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Stanage v Crookrise

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Ok, being surrounded by a bunch of numpties the discusion at work has led to a debate on which is the better crag. Ignore quantity, what the debate is about quality of the rock and climbing. Personally I believe Crookrise offers better climbing on better rock than tired Stanage. The best thing about Stanage is the view.



 Sir Chasm 16 Jul 2015
In reply to A Nidderdale boulderer.:

The landings are generally better at Stanage, but you're less likely to be surrounded by a bunch of numpties at Crookrise.
1
In reply to A Nidderdale boulderer.:

If you think Stanage is 'tired' then you're clearly climbing on the wrong bits of it. I've climbed countless routes there on perfect rock with nobody else around. Crookrise is alright, but the fact that you can go exploring and find hidden gems at Stanage is the best thing about the place, and you don't get that at Crookrise.
 danm 16 Jul 2015
In reply to A Nidderdale boulderer.:

Forget quantity, but what about choice? Stanage gives you lots of that. Curbar is better than either, mind.
 petellis 16 Jul 2015
In reply to A Nidderdale boulderer.:

A selection of the best routes at Stanage easily equal or beat what Crookrise has to offer. That coarse Yorks grit has its quality though.

There are a lot of other things about Stanage not to like... on a weekday with nobody around the routes tend to feel better though.
In reply to petellis:

So Crookrise has better rock quality.

One thing that strikes me is that Stanage is convenient where as Crookrise you have to want to go there.

This Slab
http://www.ukclimbing.com/images/dbpage.php?id=98385

V

This Sab
http://www.ukclimbing.com/images/dbpage.php?id=83295
In reply to A Nidderdale boulderer.:

Both are excellent crags and there are still plenty of good routes that aren't polished or tired at Stanage
 Jon Stewart 16 Jul 2015
In reply to A Nidderdale boulderer.:

ridiculous. Crookrise is a lot like the counts area of stanage, but not as good. Then stanage has the pop end, the plantation, high neb and stanage end as well.
 Graham Booth 16 Jul 2015
In reply to A Nidderdale boulderer.:

Also that guy is cheating with a side runner on old lace!!
 Simon Caldwell 16 Jul 2015
In reply to Jon Stewart:

> stanage has the pop end, the plantation, high neb and stanage end as well.

So really we should be comparing Stanage vs Crookrise, Rylstone, Hellifield, Deer Gallows, Embsay, Eastby, and Halton Heights (and maybe Rolling Gate as well)?
 Jon Stewart 16 Jul 2015
In reply to Simon Caldwell:

You can do if you like, and Stanage will still win by a mile. The routes are better, and they're clean.
1
In reply to Jon Stewart:

Maybe at the grades good climbers climb at

But I don't think theres a vdiff at stanage better than eastby buttress

And I'm fairly sure there isn't a severe at stanage better than dental slab or rolling gate buttress

And I'm certain there isn't a diff at stanage better than presidents slab

And since those are the grades I climb at these days, barden fell wins for me...



Gregor
 Sam Beaton 16 Jul 2015
In reply to A Nidderdale boulderer.:

Yorkshire grit has better bouldering and micro routes but Peak grit has better proper routes
1
 Bulls Crack 16 Jul 2015
In reply to A Nidderdale boulderer.:
Whatever..it's all just grit....



(give me a head start?)
Post edited at 20:34
 BnB 16 Jul 2015
In reply to no_more_scotch_eggs:

The two Rylstone slabs aren't bettered anywhere in the lower grades but Yorkshire has a sorry lack of great easy crack climbs of the quality of Black Hawk Hell Crack and Crack and Corner. Fluted Columns at Almscliff springs to mind but little else.

I have a great affection for Crookrise as it was host to my first VS and HVS leads. Not to mention its proximity to home. I'd go so far as to ponder whether it's the best venue in the Yorkshire grit pantheon for variety of route (or is that Brimham?) but it doesn't come close to Stanage's offerings in the "orange zone" that I climb.
In reply to BnB:

bird's nest crack at almscliff? ok its HS in the guidebook, but it must be easy as i got up it...

i'm not actually the biggest fan of crookrise to be honest. but at least there's stuff at it that i can climb. unlike my local one, earl crag. if crags had personalities, it would be the shaven headed, tattooed one in the corner of the pub, glaring into space over its pint of stella...



gregor
 Tall Clare 16 Jul 2015
In reply to A Nidderdale boulderer.:

Whilst the walk in to Crookrise is a bit of a trudge, it offers the convenience of being so close I can see it from my bedroom window. Stanage, on the other hand, is something of a schlep.
Now if I actually climbed...
 Simon Caldwell 17 Jul 2015
In reply to Jon Stewart:

The scenery is also better at Stanage, assuming you like looking at cement factories. And who wants to hear lapwings, curlews, and skylarks, when you can listen for hours to the sound of braying jefferies (I believe that's the correct term)?
 BnB 17 Jul 2015
In reply to Tall Clare:

> Whilst the walk in to Crookrise is a bit of a trudge, it offers the convenience of being so close I can see it from my bedroom window. Stanage, on the other hand, is something of a schlep.

A trudge? Seriously? It's a ten minute uphill trot. Have you tried Scottish winter climbing?

