UKC

Are there any examples of crags which look like a pile of choss from a distance, but actually have great climbing on them?

Or can you really judge the quality of rock from a distance?

In reply to humptydumpty:

All the Stanhope. 

In reply to humptydumpty:

A hell of a lot of Tremadog springs to mind.

In reply to humptydumpty:

The first time I saw Pavey Ark I was underwhelmed, until I got onto the climbs. 

In reply to humptydumpty:

Action Directe looks very unimpressive in the flesh, I’m told.

In reply to Iamgregp:

It looks feckin hard in the flesh 😂 Like much of Frankenjura, it looms. 

In reply to MischaHY:

Despite having never been I totally know what you mean, those Frankenjura crags seem to have an intimidating aura about them....

In reply to humptydumpty:

Symonds Yat. Looks like consolidated mud with flowers growing out of it. But It’s not!

In reply to humptydumpty:

Arapiles.

In reply to humptydumpty:

STONEY!!!

3 star route after 3 star route, that all looks like its ready crumble. No queuing on these classics. 

In reply to spidermonkey09:

I agree.  Compared to a lot of world-class crags, it looks like a rather disappointing accumulation of boulders as you approach it, especially given the effort it has taken to get there!  Actually, each of these buttresses is pretty impressive, but somehow you don't an idea of scale of them from a distance and they don't have a big architectural focal point.

Once you get up close and get on it you understand what all the fuss is about.

In reply to deacondeacon:

I know what you mean for most of Stoney, but I find Windy Buttress quite impressive. And good

In reply to profitofdoom:

It's impressive, its very, very good but it still surprises when the holds don't fall off 🙂

In reply to humptydumpty:

Avon isn't much to look at .  Mind you a lot of the climbing is an acquired taste

In reply to humptydumpty:

Baildon initt?

In reply to spidermonkey09:

Yes, I've never seen a photo that makes me want to bother going there. It is hard to believe it is as good as people say!

In reply to humptydumpty:

The South Wales contender is Llanbradach. A huge densely vegetated quarry with a swamp in the middle. Slimy, can be full of midges and takes ages to dry out. But when in perfect condition has a load of really superb routes. 

In reply to Robert Durran:

I promise you that it is really bloody brilliant despite its first appearance as nothing more than a scab on the horizon!

In reply to Xavierpercy:

Scrubby crag in the Lakes, or the Hanging Gardens of Hutaple !

In reply to wbo2:

To be fair, Avon is bloody impressive.   To be honest I'd have said most of the climbing at Avon is LESS good than appearances suggest.

In reply to shantaram:

Pavey Ark is a very good example. From a distance it looks quite scruffy and vegetated, but once on it, the rock is superlative.

In reply to coinneach:

Unfortunately it’s not a great crag to climb on either. 1 or 2 reasonable routes amongst the moss. 

In reply to GrahamD:

Blasphemy! Just kidding

But I will admit Avon's an acquired taste (wandering up a vague Main Wall line, balancing up on sloping footholds with weird awkward handholds and iffy protection, what's not to like...... I love it anyway)

In reply to deacondeacon:

True of much limestone...... IMO not breaking or pulling off limestone holds is a useful skill

In reply to Dave Garnett:

In this country most crags look more impressive from a distance and seem to shrink as you get nearer. Arapiles is the reverse, getting more impressive the nearer you get. It may be something to do with the fact that The Mount is surrounded  by very flat farmland.

In reply to humptydumpty:

Bielsa on the Spanish side of the Pyrenees. Looks like a tangled mess of lumpy bits on first impression, but turns out to have magnificent climbing. 

Make sure you look for Secteurs Bicho and Embrouille as the Logbook link above also includes some genuinely very disappointing crags above the campsite in the same general area! 

https://rockaroundtheworld.co.uk/2016/11/04/las-devotas-val-de-cinca/

In reply to humptydumpty: I always think Gogarth North Stack and Main Cliff the main cliff doesn’t look too appealing from the gearing up point, it’s not until you are underneath the crag that it starts to impress.

In reply to Rog Wilko:

I agree! It can be quite dissappointing how some crags like Tryfan East Face look huge froma distance and once you get there it all dissolved into scree, ledges and gullies.

In reply to humptydumpty:

Extending the premis to routes. My word Phantom Slab (VS 4c) looks absolutely average but is very, very good.

Edit: health warning. Last pitch only.

In reply to GrahamD:

😳 how dare thee 😅

In reply to Red Rover:

I find the Buachaille is like that. Ironically the most sheer-looking part seems to be the SE face overlooking the Etive road - a couple thousand feet of continuous, shining rock wall. Then up close it seems to bear no resemblance in the same way you mention.

In reply to humptydumpty:

yorkshire vote.

great close scar

always looks grassy and overgrown on the walk in  but most of it is actually quite good

In reply to humptydumpty:

Kyloe in the woods.

I remember remarking to a couple of locals that the rock is nowhere as slimy as it appears to be. The reply was "aye, we actually paint it shite brown every autumn to keep you Scots away".

In reply to Removed User:

Is that why it’s been so white recently? Lack of painting due to CoViD? 

In reply to humptydumpty:

Pretty much all Peak limestone tbh...

Looks crap... Is actually bloody ace!

In reply to Duncan Disorderly:

Having cycled past Tremadog at the weekend, I still stick by the village end of this crag has to be a contender; brilliant climbs on rock that looks totally overgrown and chossy from the road.