UKC

Hameldon Hill Quarry

This is my first posting in the forums so please go easy especially as I fully understand this can be a controversial subject. That said I appreciate that everyone is in titled to there opinion.

I am a regular visitor to hameldon and have done a fair amount of bouldering up there. There is also potential with a good amount of cleaning for some trad routes. However i have been watching one specific part of the quarry for four years now and it has remained dirty, loose, green and a bit damp. This is probably down to the fact it is north facing, below ground level and surrounded by bog. I believe that setting up this particular section of the quarry for dry tooling may be its best use.

I know that north wall at troy quarry has been through this process and overall gained acceptance. I'm good friends with the guy who proposed this but dont fully agree as it contains routes already that are worthwhile after a clean. I will try and post pictures of the proposed 'pit' later today. Apologies for any grammar mistakes.

Its also worth considering that, as far as I'm aware, lancashire doesn't have a dry tooling venue and it is becoming ever more popular. Hopefully by providing space to do this it will prevent those lacking respect from destroying our delicate and soft quarry classics. 

Regarding Troy, I understand there was a vote in a BMC meeting held in Cheshire, in which the dry tooling proposition won by a narrow minority. However very few Troy regulars even know about this vote. I have mentioned it to some of them, and they are usually shocked. I suspect if anybody was found dry tooling in Troy, there would be some angry climbers. Last year there was a cleanup on this wall, to get some of the trad routes in condition. The idea that dry tooling in Troy has gained widespread acceptance is not correct.

I did once ask some dry toolers if a very chossy wall in Calderdale might be of interest, but I was told there's not much point dry tooling vertical walls - they need to be steep for the climbing to be any good.

Regarding Hameldon, there are some dark, dank pits, but I doubt you'd get much interest. I would imagine most keen dry toolers would rather drive to wales or the lakes than slog up hameldon hill for a substandard venue.

Thanks for the input Robin. I was equally surprised to hear about troy especially as I spent aa lot of time cleaning and climbing many of the routes on that wall a few years ago.

I myself only dabble in dry tooling and understand what you mean about the steepness but unfortunately I'm not that strong and see it more as the 'average joes' training for winter mixed climbing. So vertical to just overhanging suits me but don't want to tread on any toes. 

Have you looked on the other side of the valley, at Lee and Cragg quarries? All around the mountain bike area, and where it meets Scout moor, there are lots of damp and scruffy little outcrops. Lots are chossy, but some are solid. You could cover a lot of ground from a dry tooling perspective. If you wanted to develop it, I'm sure the council wont mind. They've been accommodating to the mountain bikers.

If you're still really keen on Troy, there is Hutch Bank Quarry just down the road. Same rock, same 'its about to fall down' aspect, that many people find invigorating.

There are a couple of other scruffy little quarries here and there, but most of them have bands of shale, which is why they haven't been developed.

I have done a bit of biking round Lee and was surprised at just how much there was up there left to go at. I haven't heard of the other quarry so will have to dig out the OS map. Thanks

There is some trad in Lee Quarry, and I know some people have their eyes on various buttresses for future development. Steer clear of anything that looks solid enough to rock climb.

The same goes for other esoteric venues. Just because it isn't used right now, doesn't mean it won't be in the future.

In my mind, I think the rule has to be: if it's solid, leave it alone. 

If it's seriously loose choss, then I don't see a problem with dry toolers using it for an adventurous experience. 

Completely agree Robin. Cant work out how to attach photos on here so I will put them on the post on the lancashire rock revival FB page.

Have you looked at the walls either side of Ratten clough, Cliviger, Burnley. I've always wondered if these would make a good dry tooling venue. You could also brush up on your ice climbing at the same time, especially now as the fall seems to have formed.

There are also a few places in Cliviger gorge itself that may be of interest.