UKC

i want to improve my crack technique, so i'm after a venue where i can improve this, in particular in the Peaks on grit or limestone as it's easier to get to. looking at S to VS range.

In reply to Paul Hy:


The answer is Pilton again

In reply to Tim Chappell: Sorry Tim, not heard of it and it doesn't appear in search on UKC!!

In reply to Paul Hy:


Sorry, I was being silly... cross-ref to the holidays in Scotland thread...

But you are aware that your thread title might excite the interest of the drugs squad?

In reply to Paul Hy:
Any peak grit crag. There are loads of crack climbs from S to VS at all the major crags. Are you after a specific type of crack climb?

Limestone not so good in that grade range, there are perhaps one or two good crack climbs at Wildcat although only at the top end of your grade range - HVS is better.

In reply to Si dH: I've heard Millstone is good?

In reply to Tim Chappell: lol

In reply to Paul Hy:
Millstone is good yes. At VS youve got The Mall (a corner), Crewcut (a big layback offwidth, a bit run-out and sometimes get HVS) and Embankment 2 (an awkward bugger somewhere in between jamming and laybacking, also quite hard work for the grade, but well protected and good practice for you). After that you're in to HVSs, of which there are loads - Millstone is great for HVSs (Bond Street and Great North Road would be good places to start, but you might want to practice your crack technique before getting on them).
Nothing below VS is really worth climbing there, and certainly wont give crack practice.

In reply to Paul Hy: Millstone is excellent, I was inept at crack climbing when I set off on Embankment 2, felt like a master by the time I got to the top.

In reply to Paul Hy:

I wouldn't recommend millstone in the S- VS range. It's decidedly weak below VS.

I think you'd get a better and more consistent outing at Stanage Popular End. Just look for crack climbs there. There are so many that if you can't fill a couple of days of crack practice at any grade then you probably forgot to go.

plenty of other sub VS climbs at millstone to go at other than the Mall,

these routes are all worth doing which follow cracks for most or part of them:

Remembrance Day - VS 4c
The Hacker - VS 4c
Close Shave - S 4a
Eartha - HS 4a
Great Slab - HS 4b
Scoop Crack - VS 4b
Brixton Road - Vdiff
Gimcrack - VS 4c
Chiming Crack - HS 4b
Hells Bells - HS 4a

In reply to Paul Hy:

Ramshaw is good. By the time you've shovelled your way up the Crank (VS 4c) then you know you're onto a good thing.

On Peak Rock also had a good crack school spread out all over the Peak, which in some ways would be even better as it gets you to different places and trying different routes which makes you better overall.

Limestone isn't great for it, although a good E2 is Phil's Route on Dovedale Church.

In reply to Paul Hy:
Eastern grit tends to have more holds, breaks and ripples (especially stanage popular) than western grit / yorkshire grit and therefore isn't as good overall for pure crack climbing.

In the peak district Castle Naze (there is tonnes here) and the Roaches are particularly good for crack climbing. At the roaches I can advise Kestrel Crack, Prow cracks, The bluger, Calcutta Crack, West's Wallaby, Damascus Crack, crack and corner, Right Hand Route.

Brimham rocks is particularly good on yorkshire grit for this type of thing.

In reply to CurlyStevo:
I don't think that's the case, there are oodles of crack lines on Eastern Grit at every grade and degree of purity.

Frogatt is particularly good, although it's more well-known for its slabs. Working up from the mild Sunset Crack, to Diamond Crack, Hawk's Nest (proper VS jamming), Broken Crack to Valkyrie (very pure but awkward jamming on pitch 1) to the classic Chequers, will turn you into a crack master

In reply to BenedictIEP:

Yeah that was my exact experience!

Started off never having used a jam in my life. half way I had to finally give up my horrible thrutchy layback technique and actually use jams....by the top I was flying!

In reply to Jon Stewart:
I agree about Froggatt. Crack climbing on slabs = easy crack climbing! Then there's a bunch of classic HVS cracks for when you're feeling good.