UKC

I'm from Canada looking for the full Peak District experience in late June.  Picked up the Rockfax guidebook for the area and have been looking at the various areas doing my research for our group.  We have a wide swathe of experience levels, with some new climbers and myself who's a little more experienced (V4/V5).

Is Stanage our best bet? Any recommendations on some climbs I should check off (there's so many climbs..)? I'm looking for problems that might be particularly unique to the area/rock type considering it's my first time on gritstone.

Thanks.

Just bouldering or trad climbing too?

Just bouldering.

As much as I'd love to get some trad in, none of the others are able and I don't own much gear.

Leave them to their own devices for a day and find yourself a partner on here?

The Burbage South circuit will be a good day for all imo. 

Seconded. If you've got new climbers in your group, Stanage Planation wouldn't necessarily be the best place to start, IMHO; a lot of the best lines are quite high.

Burbage South Valley boulders have loads of easy stuff for getting the feel of grit, generally all short and with good landings. If folks want harder stuff (and/or need to hide from excessive heat and sunshine), you can venture uphill to the Oak Grove boulders and the problems along the edge.

And I'm sure you could find a partner for a day on here if you wanted to get some trad in as well.

I'd go with burbage south being often a very good place to start. Thing is the UK has atlantic weather and the Peak District moors have midges (small biting insects) so your choice of venue might be heavily influenced by both. You need a light breeze to keep midges off, so on a windless humid late spring day, Burbage South won't be good (and Stanage Plantation no better) unless you like being eaten alive. Some places are much better between the showers venues than others (they dry quicker... bouldering on wet gritstone or sandstone is frowned upon ethically).There is also limestone bouldering in the Peak and the odd almost all weather venue (like the Churnett sandstone roofs... unless the weather has been really terrible when they seep). On a breezy dry day almost anywhere will be good.  Feel free to post here again and if you want email me (not many boulderers know lower grade Peak bouldering from a lower grade perspective as well as I do).

If you're looking for the 'full' Peak District experience then you won't find that on the Eastern edges alone. There's bouldering of equivalent quality (but perhaps fewer in number) around the Roaches and Chew Valley too. The grit is different in character in each corner of the Peak District so you'll need to travel for that 'full' experience! 

Agree with that. Its not really travelling though in North American terms, given all the parking areas are within an hours drive of each other.

I’d love to know the reason for the dislike! Come on, don’t be shy  

Just make sure no one in your party weighs less than 50kg in body weight or they will need a blood transfusion after a summer days session in the Peak!

I'm used to blackfly season in Northern Ontario, although I've heard the midges can be pretty heinous, ha..

I think I'd disagree with Burbage South as your first taste of grit bouldering, especially for low-grade climbers. I was recommended the same and got utterly spanked making for a very un-fun time of it all...

Roaches or Robin Hood's Stride I'd personally say are nicer venues. Compact and with a good range of problems and styles across grades.

Holmfirth Edge for Quarried Grit

West Nab for low grade natural grit.

Leave the Eastern Edges for the weekend warriors and come savour the one true grit. West is best y'all.

Harborough Rocks ( Harborough Rocks) if you fancy some limestone

* awaits wrath *

Yep, after two trips to Burbage South I went to Cratcliffe and had a much better time. Next trip was to the Roaches and again, we managed to do more.

Burbage felt so much harder.

It would seem from my suggestion of leaving the eastern edges than 50% of people on here don’t believe there’s any grit outside of 10 miles from Sheffield, let alone anything worth visiting. I pity them, I reallly do.

Interesting, what'd you get spanked on? Was it your first time on grit? First time outside? 

I think the lower grade slabby stuff at the bottom of the Roaches is pretty boring for a beginner.

First time on Grit (I think I got to Font before the Peak!), not outside. Just remember look at all the 4-5's and either not being able to pull on, or not getting a hope of topping out. Lots of slopey, mantely things.

Have since gone back and made progress, but some of them still feel hard for the grade. 

Agree the lower tier slabs are a little dull, BUT for your first touch of grit, they're an education

I agree some of them are quite rough, but an introduction to the style also I suppose. I just think it's nice to move around different blocs too, feels like a proper day out. There's also enough to keep a stronger climber entertained and some easier 5s to give new climbers a nice project I suppose. 

That said they're both bloody good and the grit is lovely. Am looking forward to my return!

Midges:

https://www.facebook.com/BBCScotland/videos/1979286072095601/

So the Stanage area is definitely not for beginners, and Burbage South is a maybe?

I guess I'll do some more reading and decide.  We're picking up pads in Sheffield and likely staying at North Lee's campsite, so will likely end up going somewhere in the east.

I went to North Lees for a night in summer once.

The midges were BAD

There is loads of good beginner's stuff at Stanage, you just need a breeze. Even the higher problems often wouldn't count as highballs in NA terms.

If you're camping at North Lees you'll be about 15 minutes walk from Plantation, so its a very obvious place to go. Loads of good problems there from easy to desperate. You can walk to Burbage Valley from there too, not that far - and you could do some of the classics at Stanage Apparent North (it's actually the southern end no idea how it got its name) on the way. Its only a few KMs from North Lees.

Midges can be horrible but I climb on grit year round and they only rarely spoil trips out. A tiny breeze and they're gone.