UKC

Two days ago i tried climbing at stanage because it was raining and so i thought it would dry faster. It was dry but due to additional alitutde/conditions the rain had become snow. Hotaches and much misery was had. Thursday looks good again, but following days of heavy rain. Which gritstone peak crag dries quickly but isnt mega exposed/high? Any recommendations? 

Rivelin, if you want to stay on the east. Wharncliffe can avoid the ‘weather’ of the higher edges too. 

Brean down. ????

Those question marks were supposed to be a wink emoji

Thanks ill give rivelin a go 

Although costa del brean is the winter crag of choice! 

Lawrencefield can be a good choice when it's chilly, the main bay is quite a sun trap.  Froggatt is often sheltered by the trees around the foot of the crag, though the breeze can come as a bit of a shock while you're belaying at the top.

I'd second Rivelin though, it dries surprisingly quickly in spite of being very well sheltered from the wind and can be really lovely on a cold sunny day.

If you do go, please note there's a minor bird ban at the mo - Roof Route is out of bounds on account of a nesting owl.  If you tried to climb it you might get even more badly beaten up than people trying to climb Roof Route usually do.

Blizzard Ridge and Croton Oil both great routes at Rivlin. Chain and ring for abb in place at the top of the needle last time I was there.

Is the owl there this year? There was no sign of activity last year post-ban. 

Oh, actually I have no idea.  I haven't been up there lately - was looking at the BMC 'RAD' database, but I see now that it's a few years out of date so maybe not.

I always thought froggat stayed a bit damp because of all the trees near the base of the routes? 

A local in the Moon in Stoney once told me, in authoritative tones, that "Birchen always dries first", and it's a bit lower/more sheltered than Stanage. Rivelin probably has better routes though...

I could be wrong but on the whole I don't think it's really any slower to dry than, say, Stanage. 

Perhaps the trees are just far enough back from the rock, or maybe there's more to it than trees, I'm not sure.  Gardoms certainly holds on to the damp a lot longer, but Rivelin and Wharncliffe are both shrouded in trees too and dry reasonably quickly.

If ever you're in the area when it's really blowing a hoolie from the West, that can be a good time to check out a bit of esoterica and visit Turningstone Edge.  It faces East and has a thick tangle of rhododendrons all along the top (also bottom, middle..)

Never heard that one, but looks well worth a visit!