UKC

I've climbed trad for years and years on the island of jersey up to e3 at max, staying safe and staying weak... moved to Yorkshire last year and have fallen in love with grit, bouldering, limestone and traaaiining! Finally... I just want some suggestions of safe E grade climbs so I can get my trad grade back up and maybe break some barriers... I can boulder up to 7a and sport up to 7a also at the moment but only trad onsight up to e1 and really think I could do better with some hard but safe routes. By safe I mean even highball routes with mats but up to like 6c boulder moves... but especially routes with a distinct crux above good gear would be good. Peak or Yorkshire. I've been watching videos of nosferatu and maybe it isn't 'safe' but it looks doable... thanks for any suggestions!

In reply to Matt17:
Millstone is the standard answer for low grade grit with good gear.
Low E grade that is. Also if you're there, a couple of interesting routes at laurencefield too.

In reply to Matt17:

So you want recommendations of safe routes to push your grade above E1, and then suggest trying an unsafe E6? The first gear on Nosferatu is fairly high, the climbing pretty hard, and the landing strewn with boulders.

In reply to Matt17:

For hard, safe, higher grade gritstone trad climbing Higgar Tor is hard to beat.
If your climbing 7A/7a you should be alright on most stuff there.

In reply to Matt17:

if youre in Yorkshire then Almscliff is an obvious belter of a crag.

Black Wall Eliminate is brilliant at E2 and has loads of gear. Safe as houses. Hardest move near start then just stamina after that.

Western Front at E3 equally brilliant. Technically harder. Again very good gear and very safe.

Enjoy!

In reply to Coel Hellier:
Safe (ish). And it's not like I'm struggling at e1, I've onsighted up to e3. Just want recommendations of higher grades that are potentially like boulder problems up to font 7a but above good gear or (relatively) low down if they're easier than that...

In reply to climberchristy:

Thanks yeah I love Almscliff! Western front is a bit of a beast for a shorty like me, but your right, super safe.

In reply to Matt17:
You obviously know Almscliff then. So.. a few more 3* suggestions .

Grand Illusion - biggish fall if stuff up crux but its into space and on bomber gear. If you can boulder and sport to 7a then youre easily good enough technically to do the crux which is short-lived.

Big Greeny - even bigger fall if stuff up crux but again into space and bomber gear so safe.

Wall of Horrors - hardest moves are the bouldery gearless start (could practice above pads first?) then get decent gear higher up. Difficulty wise it gets easier the higher up the route you go.

BTW I'm not exactly tall and I managed Western Front. Don't want to offer beta unasked for but message me if you want a tip thst may help on the crux.

In reply to climberchristy:

Yeah this is what I'm talking about cheers!

In reply to Coel Hellier:

To be fair Nosferatu is one of those 'routes' where mats make a huge difference. It used to get E5 without mats, but good use of mats would make it considerably less serious than that. In fact I seem to remember Johnny Dawes did it with a mattress he dragged up to the cliff long before the invention of bouldering mats, something that was definitely considered not cricket at the time.

In reply to Matt17:

Right Wing of Malham? Carnage Left Hand (more like right hand), Crossbones and Wombat are all safe *** routes.

In reply to stp:
Nosferatu is not hard E6 even sans mats. I had a phase of belaying and trying my best to second good climbers on onsights and was amazed how hard and insecure some low extremes were (like Saddy) compared to overgraded routes like this. I said it was nothing like E7 then and Tom Randall recently said he thinks it's E5. Fully padded out as a highball its doable although you might want a runner for the move from the break at the top that's common with the E2.

In reply to Matt17:

Grit list is your friend surely?

http://gritlist.wikifoundry.com/

In reply to stp:

nosferatu is about e3 even without mats

In reply to Matt17:
Ilkley

Tufted Crack (E1 5c)

Wellington Crack (E4 5c)

Blind Valley (E3 5c)

Lots of good micro routes at Slipstones

Atomic E3 6a

Heptonstall

Forked Lightning Crack (E2 5c)

Thin Red Line (E1 5b)

Loads at Brimham Rocks

If you get hold of the old Yorkshire Gritstone guide the routes get an added P grade I.e. P1 good well protected
P2 not as good
P3 Dire consequences, do not fall
Making route choices easier if your not feeling it on the day

In reply to Matt17:

Also head over to the Lancs quarries, loads of good quality, well protected crack lines : )

In reply to Matt17:
Cheers guys! Loads of good suggestion. Seems like there's so many low e grade routes that are dangerous to me and I see people doing much harder routes and think... well that looks safer than the e1 I was in last week?! Weird innit