The Peak District is home to the UK’s oldest national park and is steeped in climbing history, with some of the World’s earliest recorder rock climbs established on its crags and the legacy of the Kinder Trespass reminding us of the price paid by previous generations to secure open access for all to our wild spaces. The gritstone, the course conglomerate rock that makes up the crags on each side of the park, is world famous, brought to the attention of foreign climbers by the iconic 90’s film Hard Grit. Not only the preserve of top end route climbers and boulderers, the gritstone edges have lots of friendly, well protected routes in the lower grades, and have long been a popular place for climbers from across the country to cut their teeth. The Peak’s limestone cliffs are less well known internationally, perhaps of more interest to a more local audience, but the big-grade sport crags such as Raven Tor, with its batch of high 8’s and 9a’s, attract steely-fingered climbers from further afield. In recent years a number of limestone quarries have been developed to give low to mid-grade sport routes, and these venues have become increasingly popular with people who are newer to climbing outdoors.
It is possible to climb on the grit all year round, the crags busy on summer evenings with people from local towns and cities getting out into the National Park. For the crispest conditions needed for harder routes and boulder problems the cooler days from the Autumn through to the spring are ideal. Some of the limestone crags can be climbable all year round, however many of the sport crags lying deep in the river valleys can seep and become wet in the winter months.
Eastern Gritstone Edges
The Eastern Edges, the gritstone crags located just outside of Sheffield on the east side of the Peak , include some of the UK’s best loved crags. The big headliners of Stanage, Burbage, Froggatt, Curbar and Millstone are complimented by scores of smaller venues like Higgar Tor and Bamford, each with their own hidden gems. An extensive area, the selective guidebook for the Eastern Grit runs to 560 pages and includes over 4000 routes, whilst a series of three BMC produced definitive guidebooks details thousands more routes, with a separate guidebook detailing the Peak’s bouldering. Further south, but still included in the Eastern Grit Selective guidebook, are two venues that deserve a look from any visiting climber, Black Rocks with its steep sculpted walls and the beautiful venues of Robin Hood’s Stride and Cratcliffe. Sat next to each other Cratcliffe and the Stride both have a great circuit of boulder problems with three-star classics such as Jerry’s Traverse (7B) and T-Crack (7B), with the former also having a small selection of brilliant routes.
Western Gritstone Edges
The Roaches stand proud as the big, centre-piece crag of the Western Gritstone Edges, with some of the area’s most iconic climbs, from 1950’s classics like The Sloth (HVS) and Valkyrie(VS) through to cutting edge test-pieces like Pete Whittaker’s E10 Sleepy Hollow. Endowed with a wealth of technical slab climbs, like many of the Western Edges the Roaches also has plenty of steep, burly roof climbing. Away from this honeypot there are lots of smaller crags, each with their own character. Those who enjoy steep crack climbing should head around to Ramshaw, and for highball bouldering head over to Newstones with its classic frightener Charlie’s Overhang. Further to the West, and right on Manchester’s doorstep, are a collection of smaller edges and quarries such as the urban-feeling but worthwhile New Mills Torrs. Over in this direction and well worth a visit is the statuesque Wimberry, with its collection of big, bold routes including the late Dave Pegg’s MaDMAn (E8 6b).
Not part of the Eastern Edges proper but worth a mention is the idyllic sandstone valley of the Churnet. Neighbouring the busy Alton Towers theme park, this collection of short crags set in a quiet, leafy valley gives some beautiful bouldering, as well as some more esoteric routes.
Northern Limestone
The more northerly of the limestone crags sit between the eastern and western grit, lying in the bottom of steep-sided valleys beside slow flowing rivers. The predominantly trad-protected crags of Stoney Middleton and Chee Tor have lots of classics from the 60’s and 70’s, with nothing that feels really easy and plenty of burly test-pieces that pack quite a punch, with good routes in the HVS to E5 grade range. For those looking for low to mid-grade challenges the perennially popular Horseshoe quarry has a plenty to offer, a sheltered suntrap it can be busy year-round. For those looking for tougher challenges the big three sport crags of Raven Tor, the Cheedale Cornice and the Water-cum-jolly Cornice offer some great routes from 7a up to 9a+. Hubble, Ben Moon’s bouldery route at Raven Tor, or the Tor as it is known to locals, was the world’s first 8c+ (and perhaps also the world’s first 9a!), and still attracts attention from today’s strongest climbers.
Southern Limestone
Further south, the big limestone crags around the town of Matlock give some impressive trad climbing. High Tor, with its exposed wall climbs high off the deck has lots of great routes in the HVS to E6 range, whilst those looking for more mellow challenges should consider the nearby Wild Cat, which offers plenty of quality easier climbing. The tourist hotspot of Dovedale also offers some classic trad, alongside some more recently developed overhanging sport climbs. There are a number of newly developed sport climbing crags in the southern peak, and whilst none quite match the pull of their bigger northern neighbours venues such as Turkey Dip Rocks are well worth a look.
Getting there
The Peak District is located between the northern cities Sheffield and Manchester, both of which are easily reached by car or public transport. All of the climbing venues are easily reached by car, and it is also possible to reach many of them by public transport, particularly if a small amount of walking or hitching is accepted.
Where to stay
There are numerous campsites, hostels and hotels spread throughout the peak district. For those climbing on the eastern gritstone edges the Peak District National Park administered North Lees campsite underneath Stanage can make a good base, as can the Eric Byne memorial campsite located closer to Froggatt and Curbar. If climbing over at the Roaches the British Mountaineering Council owned Don Whillans Memorial Hut, built into caves at the base of the crag, can be hired, a unique place to stay and worth the trip even for non-climbers.
Outfitters
There are independent outdoor shops in Sheffield and Manchaester, as well as the long-established Outside, a large independent store located in the village of Hathersage, at the centre of the Eastern Edges. There are a number of small companies offering introductory climbing courses, guided rock climbing and coaching in the Peak, and these can all be found online.
