Climbs 138
Rocktype Rhyolite
Altitude 200m a.s.l
Faces S
On the well-positioned wall climbing of Mendes (VS) at Raven Crag (from the Lake District Climbs Rockfax). © Mark Glaister
Crag features
A selection of short and long (three pitch) routes on six different buttresses along the hillside above the Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel. Good selection at all grades. Quick drying. Best routes - Middlefell Buttress(D), Original Route(S), Pluto(HVS), Trilogy(E5), Dawes Rides a Shovelhead(E8), Centrefold(E6), R 'n' S Special(E5), Bilberry Buttress(VS), Revelation(HS). Take care on the SE descent past the large block above the top of Revelation, which was affected by rockfall in August 2018 - further information on an alternative (abseil) descent has been posted here: https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/rocktalk/more_on_raven_crag_rockfall-691587
12/4/2025 Major Rockfall affecting Holly Tree Traverse, Oak Tree Wall and Original Route. Also further rockfall threatened onto approach path below these routes. See: https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/rock_talk/rockfall_original_routeevening_wall_area_raven_crag_langdale-780376
14/5/25 Rockfall update. Following two site visits and some restoration work by a volunteer, the area around the collapsed pinnacle on Raven Crag is now relatively safe..
“The precariously perched blocks that sat on the ledge below Holly Tree Traverse have now joined their mates on the scree below. The area of the collapsed pinnacle following the recent rockfall is now relatively safe, but as always in cases such as this, care should be taken".
Approach notes
Park in the car park at the Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel(arrive early at weekends, give up on Bank Holidays!)Crags are 10 - 15 min. walk up behind the pub(which is not to be missed at the end of the day!)
At busy times the much larger car park at NDG can be used. There is a pleasant walk through the fields from the western end of the NDG car park - through the stile and follow your nose to ODG.
Access Advice
ROCK FALL - On site report from Sunday 13th April.
The Pinnacle that stood above the belay for three routes has completely collapsed and is no more.
Holly Tree Traverse and Oak Tree Wall are too dangerous to climb. Original Route can still be climbed (with care) by the route in the current FRCC guidebook to Langdale but not by the route in LDR 3. The current guidebook lists the pinnacle as an optional belay.
The area around the pinnacle is very unstable with a large block poised to fall. It would be unwise to approach the area until it has been cleared and stabilised. It would also be unwise to linger below the crag anywhere from Raven Crag Gully to the start of Original Route, as more rockfall may occur.
Area to be assessed by BMC Representatives.
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The tree above the Middlefell Buttress descent has now fallen: early November 21. It is lodged in the gully below. The remaining timber has been cleared. The blocks behind the tree are used as an abseil point into the gully. They may be weakened by the demise of the tree. Caution advised in using the blocks. It is possible to scamble down this descent, but it is loose and serious.
A significant rockfall from the split block on the normal descent has meant that a large block and oak tree which formed part of the descent route through its trickiest section are now gone. The descent (which was already awkward and had resulted in several bad accidents over the years) is now significantly more difficult and exposed. A great deal of care will be needed if attempting this descent now and alternative descents are probably better either by abseil or walking to the top of the crag, heading right and coming down around the side of East Raven Crag. 2018
2019 Update: Due to rockfall the traditional Split Blocks descent route can no longer be recommended. An abseil descent has been established. Details are as follows, guidebook references are to the definitive Langdale (2013) and Lake District Rock (2015).
The Langdale guide has photodiagrams on pages 153 and 160 that show the traditional Split Blocks descent. In Lake District Rock this descent is shown on the photodiagrams on pages 69 and 70. On the Revelation Area view in the definitive guide (page 160), a skull and crossbones symbol will be seen above the finish of Kneewrecker Chimney (route 24). In Lake District Rock (page 70) the symbol is an exclamation mark and Kneewrecker Chimney is route 11. These symbols mark the start of the even more unsafe scrambling descent warned about in these guides and it is now exactly where the abseil station is located. Likewise on the main frontal view of the crag, these symbols will be seen above the line marking the traditional descent route. To find the abseil station the general instruction is; From the top of the main buttress head up and generally rightwards for a few metres (vague path) and the abseil strop/station will be seen around a huge flake-block. A 30m abseil takes you to easy ground. However, this abseil can be done on a single 50m rope to reach ledges at 25m but care is required not to go past these and run off the end of the rope – tie knots in the ends of your rope!
| 14/05/2016. There's a dead sheep at the bottom of Raven Crag Buttress. It's after Billberry Buttress but before Revelation. It was starting to smell on 14/05/2016 and is only going to get worse... Fiona Reid - 16/May/16 |
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| Grip Trip is well worth doing. wils - 07/Aug/02 |
Climbs at this crag
| Name | Grade | Stars | Type | Logs | Partner Ascents |
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