UKC The Finest Crags in the UK & Ireland: Almscliff
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The Finest Crags in the UK & Ireland
Almscliff
Words and Photos by Mike Hutton
in association with
Occupying a small area north of Leeds, on the flatlands of the lower Wharfedale valley, is a crag that is possibly Yorkshire’s finest. A lifetime’s worth of routes - over 170 to date - lies waiting for those who like to punch and thrash their way up brutal cracks. The striking and challenging lines are all on the coarsest of millstone grit have captivated local climbers for decades. For many it’s a bit of a love-hate relationship, rather like the one some have with marmite, and it doesn’t suit everyone’s tastes. The climbing is often physically demanding and nothing is easily earned at Almscliff. Some say if you climb all the HVS’s at Almscliff then you would sail up most of the offerings in the Peak District.



Stuart Lancaster on Syrett's Roof (E3 6b)
It’s not just the climbing that attracts people but often the plethora of interesting history and folklore tales associated with this charming lump of rock. For instance, there is an interesting tale about the creation of Almscliff involving the Giant Rombald, who resided on Ilkley Moor. He was fighting the devil when he narrowly dodged a huge boulder that was thrown at him. It crash-landed in a field close to North Rigton, creating the crag as we know it today.

Later one in 1766, a farmer’s daughter from Rigton threw herself from the top in the midst of relationship breakdown. It is rumoured that the strong winds caught her dress and carried her to the pastures below with minimal injuries, hence the name of the highest part of the crag - “Lover’s Leap”.



Stuart Lancaster on Black Wall Eliminate (E2 5c)
In more modern times it has been featured in many television productions, the most well-known being in the opening title of the soap opera “Emmerdale”. The landscape was also used to portray planet Obsidian in the eighties sci-fi “Blake’s 7”. Along its centre is a large north to south cutting that divides the townships of Rigton and Stainburn. On opposite sides of the divide are the carved letters T.F and E.L which symbolise the names Thomas Fawkes (belonging to the Guy Fawkes family) and Edwin Lascelles who occupied the land many years ago.

As far as the climbing goes this is distributed over the upper “high man” crag and lower lying “low man”. The majority of the famous climbs reside on the mighty “high man” whilst the “low man” offers a pleasant ambience, with an abundance of boulder problems, many being highballs worthy of route status.

Herbert Ingle was first to climb in these parts back in 1891, but it was not till the 1940s that Baildon man Arthur Dolphin made the first significant impact with his world-class additions, many ranking as the best lines in Yorkshire. After demolishing most of the hard existing routes he went on to claim routes that still repel many of today's modern generation climbers. Routes were climbed in hob-nailed boots and Woolworth slip-ons, as this was all that was available at the time. Gear was often non-existent, so horrifying ground falls were a regular occurrence - as were solo speed ascents.



Walkers looking for the pot of gold.
By all accounts, Dolphin was a generous and modest character who made time for others and contributed massively to the climbing literature of the time. He was multi-talented off the crag too with a love of walking, running, potholing and riding his motorbike in a rather scary manner.

By the late 1950s, Allan Austin was on the scene repeating many of Dolphin’s test pieces like there was no tomorrow and went on to put up routes of his own that had repelled climbers for years.

Considering the lack of much useful gear in those days (threaded stones) the style of his extreme ascents, many of which had to be soloed, is truly mind-bending. Western Front (E3 5c) and The Wall of Horrors (E3 6a) stand out as the most remarkable achievements of this era. Many peak district climbers would visit Almscliff and never return because of its gnarly rounded nature, but Austin would persist in clocking up mileage out of his home patch to get the necessary skills.



Neil Lowery on Western Front (E3 5c)
By the seventies, there really wasn’t much in the way of new routes left, as all the obvious lines had been snapped up by Dolphin and Austin. What remained required a new generation of climbers, who came in the form of Al Manson, John Syrett, Pete Livesey, Pete Brown (to name just a few).

Today Almscliff is very much a place where all the hard lines have been done and visitors simply come to test themselves on the quality classics whilst enjoying the ambience and beautiful surroundings.

My first proper acquaintance with the place was on a Baltic winter’s day back in 2010. It was my first journey out of the Peak District in a while and as I crossed the border into the ‘kingdom’ of Yorkshire I was dumb stricken with the wild beauty of the landscape. I had come on a mission to take some action photos for the newly assembled Yorkshire Mountaineering Club guidebook team. What started out as a great day with some friendly climbers led to me making the journey north on many more occasions. I was made to feel welcome and part of something that had purpose. Yorkshire changed my life in a good way by introducing me to new friends who shared with me their own special parts of the county they loved so much. To them, I am eternally grateful.



