UKC

As the media hypes up this week's heatwave - AKA 'British Summer' - this rare dosage of heat, sun and dry rock will inevitably see many of us poring over guidebooks and frantically ringing our mates. Although preferable to climbing in the rain, wind and cold, sunny climes can be equally as uncomfortable and potentially risky, if exposure to heat and sun becomes excessive.

There exist, however, some handy crags which face north or are relatively shaded from sunlight, so we've come up with a list of our 14 favourite crags from around the UK to help you make the most of this week of Summer sunshine.

Read more

In reply to UKC Articles:

You forgot Yorkshire....

In reply to Sean_J:


I was thinking the same.

Kilnsey was great yesterday, when the sun vanished at lunchtime, Earl Crag & Rocky Valley are north facing and can be perfect when there's a breeze to keep the midges at bay.

In reply to UKC Articles:

I think I actually prefer climbing in the rain to this!

In reply to UKC Articles:

Willersley in this weather - god help anybody on the polish.

The trench is ideal, if not dustu ( A55 crags)

In reply to 1poundSOCKS:

Almscliff was nice yesterday eve, a cooling breeze even kept the friction good

In reply to UKC Articles:

Currently pouring with rain at the Roaches!

In reply to neilh:

Funnily enough I was thinking of heading to Willersley this evening, never been before (hence not being on the list).

In reply to UKC Articles:
Just one point that needs making Jack: Eroica is at least E3, probably E4 6a, the aid peg is long gone so most definitely not E2 5b. It should be climbed in just two pitches with the first stance on the sloping ledge belay shared by Darkinbad.

In reply to Rob Greenwood - UKC:

if you think Stoney is polished, then you get the idea. In this heat - even though its in the shade- its still it is a nightmare.Nice crag though.

In reply to UKC Articles:

Here in Shetland we're having the coldest spring and summer in living memory.

In reply to UKC Articles:

The photo is from Cheyne Wears, so I think Portland should be on the list. Just make sure you are on the shady side of the island.

In reply to UKC Articles:

If this makes the cornice even busier then I propose DoS attacks on the website until the article is taken down.

In reply to UKC Articles:
Heat wave?!? It's so wet in Highlands, and we are struggling to find a piece of dry rock…

In reply to UKC Articles:

Well I know he's climbed several routes there, but is Nisbet's Route VS 4c (Beinn Eighe) an error ?

In reply to UKC Articles:
For easier Peak sport Harpur Hill is pretty good. The upper tier is in the shade till 3ish and its open character often catches breeze.

Also Masson Lees is a great summer venue, shady all day with some of the best 7as in the Peak.

In reply to UKC Articles:
Re Wimberry the crag is good in a heatwave but the boulders mentioned get sweaty. Don't forget the Ravenstones in the same vicinity.

In reply to UKC Articles:

Pity rain is forecast for most places this weekend, although as ever this could change. Oh and you forgot Lancashire

In reply to UKC Articles:

Almscliff, without a doubt. The coldest and windiest crag in Yorkshire. I remember record breaking summers of the past when I've gone to Almscliff after work and shivered while belaying on top of low man. Or at least, that's what memory tells me.

In reply to Removed User:

Shining Clough as well for some great routes from Severe to HVS especially.

In reply to UKC Articles:

It's finally something approaching hot and sunny and people want to climb in the shade???

In reply to UKC Articles:

Beinn Eighe Triple Buttress was good today and we even had it to ourselves! - the rumble of thunder on the approach was a little unnerving though...

Great list of crags there. Thanks for the article.

In reply to masa-alpin:


Where are you?

I was out on warm dry rock Friday night, Saturday, Sunday, last night and tonight.

In reply to Rob Greenwood - UKC:

I did go to willersley last night thinking that it would be cooler in the shade and bone dry as it has been the last few weeks.......think again,we discovered that the rock was sweating,we think from condensation formed by the cracks being cold and the extreme heat we had last night!it made climbing hvs hard and quite scary!

Still it made for an interesting evening, we got so hot we that every piece of undergrowth just attached itself to us!so it was down to the river for a wash/swim at 9.45pm!

Don't let the polish put you off though as the crag is really good, id recommend 'God', 'p.t.o', 'pot hole wall', 'gangue grooves', 'garotter' and 'lime street' as a good start, hope you enjoy!

In reply to UKC Articles:

Just head for the sea cliffs and DWS.

In reply to 31770:


Not quite!

In reply to Doug:


Down as "VS Route" in the guidebooks. Comprises of Central Corner (4c) of the sandstone tier (1976) and an independent 4b line on the quartzite tier (1998). It's a very good route.
Central corner takes a long time to dry out and the sandstone tier is pretty wet at the moment, quartzite tier dries out a lot quicker but still takes a few days.

In reply to jon_gill1:

In a last minute change of mind we headed down Chee Dale instead, what we found was quite a similar state of affairs - the rock was visibly sweating.

That said, I'm still keen to visit and will put those route son the Willersley tick-list.

In reply to UKC Articles:

Hot weather, South of England, DWS surely?!

...and High Rocks is a bad suggestion on the Southern Sandstone with the current access restrictions. From memory you can now only climb between 3pm and 5pm on the third Thursday of Months without an "r" in provided there hasn't been a full moon in the last week.

(nice article though, thanks)

In reply to cragtyke:


... Kinder Northern Edges, ditto.

In reply to Ian Bentley:

thought I should link the actual arrangements in case anyone is going to make a trip down there:

http://www.southernsandstoneclimbs.co.uk/2015/06/high-rocks-access-2015-cur...

In reply to UKC Articles:

Ravensheugh is always cool.

Ravensheugh Crag