UKC

hi folks

weather looking fair but cold thursday - saturday, though hearing reports of lots of snow in the peak.  is it worth me trekking up from london for a few days or will it all be too cold and soggy?

thanks

Its been difficult to get into the Peak from the east (we are Roaches side, curbar was off limited yesterday from our side and Crattcliffe was wet) I went over to Gibb Tor last night and got stuck in the snow so...... Im hoping it will be ok on sunday as I need get over to Stanage to finish something off.

Thanks Steve

So difficult to say for sure, but if i manage to trek up to the crag am I going to be alright bouldering / soloing around?  or will it likely be savagely cold and damp (rain forecast tomorrow) ie. best to leave it.

haven't been up for a good while so a bit out of touch with making educated guesses in the winter months

Why not consider somewhere you can more likely climb. Stanage can be horrible in current cold and windy conditions aside from some of the sheltered bouldering .  In contrast places like Rivelin and Wharncliffe can be OK. 

This is also a good place to view/ ask.

http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,11733.2400.html

I was at Stanage on Monday and ended up bailing for Burbage (which wasn’t much better) due to the bitterly cold wind. The good news is that the rock was bone dry and not much snow on the top of the crag so very little seepage. Depending on how much it rains tomorrow it could well be dry on Thursday if the westerly winds continue but likely be unpleasant. There’ll be somewhere reasonably dry and sheltered for a comfortable day out, but I’d be driving 30 minutes rather than x hours.. so whether it’d be worth it or not remains to be seen!

Went out other day with wind coming from further north and managed to find shelter in burbage but I think with it coming from further south will hit the crag more. Other options are Wharncliffe, Rivelin, Lawrence field, Cratcliffe. Rivelin's your best bet though

Hey Dan,

To counteract some of the Stanage nay-sayers above, I've been climbing there a lot recently and have had some amazing days - just depends on what you're up for. If it's trad, it could be good/could be bad depending on the wind; if it's bouldering, Thurs-Sun look absolutely mint - so much so that I'll likely be up there on one or more days. 

Snow quantity isn't an issue now. In fact, it never really was in terms of climbing, as Stanage's location up high meant the the snow was all transported and re-deposited elsewhere by the wind. The issue was - as others have pointed out - actually getting to the crag, as most of the roads were snowed up on Tuesday but this no longer an issue.

For a recent pic of just how good its been take a look at my most recent photograph on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rob_greenwood/

As a pal you know how much I love your enthusiasm, but mint, really? Friday looks OK if a bit windy but on any day of the next 4  I'd rather be somewhere else. Also just because some locals have the right experience and kit to make the most of the winter friction, it doesnt mean occasional visitors wouldn't do well to go elsewhere or if they insist on Stanage,  to ask the likes of you to show them around.

https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/forecast/gcqzd69kf#?date=2018-0...

My negative points were more general as I witness too many people unthinkingly go there as its 'the big name' when for what they want there are almost always much better crags. I've always contended on UKC that winter bouldering is more reliable at Stanage than cragging but even then, unless its sunny, windless and cold, there are better places. As you know, like you, I've climbed and bouldered extensively there at every month of the year.

In my defence the forecast has changed since I posted that, with the wind picking up significantly - hence 'mint' would no longer be my first choice of words. Maybe 'abrasive' would have worked better.

That said, I went up there yesterday and despite (or maybe because of) the wind the conditions were amazing - if you were out the wind/in the sun it was actually quite warm. However, as many reading this will know, not much at Stanage could be described as 'sheltered' and to that end you certainly had to pick your spot. I will happily admit that my enthusiasm generally gives me rose tinted conditions goggles, hence despite what I believe to be a generally trustworthy disposition this is one area where I do have a tendency to be a bit of a liability  

In terms of the rest, if someone posts a specific thread on Stanage conditions my first reaction will be to tell them what the conditions are like at Stanage - not try to persuade them to go elsewhere (unless conditions at Stanage looked particularly bad). As it happens they didn't and they were so good I decided to go out and sample them myself. I am with you that people should branch out beyond the big-names though, but perhaps that's one for another thread (or even an article).

Met High Neb forecast for the weekend looks roughly the same now as I remember 3 days back. Wind speed, direction, temp, likely clag and lack of sun mean a lower down, more sheltered, quick drying venue is advisable, like Rivelin. I think your sunny disposition is reading more negativity in my Tuesday post than there is and more positivity into the forecast then. Funny how instagram pics reflect less on the days we get our weather punts wrong

Always best to check UKB conditions post on the day, which is why I linked it.

Hi Rob, I started on my grit odyssey (bouldering) last year and have spent a few trips visiting the more esoteric venues with the exception of Burbage. I've vowed not to visit Curbar until I've spent good time at around 20 other crags first, so an article on the smaller venues from a knowledgeable source, would be valuable. From my own experience, people would be more likely to visit places such as Cratcliffe and Wimberry if they were aware of the quality of some of the lines and the ease of access. In spite of only a couple of decent days out of 21 so far, the Berry/James Rockfax guide and Grimer's 'Boulder Britain' have steered me to some fantastic places usually with the place to myself (which is good and bad in equal measure .