UKC

As the title suggests.

How busy is it likely to be in the daytime  ?

Just generally .

Well it's pretty big so depends. The far end is quiet, the popular end less so. I'm not keen on crowds but don't mind the popular end in midweek occasionally. If I see lots of red helmets in big groups I just drive past to the plantation or the far end. 

I've found that even Popular is usually quite quiet during the week - maybe a handful of teams spread across the crag and possibly a group or two. If you head past the near end of Plantation towards High Neb, there's a reasonable chance you'll have the crag to yourself.

If you avoid school holidays then mid week should be pretty quiet.

I'm in agreement with the posters above. Certainly at this time of year you could easily get parts of the crag to yourself. Less so in the summer, but in/around spring - particularly midweek - moments of solitude can often be found even in the busiest of areas.

Have fun, wherever you end up.

Slightly busy in the honeypots, but the parking prevents true crowds. In the middle sections of the edge some good sub extreme routes probably only  get a few ascents a year. These days  I mainly solo or roped solo at Popular End and can easily knock off tens of quality starred routes without having to queue.

I've not been for a few years now and so was thinking of specifically  for Easter .

I contemplated mtbing across the crag and soloing easy routes in the daytime .   

So I'm just concerned about leaving my bike at the bottom or top of routes while I do that.

Easter likely to be busy I would guess if nice weather.  You will typically only get climbers at the bottom of the crag as most walkers are on the top.  So I think would be safer to leave the bike at the bottom (usually lots of rucksacs and other gear left around as everyone trusts each other).  I would definitely not leave the bike at the top.  Too many people.

The only problem with this is that it would not be easy to bike along the bottom of the crag (if its even allowed).

Ultimately there are so many routes close together that you only need to walk 2m between each one anyway.  If you don't want to drive get the train to Hathersage and walk up to the crag and back.  Would make a nice day of walking and climbing.

Thanks .

I'll not bother then, as it sounds like a lot of trouble like you say.

I can walk up from North lees or just split my days up into a biking day and a climbing day.

I was just contemplating options .

TWS

Not sure what your bike is worth but I'd not be leaving mine at the top whilst I went soloing a route. The bottom maybe, much less likely for some randomer to just grab it and ride off. It's a fairly busy walking route on the top.

Expensive enough. 

I've already decided against .

There is no right of way for bikes along the top or bottom of the vast majority of Stanage. People do ride along the top, like people do a Burbage, but you shouldn't if you don't want to get mountain bikers a bad name.  There's one bridleway that come up the back of Stanage past the Pole to the edge. Then you can descend the causeway (fast but straightforward gravel road) or do the Plantation route - for me at least terrifying at the top but right laugh! That is a bridleway so is 'legal' but is narrow and heavily used by walkers and climbers so "be nice, say hi!" and all that.

The are good routes all so close together if you are soloing a bunch there's not that much advantage to having a bike anyway. Like you say, a day or riding and day of climbing probably would be more satisfactory. Have fun.

Have a pedal up Stanage Causeway and climb at Secret Stanage. Anniversary arete/titanic/fun in the sun/creepy crawly areas are all very quiet, even on bank Holidays, and ideal for soloing around on.

I'm pretty jealous thinking about it to be honest  

Been talked off it .  

Some years, even with good weather, Stanage can be surprisingly empty at Easter.

Never worked out why but it's probably because loads of people are going to mountain or coast.

or because everyone assumes it'll be busy and goes elsewhere

Don't MTB across the crag, walk, there are shed loads of routes to do in any area you might choose.

Also should be quiet mid week.

Rise with the sun and go to stanage.

Leave around 10 when the masses arrive. Go mountain biking and lunch in a nice cafe, sitting outside in glorious sunshine glouting to yourself you've already bagged 10 routes while the masses now queue, stuck waiting for people who have just dusted off their racks from winter. 

Return to stanage, burbage etc at 5 or 6pm. Take nut key to recover crag swag that the ring rusty got stuck. 

As I said, I climb a lot on Popular End on busy days and for starred routes you really don't need to queue if you are flexible; there are no bad no-star routes and you never need to queue for them.

I liked the mountain bike up the Causeway suggestion... good quiet bouldering up there as well as quiet starred routes.

Dawn and evening climbing on Stanage is special and looking good for this Easter. Take care not to disturb any Ring Ousels.

I've only seen it as busy, as you suggest, once. First climbing day after foot and mouth ban finished.

Me personally.. if I was out soloing I wouldn't want to be soloing anything when they are many folk around. No distractions, less risk of people throwing ropes off without looking, knocking rocks etc. 

If the weather was kind, better to head up hill off the beaten track on bank holidays and enjoy a bit of downhill coming off on the way home. 

When are the midges at their worst?

Approximately 0.0027 persons per square metre.