UKC

Myself, daughter and 2 friends are planning to head out on Monday. We had a course on setting up belays at the top of crags, I've seconded lots but only led once (more like a roped scramble at that!).

We've really struggled to get out together as one friend is an out of hours nurse, the other just plain long hours and I'm a working single mum. It's 3 weeks since our belay T/R set up course - I've had chance to practice but the other 2 haven't. Basically - we would avoid BH if we could but we're stuck for time and need to practice to not end up starting again.

So, we'll set off at the crack to get there by 8:30-9 but I'm still worried, given we need to move out of everybody's way, that we may still struggle to actually climb or practice.

It is going to take us longer to double check things but other than that we're not looking to hog anything. Any ideas for a quieter crag (by comparison!) with some easier climbs?

In reply to flopsicle:

Baslow Edge is often quieter than neighbouring crags in the Peak. Not quite the quality of the classic crags, but with plenty of short easy climbs.

In reply to flopsicle:

Ive often found that Peak crags are pretty quiet on bank holidays - everyone seems to be away. That said, Heleno's suggestion of Baslow Edge is good - a lovely little place that is always quiet.

In reply to flopsicle:
You'll probably need to be a bit more specific if you want recommendations for crags.
Whereabouts are you thinking, Eastern Peak?

[[[EDIT: Read the thread title dummy! Dur!]]]

Your profile says Notts so assuming so, I'll suggest Wharncliffe. (Which isn't actually quite in the Peak District.)

Easy to get to (but also easy to get a bit lost walking in) - I usually park here http://streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=431055&Y=397475&A=Y&Z=120 and walk in to the top instead of coming up from Deepcar.

It's generally a bit quieter than elsewhere, has lots of good (and a couple of really good) easy routes, and is pretty easy to set up top ropes. On the downside the view from the "popular" end is not lovely, and the electricity pylons don't do much for the atmosphere either. It's difficult to walk along the bottom of the crag because of the big jumble of boulders there, but the top path is really easy and there are lots of easy descent routes everywhere.

I'm not sure if there are routes for you further along at Long John's Stride and beyond, but it'd be worth exploring a bit anyway, it's nice over there.


Hogging a classic line on a busy day is a no-no, but if you're setting up a top rope and each climbing the route once, don't worry too much about this. The thing about leading taking precedence over top-roping is often overstated a bit, don't be *too* quick to move out of everybody's way, you have as much right to climb as anyone else.

In reply to flopsicle:
Wharncliffe, Gardoms, Burbage. I would have thought the first two would have been quieter, they certainly used to be in the past. Burbage is easy access and has a friendly feel to it. As long as you are not hogging routes for hours on end you do not need to move out of anyone's way.

Al

In reply to steveb2006:

You do sometimes get a kind of "crowd inversion" going on when everybody avoids the busiest crags at the same time. I've reluctantly been dragged along to Stanage on a BH weekend before now, and been surprised to find the place relatively deserted.

If what you really fancy is a day at Stanage Popular, go for it, you never know your luck. (And the good thing about Stanage is you can always move along, there are oodles of quality routes all the way from one end to the other.)

In reply to GridNorth:

BH = Bank Holiday Al.

In reply to deepsoup:

Yes saw that in the post after mine so edited mine as, when I saw it, it was obvious and I looked dumb. I was trying to think of crag names, all I could come up with was Black Hawk at Stanage. DUH!!! Must be having a senior moment.

Al

In reply to heleno:

There are a few spots at Baslow where it's awkward finding a good belay, but otherwise, thirding that suggestion.

It's a lovely place which would surely get far more attention if it wasn't overshadowed by Froggatt and Curbar, but as it is, it's wonderfully quiet -- even on a weekend/bank holiday, you might only have one or two teams of climbers on the entire crag.

And because it's under-loved, it has some quality easy climbs which aren't at all polished.

In reply to GridNorth:

BH bank holiday, Peak - National Park area.

Cheers all for the replies. We were thinking Eastern area.

