Danby Crag

Climbs 80 – Rocktype Sandstone (hard) – Altitude 197m a.s.l – Faces N

Crag features
The best lines you've ever seen everywhere you look!

The crag should be given a day to dry out after heavy rain, but often the exposed buttresses (particularly the aretes) can be dry within hours. Some light brushing may be needed if venturing off the beaten track.

Many of the VDiffs to the west of the crag are quite stiff, but well worthwhile. Chimney and Wall (Severe**), Valiant (HVS 5a***) and Osiris (HVS 5a**) are the classic mid-grade routes of the crag and great outings. There is then a bit of a jump in grades, with 'Stalin' (E3 5b**)'The Jungle drum' (E4 6a**), 'The Polish Diplomat' (E5 6b*), the Otter wilderness route (E5 6b**) and the Chocolate Moose (E4 6b**) offering a great day out in the mid extremes. The Hypocrisy of Moose (H8 6c***) was the only harder route at the crag to have been led, but has now been joined by 'Howl Psyche' (E7 6b**), Die By The Sword (H7 6c*) and 'The Battle For Tripoli'(E6 6a*) (all on the same buttress).

Perhaps with time a great surge of routes upto and beyond H9 will come, certainly many of the current projects are of a superb quality. The Mono Wall offers an exceptional crux in a dangerous position, whilst the Wangledoodle Wall is relatively safe, but sustained with many hard moves. At the other end of the scale is the blunt arete, which is just one utterly desperate slabby move above a bad fall. Beyond that are the realms of the truly futuristic lines- things like the impossible arete direct, that is incomprehensible at the moment. In any case there are projects in every style really and a lot will be 2 or even 3 stars.

A small amount of good quality bouldering is also available, with more to be developed. One boulder problem of particular note is 'The Effervescent Pheasant', which is one of the best problems in the North York Moors.

Weather forecast

Guidebooks

Out of print: North East England (2003), North York Moors (1985)

Climbs at this crag

Lost Earth Adventures
York, NORTH YORKSHIRE
"Lost Earth Adventures provides rock climbing and hillwalking guiding and instruction across Northern England and Wales. We are also an adventure travel company..."
www.lostearthadventures.co.uk

Advertise here

otherwise park just inside the gate of the track leading up to Head

House farm.

Approach the crag on the bridleway & cross the wall by the stile

above the crag.

Classifieds
Find Classifieds near to this crag (Indoor Walls, Outdoor Shops, Accommodation, etc)

Moderator Updates to this page are checked by UKC volunteer Franco Cookson

USER FEEDBACK Login as Existing User to add your comments Great Crag for the Severe leader, the VS/HVS leader; the E4/5 leader and the E7 leader. There are some brill lines on good rock and more ready for the taking. Some routes might need a quick brush, but they tend to clean up quite quickly and it drys very fast, which is odd for a north facer in trees... Franco Cookson - 29/Sep/11 Once a disappointing crag, lacking in routes over HVS and a general feeling of neglect, it is quickly becoming an extensive and quality crag. Some of the original strong lines; Valiant, Portcullis, Osiris and Vulcan provide excellent climbing and the area is host to many newly developed routes and FA's too. Jungle Drum (E4 6a) and The Hypocrisy of Moose (E7) are brilliant climbs, comparable to many of the classic lines on Gritstone. The crag now boasts a slab climb too, 'Palma Ham' E2 6a which can be bouldered out at a high Font 6c and the nearby 'Chocolate Moose' (E4) can be bouldered at a highball font 6c+. Still plenty to do and the routes are worthy of repeats. Get to it! Dave Warburton - 16/Aug/11

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