Restricted Access
There is no formal access to the quarry, there are signs discouraging access at the entrance. Climbing has taken place in the quarry since the mid 1980’s.
There are some access guidelines to follow to maintain the status quo.
On no account must any of the clifftop be used to access the crag at any time. The land at the top of the cliff is private land all the way from Almark garage through to the old gate on Dale Road. All equipping and re-equipping of routes can easily be done from the quarry floor by using existing bolts and anchors.
At present the route in the main corner called Future in Ruins should be avoided. Despite representation from the BMC a local resident continues to deposit garden waste down the cliff at this point.
If items of garden waste are thrown down the corner and do present a hazard then politely inform the resident that there are people below. If there are any issues please do not antagonise the situation, please also inform the local access rep/crag moderator.
Rockfax Description
Climb into the wallhole (pulling on the chain is cheating) and continue via technical climbing with good rests to a ledge. The fine wall above leads rightwards to the belay. © Rockfax
UKC Logbook Description
'One of the best quarried limestone routes in Derbyshire'. Climb Into the Wallhole (Pulling on the chain is cheating) and continue via technical climbing interspersed with good rests to a ledge. The fine wall above leads rightwards to the belay.
Seb Grieve, Simon Lee, Phil Dickens Mar/1987.
Ticklists
The "I live in West Yorkshire and have a rockfax digital subscription" 7's sport bible
Feedback
| User | Date | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seb Grieve | 19 Aug, 2022 |
Show βeta
βeta: I have to thank Phil Dickens for this find. He was living in the area and used to drive around in Winter looking for new quarries and cliffs that were more visible due to lack of leaves and tree cover. This was 1 of 3 new venues he found. To clean the route, I had to sneak through a garage and then find something solid to abseil off. The first time I visited I had to abseil with a spade larks footed off to my harness so that I could clear off the grassy ledges at the top. I recall someone calling across from the other side in Wirskworth, asking what I was doing. After climbing the route some people commented that it was a waste of time since the quarry would be filled in in a few months. To be fair it was being slowly filled in with roadstone, however, on revisiting a couple of year latter the starting wall was half covered meaning that you no longer had to do the horrible starting moves thus improving the climb. Climbed on the day Andy Warhol died. | βeta? | |
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Show beta
βeta: I have to thank Phil Dickens for this find. He was living in the area and used to drive around in Winter looking for new quarries and cliffs that were more visible due to lack of leaves and tree cover. This was 1 of 3 new venues he found. To clean the route, I had to sneak through a garage and then find something solid to abseil off. The first time I visited I had to abseil with a spade larks footed off to my harness so that I could clear off the grassy ledges at the top. I recall someone calling across from the other side in Wirskworth, asking what I was doing. After climbing the route some people commented that it was a waste of time since the quarry would be filled in in a few months. To be fair it was being slowly filled in with roadstone, however, on revisiting a couple of year latter the starting wall was half covered meaning that you no longer had to do the horrible starting moves thus improving the climb. Climbed on the day Andy Warhol died. |
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| jc_lister | 1 Jul, 2021 |
Show βeta
βeta: Superb. Seen some say it’s soft at the grade but there’s definitely softer…it’s what I usually look for in a climb! | βeta? | |
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Show beta
βeta: Superb. Seen some say it’s soft at the grade but there’s definitely softer…it’s what I usually look for in a climb! |
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| Stoney Boy | 7 May, 2021 |
Show βeta
βeta: A major effort to bring this fine route back to life. 3 reconnaissance missions and a 5am start. Hopefully people will go and enjoy it. | ||
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Show beta
βeta: A major effort to bring this fine route back to life. 3 reconnaissance missions and a 5am start. Hopefully people will go and enjoy it. |
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| Graeme Hammond | 25 Apr, 2021 |
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βeta: Good place to escape the heat but the route gets the sun from early afternoon (2 ish) and the place soon gets pretty hot as is very sheltered so best avoided on a hot afternoon/evening. | βeta? | |
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Show beta
βeta: Good place to escape the heat but the route gets the sun from early afternoon (2 ish) and the place soon gets pretty hot as is very sheltered so best avoided on a hot afternoon/evening. |
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| Ed Bright | 27 Sep, 2020 |
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βeta: On a 60m rope with plenty spare | ||
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Show beta
βeta: On a 60m rope with plenty spare |
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| pete cress | 28 Jun, 2020 |
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βeta: Glad you put the effort in to bolt it Simon, top route. | βeta? | |
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βeta: Glad you put the effort in to bolt it Simon, top route. |
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| Tony Walker | 23 May, 2020 |
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βeta: Lovely route. Felt a bit reachy but okay. Thin crack just above half height gives a definite crux. | βeta? | |
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Show beta
βeta: Lovely route. Felt a bit reachy but okay. Thin crack just above half height gives a definite crux. |
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| JamieSparkes | 8 Aug, 2019 |
Show βeta
βeta: A long pitch with fantastic, absorbing climbing. well worth seeking out. Thought it was a bit of a toughie for 7a, but then again I've always found slabs hard, so who knows? Can see it being considerably easier if you moved right onto the flake of the old E3 at the crux, but it's definitely cheating! | βeta? | |
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Show beta
βeta: A long pitch with fantastic, absorbing climbing. well worth seeking out. Thought it was a bit of a toughie for 7a, but then again I've always found slabs hard, so who knows? Can see it being considerably easier if you moved right onto the flake of the old E3 at the crux, but it's definitely cheating! |
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Logged Ascents
Guidebooks for Dale Quarry (Wirksworth)
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Clarion Call
Grade: 7a ***
(Chee Dale Lower)