Climbing in The Peak District

The peak district is not my favorite place to climb,
but as it is easiest the closest climbing to my home,
over the years, I have climbed here more than anywhere else.
see note at bottom of page.

As such these are a very tiny sample of my climbing pictures and as a consequence
they represent an even tinier fraction of my Peak district climbing
(I have climbed over 300 routes on Stanedge alone
and have climbed on over 25 crags in the Peaks)
although just a few Peak crags are shown here !!

Burbage North Feb 1998 after it had stopped snowing
	The Knights Move Burbage North HVS 5A link to Burbage North page
Birchen Edge link to Birchen edge page
	Top Sail VS ~ 4B Birchen Edge
another shot at Birchen Edge
	Dove Dale The Bat ~ A2 Probably the longest aid route in Derbyshire (36 Meters) This picture shows the Lower off, after completion of the roof route, using bolts and other aid The other good route in the area is Ilam Rock, steep and (scary pinnacle)

Stanedge Edge

Arrow Cracks ~ VS 5A (right)

Robin Hood's Staircase ~ V diff
(below left)

Black Hawk Bastion ~ E2 5c
(below right)

bottom in Shadows
Right Unconquerable ~ HS 5A (left)
Flying Buttress ~ V diff (right)

Stanedge
page

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Over the years you see a variety of things when you go climbing,
some good, and some not so good
inevitably if you go climbing long enough you will see people fall off

these are two shots from a sequence of pictures of an incident that happened at Birchen in June of 1998

It did not involve any of my party that were climbing on the crag at the time
Whether or not you agree or disagree who should provide rescue services,
the state (RAF mountain rescue)
or
voluntary civilian mountain rescue teams
or
via insurance
(as in most other countries)
it dos not distract from the professional approach and speed an accident victim is removed to hospital

at the top of the page I said

"The peak district is not
my favorite place to climb,
but as it is easiest the closest climbing to my home,
over the years,
I have climbed here more than anywhere else"

this is not entirely true, as there is climbing in Leicestershire, and even in Northamptonshire if you count climbing on old Railway bridges & sidings.
the quality of this climbing can only be described as "climbing not at its best"

indeed its still true that I have climbed lots more in the Peaks than in Leicestershire and Northamptonshire, but these are something to do "now and then on a summers evening"

Cordee even produce a guide for the area and logically enough call it "Leicestershire climbs"

pictures of Leicestershire
and the South of England

climbs In
Leicestershire & Northamptonshire

well where do you actually go, if you want to climb here ?

amongst the better climbing
in Leicestershire :
Markfield
Outwoods Crag
Old John

and in Northamptonshire, no one would recommend Finedon slabs but a few feet of old concrete sidings is better than nothing !!

the other railway bridge is Slawston bridge in Leicestershire, and is used much more Finedon.

the guide book says this is one of the shortest to walk in around, but what this actually means is take care not to be run over !!!

out of all the mentioned "sites", outwoods is the nearest to a crag and also has the best routes.

Outwoods crag is at O/S ref SK 514 167
on OS landranger map 129

The crag with the biggest amount of area and therefore climbing is Markfield Quarry (disused)
at O/S SK 486 104, also on map 129

	Curbar Edge Flying Buttress 12 meters Severe and Brindle Crack 10 meters Hard Severe