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luc_w15 Jun 2016
Hi,
in the next weeks I'll finally be able to visit the Peak District for the first time! I'm alone and mostly want to go bouldering. The rain won't stop here in Germany so I was wondering how the conditions are in the Peak... Does it make any sense to come at the moment? I'm quite flexible as I come by car and have no real schedule.
You can't really predict the weather in the Peak more than about two days in advance. It can dry and give good conditions in a couple of hours if the weather is good. Coming around now will likely give a mixture of some good days with good conditions and some bad and unclimbable days -- but that's pretty much always the case with UK weather.
People have rightly mentioned midges - a problem on the moorland grit in the summer months when the weather is warm and still. Not generally a problem on the limestone - though sounds like you are mostly interested in bouldering which is mostly on the grit. Any breeze will usually sort things out though.
> People have rightly mentioned midges - a problem on the moorland grit in the summer months when the weather is warm and still. Not generally a problem on the limestone - though sounds like you are mostly interested in bouldering which is mostly on the grit. Any breeze will usually sort things out though.
I haven't really bouldered in the Peak in summer, but based on experience of tradding there your choice of venue is probably going to make a lot of difference. Areas that are high up, on open ground and exposed to the wind are going to catch a lot more breeze than ones that are on leeward slopes, surrounded by trees or nestled under crags.
luc_w15 Jun 2016
Okay, thank you very much for all the information!
Were there any places in particular you wanted to visit? As others have said, you can be lucky at this time of year and get a cool dry breeze and get OK climbing conditions early or late in the day. In general though, it's too warm for grit bouldering. If you're OK with soloing easier routes it's not a bad time of year for that, but most locals have moved onto limestone bouldering, sport routes and trips away to the mountains/sea cliffs. Personally, and it's just my opinion, is save the bouldering trip for after September.
I'm afraid it is pouring down currently in Sheffield, and the forecast isn't great for the next few days but things do change - we have had lots of good weather this spring. For the eastern grit edges I tend to use this forecast http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/forecast/gcqzd69kf Being Stanage (High Neb is halfway along Stanage Edge, see: http://www.ukclimbing.com/images/dbpage.php?id=274500 ) it is higher so the temperature can be a few degree cooler than say in Sheffield city centre or Hathersage, but from that forecast you can see the weather for the next few days.
Gritstone is pretty quick drying mainly so more popular boulders and routes (that aren't green at all) tend to be climbable quite soon after rain has stopped. If you want to do very hard bouldering, I guess now might be too warm, but most of us climbing at more moderate levels find that gritstone can still be fine in the summer, particularly on cooler or breezy days. A hand jam is a hand jam whether its 5 degrees or 25!
If you do come have fun!
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luc_w16 Jun 2016
In reply to danm: Stanage Edge and Burbage are on my list, but I'm open for other suggestions. My plan is to move on to the lake district and maybe Scotland afterwards. Unfortunately, I have to be back in Germany by the end of july but I might come back in September then.
Too bad... Well, I'll hope for the best. Thanks for the weather forecast, I'll check it regularly. Moderate climbing is fine I think. I've got my moutainbike to stay busy when it's too wet to climb. Anyway, I'm looking forward to explore the Peak District and the UK in general.
If you are looking for someone to climb with, send me a message. I might be available at the weekend or evenings. I'm only a moderate climber, but know the area reasonably well.
