UKC

Hi,

Looking for recommendations for a beginner crag near Ilkley, as will be up there next weekend and thinking of chucking the climbing gear in and taking the girls out if the weather is nice.

Ages 3.5 to 9.

Without wishing to be rude, I don't need a ton of advice on taking kids climbing - just ideas on where to go that's nearby, dry, with a short walk-in and short-ish easy routes.

If the weather is bad, we might try a wall.

Thanks in advance.

Ilkley?

Eastby would probably be my pick.

some nice bits that would work at Shipley Glen

Two very good low grade routes but not a lot else.

Almscliffe Lower Man has a lot of easy stuff around VD - HS lined up in a neat row, plus the opportunity to watch others have a go at some great classics on the bigger walls behind. Of course, if your girls climb E3 then let them fill their boots.

100m walk-in, free parking, quick drying, look no further.

Almscliff is always a winner. I think Shipley Glen would be a bit underwhelming if they're expecting towering cliffs. Eastby - walk in is a bit steep for little legs. Ilkley Rocky Valley would be good - I think the walk in would be fine. Not far but depends how patient your littlest is - take some sweets to cajole them along. The main Ilkley Crag could be OK. The Chiseller springs to mind but can't think of much else.

Twistleton is perfect but a bit further from Ilkley. Brimham is even more perfect and there's lots of non-climbing wriggling and scampering up the towers to be done for when they're bored of the ropes.

I will second that. Ilkley is a pretty good bet. Lots of easy and moderate stuff.

Brimham is a good bet (except for the parking charges ) because it's somewhere that can be explored by the kids which might make it more exciting for them.

Only downside might be the amount of bracken - someone more local/recent would know better about what that's like at the moment.

There's no issue with bracken around the popular trad areas of Brimham - it's all very well trampled by climbers and muggles alike.

Just another thought, if you can get hold of an orienteering map to the area you end up going (Ilkley and Brimham might have ones available from various "Yorkshire" orienteering clubs - probably AIRE or CLARO).

The large scale and level of detail might be exciting for the kids for exploring.

If it was me I would go to Brimham, easy access to top at lots of places, plenty of slabby stuff, lots of places to crawl through etc., toilets, icecream, very civilised. Almscliff is perma-dry, stuff on low man might be hard for small people, if it is then some of the taller boulders offer good slabby routes. 
 

Depending on how near is near, we were at Woodhouse Scar, Halifax at the weekend and that was very friendly. From font 2 to mid Es, if they're cranking hard.

Kids love Brimham Rocks if you don't know it? No need for climbing gear as it's a natural playground. Be prepared for some 'how the hell did they get up there? And how do I get them down?" moments mind you. I can think of a few kid friendly routes but you need to hunt them down. 

Brimham's a bit of a drive from Ilkley though. So for climbing climbing, I'd go Rocky Valley. I can think of diffs like Long Chimney I took my kids up, or clambery no start Holly Bush route on the biggest butress, Three Slabs Route, Flake Climb.

A lot less full of people and less of a fish bowl  than the quarry. Routes are over a steep slope and feel like climbing.  It's a  nice walk in from the White Wells car park too or from the Cow and Calf. Main downside is that depending on weather and time of day,  these routes can be defended by a fierce army of midges...   

We use to take our kids on the easy side (descent) of the Sugarloaf at Caley, meant an easy climb and a bounce down (lower off) afterwards.

The Calf at Ilkley again would be a similar expedition, and remember setting ropes up for the kids to the right of the Quarry, but before A Climb (probably near the Chiseler).

Quite a few options at Brimham, Crookrise and Rolling Gate are also good, but a bit of a walk possibly.

Thanks, everyone.

Back from holiday now and thought I had a Yorkshire climbing guide from messing around at Twistleton Scar years ago, but can't find it in the loft.

Might start with the crags on Ilkley Moor, as nearest, and go from there.

At the risk of telling granny how to suck eggs I'd suggest that some well chosen limestone routes would better suit kids than most gritstone, where if you can't reach the hold there's no alternative. Your own suggestion of Twisleton has merit. There is a bay with four nice easy routes at the left end of Cairn Buttress (not in UKC database), but are in the 2005 guide.

Not that close to Ilkley though.

Twistleton would be in the limestone guide anyway, you need the grit one (s) for round Ilkley.