UKC

Whats the best HVS in the peaks? And what grade is it?
cast your vote.

In reply to mitchellbowen1990:

Which peaks? Any peaks, or the singular English one?


HVS!

In reply to petestack: haha Peaks Peaks Peaks! I don't care it's easier to say and makes more sense! Sorry but I've never been to the PeakS how ever I have heard Bachelor's Left-hand is really good.

In reply to mitchellbowen1990:

Chequers Buttress

And it's HVS - isn't that what you asked for?

In reply to mitchellbowen1990:

You=winner

The answer is The File, but it's only VS I'm afraid.

In reply to mitchellbowen1990:

No shortage of routes to choose from, some of my favourites are Chequers Buttress at Froggatt, as already mentioned, Suicide Wall at Cratcliffe, Croton Oil at Rivelin and Great Buttress at Dovestone Tor. As for grades, first two are HVS 5b I think, Croton Oil is 5a, and I think Great Buttress is HVS / E1 5b. All are good!

John

In reply to JonC:

Is it really, I'd say it was VS. Certainly felt soft for HVS.

In reply to mitchellbowen1990:
Three Pebble slab?

In reply to Reach>Talent:


lol. Are you aware it used to be E1?

In reply to Reach>Talent:


Now that also used to be E1, and is in some books..

In reply to JonC:
I'm going to have to pull the 'lanky git' excuse. I'm not sure how Chequers would have warranted E1, pre-cams?

Peapod, FBD, 3PS, The Thorn (hell freaking yea the thorn), and the Sloth. Many others will probably be on this list if I gave it some real thought beyond that top classics in my mind. I can think of so many HVS's where I've been in total elation that separating them all by quality becomes quite tricky!

As for grades, all are unquestionably HVS, those who question them are imo not adequately versed in the grade to understand them. Thrutch automatically means harder for some people so they feel the need to argue.

I realise these are all the popular ones, but there's a reason for it, and if you do them at the right time, the fact that they are popular is meaningless.

In reply to mitchellbowen1990:

Sorry, I've realised that the correct answer to this is obviously The Vice.

In reply to mitchellbowen1990:

Great North Road at Millstone

the correct answer is of course Goliath's Groove

In reply to mitchellbowen1990:

Original Route on High Tor, Batchelors Left Hand on Hen Cloud.

In reply to mitchellbowen1990:

Another voye for Suicide Wall. The only lime contender is Original Route. Peak lime doesn't do HVS and below that well..E1 E2and above, different story.

In reply to Reach>Talent: Chequers Buttress is benchmark HVS. Not sure that it's 5b though. Well done for finding it easy - let me know how you get on on Chequers Crack

To the OP: some of my faves

Congo Corner & Queersville - Stanage Popular
Goliaths Groove - Stanage Plantation
Valkyrie - Froggatt
Bond St - Millstone better than GNR in my book
Neb Buttress - Bamford
Suicide Wall - Cratcliffe
Blizzard Ridge - Rivelin
Sauls Crack - Roaches + anything at Hen Cloud
Cataclysm - Wildcat (may be VS 5a, can't remember)
John Peel - Dovedale
Gangue Grooves - Willersley
Pisa Direct - Shining Clough

but it all depends what type of climbing you like! (I like cracks)

In reply to mitchellbowen1990:

And Flying Buttress Direct.

Another shout for East Rib. And Tody's Wall. And ooooo... everything!

In reply to danm:
Interestingly it was one of your other recommendations that made me think Chequers was more like VS - Valkyrie looks so much harder; I was put off after watching a couple of fairly competent mates make a real meal out of it after cruising Chequers buttress. I think it is probably the move round the corner on Chequers which is much easier if you are tall.

In reply to mitchellbowen1990:

I can't believe people are saying that 3 pebble slab (irrespective of grade) is "the best HVS in the Peak". It's not even the best at Froggatt.

My list (although there's a bit of a recency-effect in here):
- Pisa Direct
- Croton Oil
- Sloth
- Great North Road
- Bachelor's Left Hand
- Suicide Wall

If I had to pick just one, Suicide Wall or Croton Oil. Damn, that's 2...

J

In reply to gribble:

And another.

Mick

In reply to mitchellbowen1990:

Great North Road

Flying Buttress Direct for me with close runners up

Batchelors Left Hand
Great North Road
Suicide Wall

In reply to Owen W-G:

3PS, if you think it is HVS, doesn't even make it into the top 50 at the grade IMO. Loads and loads of better routes out there. It's only a rockfax fav because it was a notorious soft touch E1 for so many years.

In reply to mitchellbowen1990:

Forgot Great Portland Street - lovely route

In reply to mitchellbowen1990: To add to those already mentioned, I really liked Lyons Corner House at Millstone. Probably not "the best" but super fun!

