UKC

I am thinking of heading to Stanage Popular tomorrow as my local crags are getting a thorough soaking today.

Having never been before I was wondering if anybody knows if it dries quickly after rain ( I know its getting a little today).

Cheers,

Dan.

In reply to dapperdan:

Yes it dries quickly after rain at this time of year. Looks good:

http://www.yr.no/place/United_Kingdom/England/Hathersage~2647338/

In reply to Offwidth:

Thanks!

In reply to dapperdan:
The met office forecast specifically for a point along the edge High Neb.

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/forecast/gcqzd69kf#?fcTime=14749...

As you can see fog is forecast until the afternoon coupled with very high humidity. If the forecast is correct I don't expect the climbing to be good until the fog clears. In the wind its likely to feel cold and I wouldn't be surprised if the rock is damp or atleast not in great condition, although the brisk wind blowing on to the crag may help somewhat, but with 99% relative humidity it may not.

Alternatively you could try starting somewhere lower down and on the edge of the park like revelin. Gardoms can be a popular choice to avoid mist / rain also. You could then move to stanage if you fancy it about lunch time.

In reply to CurlyStevo:

It's been pissing down much of the day and still is now.


The problem with these more sheltered crags is that once they do get wet (and they'll all be drenched right now), the trees tend to hold on to the moisture. TBH, looking at the forecast, I wouldn't bother arriving at any of the Eastern grit crags before lunchtime tomorrow. Stanage is very quick drying, but nothing is going to be drying much with 100% humidity and clag in the air.

In reply to deepsoup:
Ha I meant birchen edge not gardoms which is probably the better bet than rivelen if it's humid and misty alhtough less chance for rain at rivelen. Yeah I've certainly found grit a problem with such high humidity and mist a problem before also during autumn. The wind is forecast pretty strong though and the humidity is forecast a little lower as you head down and east. Agreed though a gamble for am climbing and may not dry out if the mist lingers and or the wind doesn't pick up. But pm looks probable at this stage and possible am.

In reply to CurlyStevo:
I find the Met clag predictions for this time of year to be pretty pessimistic. As for good marginal clag altermatives Wharncliffe is the best normal bet or ultimately if its really bad maybe New Mills.

I do feel I should clarify what I listed above... chances of Stanage drying tomorrow and being climbable in the afternoon are very good is not the same as it being a good Stanage climbing day (that depends on how well people deal with wind).

In reply to Offwidth:

Ive found predictions for mist and humidity pretty accurate in the past from the met office (which is the better forecast imo). Seems like they got it right this time anyway http://www.outside.co.uk/latest/weather

In reply to CurlyStevo:

Really? you measure humidity at the crag??

You can see Millstone already on the Millstone webcam.. thats not heavy clag. I would lay strong odds it will be dry later in the afternoon.

In reply to Offwidth:
Sheffield web cams are looking OK so Rivelin or perhaps Birchen maybe ok am.

In reply to Offwidth:

Sure you can see the effects of high humidity such as dew and dampness not drying or increased problems with dampness on sea cliffs.


The clag on the millstone webcam has been pretty consistent since 7:30 am.

In reply to CurlyStevo:

That explains why you think the Met forcast is generally OK and I think it is genrally pessimistic in early Autumn. If you can see Millstone from the webcam in my view there is no clag (low cloud) just a bit of light drizzle below the clag. The mountain forecasts really being for the highest tops and Stanage at 450m is about 3/4 of the way down and Millstone just above half way.

In reply to Offwidth:
The high neb forecast I linked isn't a mountain forecast for the highest tops it's a computer model forecast of that geographical location including altitude.

In reply to Offwidth:

I nipped out that way for a little run yesterday. Lucky escape for you nobody took that bet - at 3pm the Pop End was barely visible through the clag from the car park.

Did seem to be trying to brighten up a bit later to be fair, there may well have been some dry rock for the last couple of hours daylight.

In reply to dapperdan:
Did you go? Get anything done? (If so, you're a better man than me. :O)

In reply to deepsoup:

We went, & seemed to be the only ones climbing (tho visibility was limited!!). A few more looking but unwilling to touch. Wet, slippery fun was had (but not off the best kind). Fog/cloud lifted @ 4ish, & we had 10 mins of sunshine. Soggy day, but proof that it wasn't unclimbable. Nik

In reply to buxtoncoffeelover:
Well I always knew you're a better man than me Nik, I hope you enjoyed your 10mins of sunshine!

In reply to deepsoup:

I don't mind losing bets when the odds are on my side. The front moved slower than predicted, for instance it rained in Nottingham at 4ish and that was far worse than any of the forecasts.

In reply to Offwidth:

Well the met office forecast seemed fairly accurate in its prediction for high neb.

I remain to be convinced that your Norwegian forecast for some distance away at a much lower altitude is likely to be more accurate than the Met office forecast for a position on the same crag the OP was asking about likely conditions for.

In reply to CurlyStevo:
Thats up to you. I continue to recommend use of all proper data-based forecasts and currently trust the independent modelling and presentation format of yr.no slightly more than the MetOffice. On the day I mainly use the rainfall radar on raintoday.. Obviously conditions at Hathersage are better than at High Neb and you take that into account. In practice on this day the the front came over slower than it was expected on the Wed afternoon so you can bask in your victory.

In reply to Offwidth:

Ha! So you were still right, even though you were wrong. Awesome.

In reply to Offwidth:


Shame you didn't follow your own advice before your initial post.


erm ok

In reply to deepsoup:

I don't know about that my rigging mate! The 10 minutes were lovely - the rest of the day was an exercise in pleasure survival!!

In reply to deepsoup:

Hardly... I'll take being wrong on a bet if I'm right more often in similar bets. The exact timing of weather fronts in Britain is very probabilistic.

In reply to CurlyStevo

When we started this I didn't realise a friendly post using my favorite major forecast site was going under the microscope for a specific weather front timing later on. I'm hardly a Stanage neophyte with visits well into the hundreds and having used all the forecasts, yes I still currently prefer yr.no and yes we should look at all of the good ones and check the radar and webcams on the day.

In reply to buxtoncoffeelover:

Have you copyrighted "pleasure survival"... its wonderful!

In reply to Offwidth:

I haven't, but it's a feeling I have quite often, & I enjoy developing the necessary skills. It's definitely not to everyone's taste!

In reply to buxtoncoffeelover:

You should have gone to Lancashire!

In reply to cragtyke:

I heard it was a little crowded there!