It's encouraging - i wondered if it might be a bit 'stay out the way' on a BH, but we really struggle to get us all in one place for a day!

In reply to GridNorth:
Just realised I had a similar senior moment with the thread title. Ho hum.

In reply to flopsicle:
I'd recommend Wharncliffe as well, good holds and good gear on the lower grade routes... its surpringly quick to get to from Notts despite being north of Sheffield (quicker than Stanage). The dry sub 20 forecast is good for the crag (It can be a bit much on windless hot sunny days), its much less midgy than the main eastern edges.

Baslow is nice but the best routes tend to be a bit short and have more belay problems. Windgather is brilliant but Busy. Avoid Birchen... hard starts and often belay issues on the eaiest routes. Another choice would be the right of Stanage Plantation.... parking is normally not rammed there on Aug BH and if you look up the Unconquerables there are a few slabby routes 30m right that are quiet and good (you will need a breeze... Stanage can be midge hell right now on windless days)

There is even a chance we might see you up there... Moff managed her first climbs for a while yesterday.

In reply to Offwidth:

Good to hear things are on the up! There seems like a bit of choice to be had. I suspect I'll have my nose stuffed into Eastern Grit over the weekend.

In reply to flopsicle:

Harborough Rocks for a limestone option. I'd highly doubt that many people would want to go there on bank holiday monday.

In reply to GridNorth:


Great minds Al, great minds - it was a mystery to me as well. Maybe because for the likes of you and me EVERY day's a BH eh?

In reply to Martin Bennett:

Hi Martin, it's all this "text speak" that seems to be in fashion. Mind you I'm as bad and often revert to things like "IMO". What ever happened to clear precise English?

Al

In reply to GridNorth:

That a time of universal clear precise English existed is a myth; maybe you are thinking of a language like Esperanto. English is a beautiful living complex language and word play, colloquialisms and short-hand are common. Many climbing route names epitomise this more genuine tradition.

In reply to Offwidth:

Perhaps I am but I'm surprised you took the time to educate me on what was really just a throw away remark.

Al

In reply to flopsicle:
We go out every week, usually midweek to the peak but we will also be out Monday (also from Nottigham) don't be afraid to go to the popular crags especially stanage or burbage. Just walk along the edge away from the most popular areas and you will find a bit to yourself. That's what we usually do. Top ropes can be annoying for some regular trad leaders but we all have to learn somehow and the real thing is better than a wall. However don't get stuck top roping too long get along with some other local climbers and learn to lead as soon as possible.
There's always someone willing to teach( without being paid) and there's plenty of professional help if you want to go in that direction. Leading easy stuff is easier than you think. Have a go. Have a nice day Monday .

In reply to Marcus Tierney:

I will/am learning to lead but I think about the most important bit of that is knowing my rigging at the top is solid, anchors good, angles sound so that once I'm bring up a second I can relax and concentrate on what they're doing. Also if I start to take my daughter out alone we're limited to top roping as she's only 8.

At this stage it's just all steps in the right direction and I don't want to hurry, i want to really know what I'm doing and why. I'm a plodder!

In reply to flopsicle:

We went to Harborough in the end. I knew it best and had wanted omewhere else as I went there Fri but it ticked all the boxes. It was a good decision with a solidly good day in the sunshine!

Led a couple too...

In reply to flopsicle:

Glad to hear you had a good day.

Woo. Good for you.

In reply to flopsicle:


Well done! How were the nerves??

In reply to Danm79:

Good thanks! Learning to lead has given me an ace excuse to climb easy stuff and faffing with protection seems to distract from feeling nervous too. All in all, it's been a good step forward.

In reply to flopsicle:

Yay, glad to hear getting on the sharp end went so well!


Yeah, it's fascinating how that happens. I've found that I can often get more intimidated/stressed by a route when I'm seconding than when I'm leading. When I'm leading, I have to be very absorbed in what I'm doing, and that can mean my brain has less space for freaking out. *g*