In reply to Yorkspud:
Great North Road
Great Portland Street
Bond Street
Bachlors left hand
Delstree
The sloth
Peapod
Queersville
Suicide Wall

50's & 60's being the golden years for HVS grit climbers!

In reply to mitchellbowen1990: Delstree, Suicide Wall, Gt North Road, Valkyrie.

In reply to mitchellbowen1990: Rather incredibly it would appear that Sweatyman, HVS 5a at Shooter's Nab appears to have been missed off this list

In reply to chris fox: very nice

In reply to Reach>Talent: Valkyrie is just tough for HVS, but an awesome route. There's even a cheeky hands off rest before the second crux.

In reply to mitchellbowen1990:

Of those I've led or led a pitch of then
Legacy, Kinder North, not especially hard but most satisfying
Valkyrie, Froggatt
Queersville & BAWs crawl for humour value, Stanage

Of all the routes I've seconded, including croton oil and pisa superdirect my favourite is Blizzard Ridge at Rivelin, mint

In reply to mitchellbowen1990: Great Crack at Duke's Quarry is worth seeking out, VS 5a in the guide, but I think HVS 5a could be argued, especially at the start. It's HVS 5a on the database. The best? Maybe not, though a top 50 Peak route in the guide.
It's very good and there's some absorbing jamming on it, which keeps on coming at you all the way up. If you can, carry two red and two yellow Camalots, I was pleased to have them today.

Brown Corner at Stoney should be a contender too!!??

In reply to mitchellbowen1990:

um any of these which is the best i can't decide?
Twisted Smile
Jester Cracks
Legacy
Terrazza Crack
Bond Street
Queersville
Right-hand Tower
Great North Road
The Sloth
Parker's Eliminate
Lyons Corner House
Scoop Face
Congo Corner
The Link
Flying Buttress Direct
Eliminator
The Trident (most probably E1 though)
Priscilla Ridge
Cave Crack (laddow)
East Rib
Pisa Super Direct
Chequers Buttress
The Right Unconquerable (and Left its HVS really too)
Neb Buttress
Great Buttress (Dovestone)
Croton Oil
Gangue Grooves
Joint Effort
the Nails
Goliath's Groove
Saul's Crack
Great Portland Street
Peapod
The Blurter
Zapple
BAW's Crawl
Rubberneck
Sunset slab
Valkyrie
(need to do more limestone, the classics at hen cloud and suicide wall

In reply to Graeme Hammond: I like Eliminator, the right unconquerable, and the Dalesman at Stanage.
Also dexterity at Millstone.
Climbed Freddie's Finale recently at Wimberry also - do that and you wont forget it in a hurry( :

In reply to Matt Maynard:
yeah wanted to do Frieddie's Finale but the weather didn't agree We should have stuck it out as it cleared up, but we wouldn't have got to Rob's Rocks and Wilderness Rocks which were both rather nice. The Dalesman is hightly underated IMO i do like a good traverse.

Dexterity is a good call,
also forgot Tody's Wall,
Kelly's overhang,
Cresent Arete and Technical Master both high enough to warrent HVS

In reply to The Green Giant:
How on earth is it easier to say, its longer? It also makes no sense at all.

In reply to mitchellbowen1990:

Great North Road, Chequer's Buttress and Maupassant are my favourites in the Peak.

In reply to mitchellbowen1990: Flying buttress direct
Eliminator
Three pebble slab
Sunset slab
Blizzard Ridge

In reply to jamiegoscote:

Blizzard Ridge is definitely the best of them all, though Pisa Superdirect and Legacy run it close

In reply to MattG:

Looks like Great North Road got the most votes.. although Blizzard Ridge was fantastic!

In reply to mitchellbowen1990:

Anyone mentioned The Thorn at Beeston yet?

In reply to richardhopton:

Suicide Wall is quite a bit better than Blizzard ridge and probably, if my memory is to be trusted, better than GNR which I can't seem to remember much about.

In reply to Bulls Crack:
GNR which I can't seem to remember much about.

Well to be honests thats sort of how I felt about leading The Thorn, it was over far to quick and no so memorable as Blizzard Ridge, which I had a bit of an epic on!

I havent led Great North Road as yet but seeing as it has had so many mentions (along with Bachelors Left Hand) it is next on the tick list!

In reply to mitchellbowen1990:

I think the under-acclaimed Rubberneck certainly deserves another mention (only one so far).

In reply to Gordon Stainforth:

An excellent route. Certainly a more worthy contentender than the polished, overhyped one move wonder that is Tody's Wall.

In reply to GrahamD:

Absolutely agreed. Tody's Wall is an interesting polished problem with a nice, lower standard but very good finish - but by no means a contender for the best HVS in the Peak. Whereas RN is of the highest quality all the way on superlative rock, quite sustained even after the crux which is high in the grade.

