UKC

I am heading up to the Peaks for a couple of days and going to walk a loop from Edale via No match for crag id:20979.

I have no knowledge of the area, and won't have a mat. Does anyone have any recommendations for low end problems?

Also, will the area layout description on the Rockfax site (http://www.rockfax.com/databases/results_crag.html?id=1257) be clear enough, as the pics I have seen show a lot of boulders?

Ta.

In reply to philluu:
Please avoid them. The conditions will be poor in winter and the rock likely holding damp (damp soft sandstone is especially delicate) and the ground underneath boggy, damp and sandy, or damp and delicate to erosion. They are already suffering visible damage despite being unpopular (they are a long way to carry a mat and pretty shite being on sctittly rock) and only being published for two years. Also as iconic and attractive rocks on a popular major path that many use if the weather is good enough to ever consider bouldering (some of whom are annoyed they ever got included as named problems in a guidebook) you may well end up in an unwanted altercation. A better option would be roadside sheltered bouldering before or after your walk.

In reply to Offwidth: I agree with all of that. Already, since being included in the RF Peak Bouldering guide, there are clear signs of wear and erosion on some named problems and that's after only a couple of years and relatively few visits. Things like Curly's Crack are OK as that's a traditional offwith (much like m'learned friend above) which is tough enough to sustain being climbed repeatedly.

If you want bouldering up there I can suggest Upper Edale Rocks & The Pagoda as being better, or perhaps some easy soloing on Edale Cross Rocks.

I was up there yesterday walking home from Edale past all these crags and it was glorious, but bitterly cold. The loop itself is really excellent and you'll get some great views. Hopefully you'll have the place to yourself.

In reply to Frank the Husky:
You are right that it is the delicate face problems that are visibly suffering the most and that those cracks have had prior traffic to the publication. Vaudeville and Curleys are what would have been known as traditional, short-n-gritty S and VD thrutches. Yet its hard for me to recommend them even for the comedy value. One is now given V2 5c and the other is V1 5b....I thought from the grades that I had remembered the wrong lines but they are in fact 4a/b ish..... sheer crack climbing incompetance.

I'd also recommend Upper Edale Rocks (starred routes from VD) and of course that perfect piece of esoterica: Noe Picnic the old VD mega-sandbag that is now an E5 6c* highball.

A much better bouldering walk is the Upper Dewent edges, when it warms up a bit. Great problems on several venues on much better rock (and the next chapter in Rockfax).

In reply to Offwidth:

How can anyone possibly dislike this post?

In reply to Offwidth: I must admit I didn't realize that the Woolpacks had been included in a guidebook. It seems like a very strange and rather selfish decision. Presumably it was seen that the financial benefits from guidebook sales thanks to a unique and previously undocumented venue were worth the costs in terms of damage to the rocks and surroundings. It's not like there's a shortage of great bouldering nearby.

It's a real shame to hear that they are becoming damaged, it's been a while since I was last up there.

In reply to philluu:

Great all, thanks for the heads up.

I saw this before going, and in any case the fog rolled in so thick once we left the Pennine Way towards Edale Head I was never going to stop anyway.

This was just a chance to steal a little climb during a planned walk, so no big loss. Though does mean I am yet to do anything on Grit...

The loop was the station was excellent, though we were far from having the place to ourselves!

Maybe someone with better local (politics) knowledge could consider editing No match for crag id:20979' crag page so outsiders understand the situation better? Also, that is a lot of starred routes, which may be also attracting more traffic than it would otherwise?