In reply to jmills94:

You won't find yourself accidentally traversing without the ropes - the vertical jungle bashing would stop you before you got into any real danger. I think that could be fun in winter, when presumably is muddy (I would be minded not to bother with the RHS of the crag on a first visit myself, there is a good days worth of climbing from base camp).
OP jmills94 15 Jan 2014
In reply to Jon Stewart:

thanks very much i think i shall just stick with that then
 Jonny2vests 15 Jan 2014
In reply to Jon Stewart:

> From the Pocket Symphony ledge. I normally describe features on crags looking in.

Yeah. From the left is what I said. Whether you go high or low is another matter.

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