In reply to chris fox:

I'll second that ('cos I'll probably never lead it again...)

In reply to mitchellbowen1990:

Tricky - I change my mind sometimes on an hourly basis.

The best HVS crag in The Peak though has to be Millstone.

Not including Stanage.

In reply to mitchellbowen1990:

Glad someone else has voted Twisted Smile - fantastic line, location, climbing and hard for the grade (which always makes for a more satisfying experience if it's at or near the top of your grade, so more likely to feel like 'the best'). E0.

Bachelor's LH and Suicide Wall for their unrivalled bigness and butchness. E0.

RH Tower is my favourite on Stanage. HVS.

The Sloth is the most spectacular. E0.

Crescent Arete. V2.

No Limestone HVS is getting near these. I guess Original Route is the best Peak Limestone HVS I've done and it was really unpleasant, just quite long.

In reply to Reach>Talent:

small arms.
Not being a lanky git it is bloody murder trying to get to the arete without falling off!
Chequers Crack now there's a HVS!

In reply to Graeme Hammond:

Must add to my list:

Bachelor's Left-hand, OMG how good is this!!!
and Delstree

after the weekend

In reply to Graeme Hammond:

I agree. If you had done Rubberneck too, you'd have had the full set!

In reply to Jon Stewart:

The best Limestone HVS you did was unpleasant?

In reply to jonny2vests: Yep. Don't really enjoy big crack/corner type lines on good rock, so on Peak lime, no chance. Prefer more varied things with delicate, technical moves (no Great North Road or Right Unconquerable in my list). And there aren't many quality Peak limestone HVSs, as the good crags tend to start a bit harder, so not much choice and nothing in my style. Then add the fact that any classic limestone HVS is going to be battered into a horrible slipperry nightmare of a thing, and there you go: thoroughly unpleasant. I can see the appeal of Original Route, it's just not my bag.

In reply to mitchellbowen1990:

I think that you need to read the guide books..Staiden Moor Quarry has a couple. There is a very good one at Alderly Cliff near Earl Sterndale. There are one or two at Wildcat at Matlock...try Golden Yardstick...wait to you make that step across that will make you think a bit. Then there is a very good one at Tissington Spires...shall I go on. All with good gear and lots of it.

In reply to John Bradley (Bradders):
I like the peaks!!!

In reply to Frankie boy:

Top 3

Flying Buttress Direct
Bachelors Left Hand
Great North Road

In reply to Jon Stewart:

I note with some mirth that one of your 2 pictures is you flexing on a burly HVS; brilliant route though.

You don't want to do R Unconq? Blimey, you are missing out.

In reply to jonny2vests: Ha ha. East Rib was good, but it's pretty short lived from what I remember? And not really burly, it's an arete. Not a patch on Twisted Smile. Were it not for its slightly scrappy nature, I think Ivory Tower would be up there too.

I've done RU a while back, kind of fun but no good moves (I suppose you could say the top-out was good), just rather tiring. I'll do it again in the next couple of weeks probably to see how it feels...the left was a jug-fest and not really pumpy, I remember the right being more of a draining plod.

In reply to Jon Stewart:

Yeah, but its a big beautiful hanging flake begging to be climbed.

At the heart of my psychological reasoning of climbing is that there are routes you do for the moves, and there are routes you do for the experience. RU for me is more about the experience; a right of passage for many, history coming out of every pore (not to mention brilliant satisfying climbing).

Or maybe it's something like Heart of Darkness in Pembroke; the climbing is fairly average & repetitive, but what a wild place to be!!!

If I was going to be horribly reductionist, I'd say that the bouldering mentality says it's only about the moves whereas with the trad mentality its often more about the situation and the whole experience. Grit is a special case that manages to encompass both, but most rock in the world isn't grit.

In reply to jonny2vests:

Totally agree - Right Unconquerable is pure joy.

As Jim Perrin wrote, 'Heaven Crack was my first love for, when I grew up, she became Right Unconquerable.'

Heart of Darkness in terrible conditions, with rubbish gear, was memorable. Must be a lovely solo on a sunny afternoon. Great positions and a great name - also from Jim.

Mick

In reply to jonny2vests: Totally agree about the situation aspect, at HVS I think Kipling Groove would have to be a favourite for the feeling as you pull out and scuttle along the hand traverse. The moves aren't special but the situation's incredible.

But on grit it doesn't really apply so much - although Kinder gives it a good shot. Much more about the moves for me.

And as for history, I usually find history = big crack line, usually awkward and knackering, battered to within in inch of its life. I get a bigger buzz from the slightly esoteric; knowing that not many people have been to the same place, rather than some run-of-the mill vertical motorway like RU.

(OK, it's clearly a great route, just too battered and a bit boring - you don't have to think - to be a favourite of mine.)