UKC Logbook - 'Girdle Traverse of the Upper Central Wall'

Restricted Access

Access to Malham is a privilege and subject to the following climbers access agreement. Please ensure you read, understand and follow these points to ensure continued good relations with the Parish Council, other landowners, farmers and local residents

Stick to public rights of way - don't take short cuts though fields below the Cove as these are not Open Acces land
Always use the public toilet block next to the pub instead of the bushes
Follow the bolting agreement - no bolting at weekends, during the school summer holiday or whilst the nesting restriction is in effect to ensure noise doesn't disturb nesting birds or detract from other visitors experience
No wild camping near the Cove or nearby fields, or sleeping in vehicles in the village or parking areas - use the campsite at Riverdale or Goredale instead
Parking is a very sensitive issue - only park in the locations listed in the parking section below
Make use of local business (pubs/cafes/restaurants etc) after a day at the crag and help to put money back into the local economy

By following these guidelines, you'll be making sure the currently good relations with the village and Parish Council are maintained for the future.

Respect the Rock: How to climb at Malham Cove - YouTube

Seasonal Restrictions

Dates: 1 March to 30 September

Reason: Nesting Birds

Update: The Peregrine restriction for 2023 has been lifted (as of 23rd May) due to nest failure.

Peregrine restriction: Malham is an important and very visible site for nesting peregrines. The restriction when in force applies to all the routes on the Terrace Wall and the Carnage Area of the Right Wing from 1st March-31st July. However, the routes to the right of Scorpio (which starts as for Carnage Left Hand) are unrestricted.

The bolted sport routes on the right side of Upper Central Wall are unaffected except for those that breach the main overhang. On-site notices will also be in place and RSPB volunteers will monitor the birds throughout the nesting period.

House martins also frequently nest between May-September, often on the popular hard sport routes (frequently affecting Raindogs, Seventh Aardvark, Bat Route and others). Please avoid any routes with nests on or near to avoid damaging the nests, until the young have fledged. It will be obvious which nests are being used due to parents flying in and out. Whilst routes can be climbed once the young have fledged, they can return to the nest site to roost, so be careful not to damage the nests.

Last update: 23/05/2023

Get the BMC RAD app

166m, 8 pitches. 6b, 5c, 6a, 6b, 6c, A2, 6b, 5a.
Pitch grades taken from the 1992 guidebook (it isn't in the 2005 edition). Needless to say that the loose rock in some sections means it would not be suitable to climb at busy times when tourists below could be very vulnerable.

There were several attempts to free the whole route in the mid-80's but no-one is known to have completed all of them yet.
03/07/1983 Neil Foster: "I tried it on sight with Nick Wharton, and we free climbed the first 2 pitches. There were no modern bolts to clip then, and we had to make do with the occasional peg or crappy tin hanger. We got as far as The Directissima aid route before our bottle ran out".
March 1985: Rob Gawthorpe and Andy Bowman attempted to free pitches 4, 5 and 6. Pitch 4 was freed at 6b, Pitch 5 was climbed, with 3 falls, to a rest point at the Obsession belay and was thought to be 6c. The rest of pitch 5 was climbed at 6b and Pitch 6 is not thought to have been freed.
Ron Fawcett may have been trying it on the same day in the opposite direction, based on Neil's recollection of a magazine photo at the time. He also has memory that one or other parties dubbed their free attempt as 'Two Tribes' after the Frankie Goes to Hollywood song.

Ken Jones, Alan Thewlis (plus sections later freed variously by Nick Wharton, Neil Foster, Rob Gawthorpe and Ron Fawcett) 1970.