James Ibbertson on The Wall of Horrors (E3 6a)
Stuart Lancaster on Black Wall Direct (HVS 5b)

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Mike’s recommended routes

Fluted Columns HVD

First climbed by Herbert Ingle prior to 1900. This is one of the best easy graded routes at Almscliff. You won’t encounter many tufa features like these on the grit stone. The moves on them are to be savoured and are very aesthetic. It does however require a few size 4 cams to adequately protect so bear this in mind otherwise it could feel quite serious.

Bird’s Nest Crack HS 4b

This route may be showing its age with the amount of polish but it’s a brilliant way to acquaint yourself with the art of jamming. The gear is on demand and it does get harder near the top as the crack widens. Another classic Herbert Ingle route from the 19th century!

Frankland’s Green Crack VS 4c

Everything you need to know is in the name; well almost everything. A fine effort by Claude Dean Frankland who soloed this several times in the 1920s. Definitely worth waiting till the summer when it’s less green. A real battle up the curving crack and strenuous traverse with the pigeon shit saved for the top (hand sanitiser optional). The Legendary Arthur Dolphin was spotted soloing up and down this in a pair of baggy wellington boots. At least the pigeon shit would have been easy to wash off his wellies. Hardman Allan Austin who normally soloed VS’s found this so hard he had to layback the top crack with his elbows.



Debbie Nicholson on Birds Nest Crack (HS 4b)
Great Western HVS 5a

This has to be one of the best routes in Yorkshire. The Arthur Dolphin classic attracts visitors from all of the country. Sustained laybacking and jamming is mandatory as is the 5-star finish near the top where you jam out right into a sensational position with not much in the way of footholds. A true battle and not easy for HVS. Typical Yorkshire HVS. If you get the chance there is some old footage of Dolphin on a DVD that comes with the book “Memories of Dolphin” by Tom Greenwood. Rumour has it that he attracted quite a crowd on his first ascent that was climbed in a very bold style.

Demon Wall HVS 5a

When you listen to umpteen tales of folk who have struggled on this over the years you really have to hand it to Arthur Dolphin for claiming it as one of his first routes at Almscliff. According to Allan Austin, Dolphin didn’t get any runners what so ever! This is one of the most fallen off routes on the crag mainly because there is a huge reach near the top for a hidden rounded hold which is desperate to find when you are already hideously pumped. This is very evident from the photo in the guidebook when you see Richard Connors fully stretched out, his fingers only just reaching the rounded runnel. The guy soloing it in my photo has yet to reach the good hold. I can confirm he was successful!

Birdlime Traverse HVS 5b

Yet another Arthur Dolphin route (yes, we have a lot to thank him for)! Basically, this is a superb left to right outing across the south facing wall. The name is a little misleading as bird lime for once doesn’t seem to cause too many problems. Opinions differ widely as to the grade and for many, the VS start is the crux. Realistically there isn’t a move above 5a but what do I know. If you value the relationship with your climbing partner then it’s wise to place all the available gear on the very pumpy traverse.



Robin Nicholson on Bird Lime Traverse (HVS 5b)
Z Climb Eliminate E1 5b

Possibly better than the original Z climb; this one packs in a bit of everything and takes in some of the best bits of the north-west wall. Yep you guessed right, it’s another Arthur Dolphin route. If E1 is your stretch grade then this is a very amenable and safe proposition.

Black Wall Eliminate E2 5c

For many, this is their first E2 and a very good one at that. Lots of pumpy traversing with plenty of gear make this a highly enjoyable and atmospheric climb. A wonderful outing and perfect for a sunny winter’s morning.

Western Front E3 5c

Some would say this is one of the all-time greatest E3’s. It’s essentially a direct and independent route left of Great Western HVS 5a, joining Great Western just for the final five-star finish.

The guidebook isn’t wrong when it says you must karate chop the main crack.

It must have been a terrifying event to witness when the legendary woolly jumper man; Allan Austin climbed this back in 1958. On his first attempt with no runners, he got too tired to progress through the overhanging crack and took a spectacular ground fall that nearly killed him. The spectators did nothing and some thought he was dead.



