UKC

Looking for some places to go top roping in the peak district any suggestions

In reply to h.cook2000:

Troll Crag.

Mick

In reply to Mick Ward:

ok thanks what grades are the climbs may i ask

In reply to h.cook2000:

There's not much worth top roping in the peaks, try a little further south, like Birmingham

In reply to radddogg:

Im getting the gear for christmas, and won't be going until next year, this means i just want to get some time under my belt rigging wise so anywhere that i can top rope would be great. unless i can find someone willing to teach me how to sport climb

In reply to h.cook2000:

Away

In reply to h.cook2000:

If you are just starting, then find a club or someone experienced to take you.

Any of the peak crags pretty much is ok if you're careful. Set belays well (ensure you know how to do this) and avoid hogging classics. make sure shoes are clean before you start the route.

In reply to JJL:

ok thanks for the advice and I'm going to try the peaks climbing club and or Facebook page
Harry

In reply to h.cook2000:


The obvious answer is anywhere at all - just offer to second for a sympathetic and experienced trad climber and you will get to go up on a top rope.

In reply to h.cook2000:

If you hadn't noticed there are some sarcastic responses. This is because top roping is looked down upon by many who believe that free climbing is the only acceptable method. There was another thread criticising someone top roping in the peak district so people (me included) may have thought your part was a wind up.

Where are you based?

In reply to Mick Ward:

I'm guessing the 2000 may be his year of birth, hence the Xmas reference

Harry, (indoor) grades and rough location is probably handy.

In reply to SiGregory:

You're probably better at decoding these things!

[To Harry]

Re your other post - Horseshoe's probably not the best place. The easier routes tend to be a bit loose and the harder ones tend to be a bit polished.

Would second the advice above - find a club and go out with them a few times. If you get on with them, join the club.

Good luck.

Mick

In reply to radddogg:


Most people I see top-roping are free climbing.

In reply to Willi Crater:

I was led to believe that lead climbing and soloing were free. That's what I meant

In reply to radddogg:

I'm based well out of the way of any climbs that's why I want to be sure before heading out on probably a minimum of an hour journey.

In reply to h.cook2000:

Don't listen to some of the dinosaurs on here, you have as much right to be climbing as they do. If you are not too experienced at rigging I would avoid places like Windgather as the gear at the top is not too great (even though the grades are easy). Stanage popular is always a good suggestion, as is Burbage north (the first wall you get to is great) and Birchen.

Don't let people put you off top roping...just because they lead doesn't make them better than you or any more worthy of doing a climb.

If you are not confident in safely setting up anchors etc then go to your local indoor wall and either sign up to an outdoor course or see if you can bag yourself a more experienced partner.

Have fun, be safe and good luck!

In reply to radddogg:


FYI

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_climbing

In reply to phja:

I agree with your sentiment but the suggestions are not so good in my experience. I worked on a lot of the BMC guidebooks and I think top-roping is fine. Burbage north first walls are busy, polished and a bit short... go down the far end. Birchen has too many hard starts for first timers and Stanage Popular is OK but the route selection needs care (its certainly best to avoid starred routes, especially classics) descents can also be a pain. There is a bit just right if the Unconqerables that I favour or if you want more breathing space Secret Stanage where you will often have the area to yourself when Popular End is rammed. All the clubs are good but some are more welcoming to beginners than others.

This is also a beginners forum and you could look at sarcastic posters in terms of sailing pretty close to the wind on forum rules but must of us would say its more they are being stupid and infantile.

In reply to h.cook2000:


I'm guessing that the person giving you the Christmas present will also be driving you to the crag and belaying for you. If so, the two obvious places to go would be Windgather Rocks (gritstone, near Macclesfield) or Harborough Rocks (limestone, near Matlock). Both offer short routes in the easy grades, an abundance of iron belay stakes at the top and they're both super-friendly for starting out. Since they are both also often frequented by climbing instructors with groups, setting up top ropes, it's unlikely that you will get scowled at.

In reply to Andy Morley:

There are no belay stakes at Windgather

In reply to nigel n:


Odd that - I must have tied on to some thin air last time I was there earlier this year and then had a conversation with an equally delusional man who asked me how long one of these imaginary stakes had been there.

In reply to Andy Morley:

Would second Harborough rock, it's great.

In reply to h.cook2000:

Stanage is pretty good, theres some proper classics like Hollybush Crack, Christmas Crack, Ellis' Eliminate and if you're feeling confident Queersville and Flying buttress direct are pretty awesome.

In reply to Andy Morley:

There is one solitary belay stake at wind gather that serves a couple of routes. Rigging belays at the top of all the others can be a little fiddly so not ideal for first time belay builders.

In reply to Otis:


You may be right - last time I was there we only did a couple of lead climbs, the rest we solod so we only built a couple of anchors. However, I seem to remember a lot of useful looking boulders that would take slings - I'll be going there tomorrow so I'll take a look.

Anchor-building is going to be an issue wherever you go unless you choose sport routes, and most sport routes are not exactly beginner-friendly in the UK.

In reply to Andy Morley:

sarcy tw*t

belay stakes placed without the landowners permission are removed

In reply to Andy Morley:

Harborough is much more suitable for complete beginners' toproping than Windgather, in that it's quite exceptionally easy to rig perfect belays at the top - not just loads of good nut placements, but spikes, bollards and natural threads.

In reply to Offwidth:

My first climbing trips were top ropes, up Birchens, in trainers. Some friendly bouldering on the ships, too.

In reply to h.cook2000:

Dovestone Tor

In reply to SiGregory:

So what? I'm just saying there are better venues and that's really about the choices of your group leader. When I started in my Uni club we had people clumping up grit classics like Sunset Slab in big boots... an even worse choice. I'd prefer people dont ruin the experience (they got to have) for beginners in the future... use climbing shoes or other shoes that are easy to keep clean, on any starred routes or quality problems; especially on such lovely lower grade bouldering as The Three Ships.

In reply to Gordon Stainforth:


Just got back from a trip to Windgather with my lad and another team. I didn't see any stakes this time, but there are a lot of routes in the Mod to HVD range (harder ones as well, obviously) that do have plenty of opportunities to make solid anchors. Some routes are more problematic but there's enough there to be able to find what you want. I think that in the OP or one of your follow-ons you said that you were going to learn how to build anchors and that's something you'll need to get right even if you go somewhere like Harborough. I'd say go to both, to taste both the lime and the grit

In reply to h.cook2000:
Not in the peak district, but good for beginners
Markfield Quarry

There were stakes, but I don't know how old /safe they are, I haven't been there recently.

Park by the church is safer.