 Tall Clare 17 Jul 2015
In reply to BnB:

Yeah, I have.

It's not a massive trudge (that bit was somewhat tongue in cheek), but there is no way you can get from the car park by Embsay reservoir to the top of Crookrise in 10 minutes - it's more like 20.
 kedvenc72 17 Jul 2015
In reply to A Nidderdale boulderer.:

Crag based top trumps anyone?
 galpinos 17 Jul 2015
In reply to Simon Caldwell:

> ..... to the sound of braying jefferies (I believe that's the correct term)?

I thought the term only applied when north of border?

 BnB 17 Jul 2015
In reply to Tall Clare:

Can we agree on 15?

One thing I'm sure about, the walk in is shorter than at Stanage High Neb
 petellis 17 Jul 2015
In reply to A Nidderdale boulderer.:

> So Crookrise has better rock quality.

I don't really see that. Theyre both grit, with good bits and bad bits

> One thing that strikes me is that Stanage is convenient where as Crookrise you have to want to go there.

Irrelevant, you said in your OP this debate was "about quality of the rock and climbing".

> This Slab
> http://www.ukclimbing.com/images/dbpage.php?id=98385
> V This Sab
> http://www.ukclimbing.com/images/dbpage.php?id=83295

They're different routes, I'd argue the stanage one looks to be a better line. The climbing on that slab at Crookrise has really nice moves but tends to feel a bit contrived in places and it trends into grass at the top (also, with a VS 5a you're already into the realms of esoteric - what kind of a classic grade is that!?).

According to my logbook I didn't enjoy Hargreaves, but I can't remember doing it anyway, whereas I do remember something about at least 3 routes on that Crookrise slab which might be telling.

In my memory this http://www.ukclimbing.com/images/dbpage.php?id=5973 is an absolute belter of a slab at Stanage at the same grade, I'd say better than the one you show at Crookrise, really nice climbing, good but well spaced gear and a really pure line.

 petellis 17 Jul 2015
In reply to Graham Booth:

> Also that guy is cheating with a side runner on old lace!!

Ah is that it - I thought it looked like he was on winter rain.
 Tall Clare 17 Jul 2015
In reply to BnB:


> Can we agree on 15?

> One thing I'm sure about, the walk in is shorter than at Stanage High Neb

I'll agree to that!
 Simon Caldwell 17 Jul 2015
In reply to petellis:

> also, with a VS 5a you're already into the realms of esoteric - what kind of a classic grade is that!?

it's wrongly graded anyway, it's either HVS 5a or E1 5a depending on whether you use that side runner or not
 BnB 17 Jul 2015
In reply to Simon Caldwell:

> it's wrongly graded anyway, it's either HVS 5a or E1 5a depending on whether you use that side runner or not

Absolutely. At least HVS with some ballsy 5a moves
 jcw 17 Jul 2015
In reply to A Nidderdale boulderer.:
Amusing this thread for me. I had just got out my old Yorkshire guide book 1957 and decided for fun to enter the dates and comments made for me when I was a beginner. So my first entries are Crookrise in June 1963 and after Persistence on Rylstone as my first VS comes two Crookrise VSs and then a jump to an extreme (the Shelf) all as second in boots. A few days later had my first visit to Stanage with Robin Hood Buttress Rt. Thereafter I never returned to Yorkshire grit until 1996 with Almscliff and Ilkley. But whilst certainly finding it deserved its reputation for toughness compared with Stanage I never thought that anyone would want to compare Crookrise which I'd totally forgotten about with the latter.
Post edited at 13:16
 Bob 17 Jul 2015
In reply to BnB:

Running it used to take me ten minutes to get from the car park to trig point just beyond Crookrise, it was about eight minutes to the last steep loose bit by the wall. I was a fast walker and I'd struggle to get there walking in ten minutes.

As a side note, has anyone seen the face carved in to the boulder near the path up there? I assume it was done by someone associated with all the old cart tracks.
 Graeme Hammond 17 Jul 2015
In reply to A Nidderdale boulderer.:

> So Crookrise has better rock quality.

> One thing that strikes me is that Stanage is convenient where as Crookrise you have to want to go there.

> This Slab

> http://www.ukclimbing.com/images/dbpage.php?id=98385

> V

> This Sab

> http://www.ukclimbing.com/images/dbpage.php?id=83295

Having done both routes the stanage one is much better, for all the great routes at crookrise I could pick 10 more routes of equal or better quality at stanage.
 Jon Stewart 17 Jul 2015
In reply to Simon Caldwell:

> The scenery is also better at Stanage, assuming you like looking at cement factories. And who wants to hear lapwings, curlews, and skylarks, when you can listen for hours to the sound of braying jefferies (I believe that's the correct term)?

If you don't like the braying jefferies, then don't go to the popular end. As I say, the Count's Area of Stanage is very like Crookrise, just with much better routes. The setting of both crags is lovely, Crookrise more so - but I've come to quite like the post-apocalyptic Hope Cement Works sitting incongrously in the rather twee idyll of the valley.

I don't know what that guy's on about with that crappy polished slab at Crookrise, it's dreadful. I can name 30 better slabs at Stanage.
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