Richard Connors on Z Climb Elimate (E1 5b)
The Wall of Horrors E3 6a

Another much sought after Almscliff classic with a testing and polished bouldery F6b start and delicate moves in the middle. If you bring the correct cams for the middle break then it’s safe enough. Possibly the best of the big three E3's at Almscliff! I was fortunate enough to witness James Ibbertson climb the upper crux no fewer than twenty times as I hung in mid-air with my camera. We had a devised a cunning plan to take the cover shot which required me to be pulled out into space with a second rope. The experience was brutal as I nearly snapped into two pieces during the process. Although Dolphin had a go on a rope in the 1940s, it didn’t receive a proper ascent till 1961 and that was by Allan Austin who soled the thing because there simply weren’t any runners. The friends that were needed in the break didn’t exist in those days.

Grand Illusion E3 6a

It’s not altogether that hard to see why no one bothered with this till 1979, as it basically climbs the start of Great Western but then climbs directly up the intimidating bulging headwall to where Great Western and Western Front finish. Whilst not much new ground was covered it was still a nice addition by the lesser known Charles Cook.

In the featured photo, you get an idea of the steepness as Stuart Lancaster launches himself up the leaning headwall as the last rays of winter sun turn Almscliff a beautiful golden yellow. Days like these spent with new found friends are priceless and reward us with memories that we shall cherish for many years to come



Stuart Lancaster on Grand Illusion (E3 6a)
When to go

Almscliff is essentially an all-year-round venue and because it has walls facing south, south-west, west and north-west (just about every direction) you are sure to find sun, shelter or both whatever the time of day or direction of the wind. The fact that both the high and low man are free-standing means seepage is almost none existent and its exposed nature ensures at least one aspect will dry quickly after rain. The extreme left-hand routes on the north-west wall can become green after rain and are best left to the warmer months when the evening sun comes fully round.

It goes without saying that the bouldering can be primo on a sparkling winters day if you can stay warm.

It’s not uncommon to look out west across Wharfedale and see squalls of showers over the Ilkley and Caley crags whilst Almscliff stays dry. It does enjoy a bit of a micro-climate with more sun than other areas.

Access

Access is sensitive and the privacy of the farmer who owns the land that the crag is on must be respected at all times. It is not open access CROW land. The farmer has recently requested that climbers do not come with their lanterns to partake in nighttime bouldering after a load of students tested his patience.

It’s absolutely critical that you don’t block any of the farmer's gates and you must not park outside the farm. If you have a posh sports car be prepared for cows to brush past and damage the paint.

The free-standing lone boulder in the field beneath the crag must not be climbed.



Arifa Chakera on Low Man Easy Way (Diff)
Guidebooks

The excellent Yorkshire Gritstone volume 1 guide by the Yorkshire mountaineering club is the only definitive guide to the area and it covers a lot of the bouldering. The Northern England Rockfax guide contains a selection of the best routes.

Gear

Twin ropes are required as the routes do deviate but it is often possible to utilize a 60m half rope doubled up since the routes rarely exceed 20m. A full set of cams and a double set of wires should suffice.

Many of the routes can be climbed as hi-ball boulder problems so it’s definitely worth bringing a pad or two. The bouldering itself is very good and again is an all-year-round activity.



An unknown climber on Demon Wall (HVS 5a)
Mike Hutton is an Adventure Photographer and Writer working for the Outdoor Industry.

During the past decade, Mike has travelled to over 30 countries capturing images of climbers in places rarely visited by people. He has accumulated over 2000 photo credits to his name and his work has been extensively published in the world's leading magazines and books and on national television. His editorial client list includes Daily Telegraph, Sunday Times, Daily Mail, Geographical Magazine, GQ Italia, Red Bulletin, Rock and Ice, Women's Adventure, The Outdoor Journal, Rockfax, Climbing, Derbyshire Life, Klettern, Desnivel, Pareti, Vertical, Climax, Climber, Summitt, Outdoor Photography and Rock and Snow.

Mike has worked with sponsored athletes from many of the top commercial outdoors brands such as Casio, Berghaus, Patagonia, Rab, Wild Country, Mammut, Boreal, Edelweis, Scarpa, Five Ten, Sherpa and Sterling. His sporting background as a Climber, Runner and Cyclist has given him the edge to keep up with some of the best athletes.

Currently, Mike divides his time between editorial commissions, tutoring and working for commercial clients.

For commissioning work and print sales please contact Mike via his website here