[tomtom]

Hi All,
I'm staying overnight (work) near Reeth in Swaledale - and will probably have a spare 2 (maybe 3) hours on friday afternoon/evening to get out if all things work according to plan.

There is of course Slipstones *sighs lovingly* but that might be a push given my time scale. I am totally in the dark regarding new (and old) developments up that way so wonder if anyone has any pointers? Ideally something within a 30 min drive radius, the odd low 7 and within 10-15 walk of parking etc.. It needn't be expansive - enough for 60-90 min session...

Cheers TT

[Johnny Brown]

Lops Wath? Which might not be worth the drive from there. Goldsborough?

[andy_e]

Crag Hill would be a quicker hit than Goldsborough. Loads of stuff there in the 6s to mid 7s including a whole load of my unrepeated stuff:





Guide here: http://www.climbonline.co.uk/crag_hill.htm

[tomtom]

excellent. Any recommendations for weak (but tall) punters?

[andy_e]

Roadside Arete is an ace but tricky-for-the-grade 6A+. The harder stuff is all quite steep but fun. You'll enjoy Pop too, a vertical 7Aish deadpoint to slopers. Hidden Roof is really, really good but I think it's quite stiff at 7B even though it got 7A originally! If you fancy jumping around then Mayday Mayday is very, very cool. Navier-Stokes is great too but might be a bit dirty. Probably easier than the 7A I gave it if cleaned up. It's just a great place to go in general, enjoy the expansive moorland/upland farmland, listen to the snipe drumming, feel the spring breeze over your face...

Oh bollocks, I just remembered -  it isn't open for access until 1st May, sorry (hence the name of Mayday Mayday, well, that and the fact it's a bit terrifying)

[tomtom]

Hmm. Does that mean I can't go on the 20th April? (will it still be lambing?)

[andy_e]

Yes you can't and yes it is, sorry! Hopefully Will Hunt will be along shortly to point you at the recent Colsterdale developments. The problem is that Slipstones, Round Hill and Clint Crags all have ~15-20 mins walk in so eating into your climb time.

[tomtom]

Gah.

Anyway, I'm leaving one fieldcourse in Pickering on Friday to go onto another one in Swaledale on the Sat - so could stop at Slipstones on the way over. Except I'll have one student in tow (who'll be on both courses too) and not sure how they'd take being told to twiddle their thumbs for a couple of hours whilst I piss about on some rocks

Hence - go out once I'm there. Anyway, it'll probably rain.

Where is Will anyway.... oh Willis....

[andy_e]

I think he might have one of those "job" things I've been told about.

[tomtom]

I think he might have one of those "job" things I've been told about.

FFS. Next he'll be getting married and having children...

[JK]

Roova?

[tomtom]

Crag-A? Nr Sliptones

[Will Hunt]

If your criteria allow for a drive to Slipstones then the shortest walk in in Colsterdale is Crag A. 10 mins after parking you could be on the rock.
However, Crag A is ultra sensitive for access. It's in an active plantation (the logs are currently stacked by the gate waiting to be shipped - a sign at the parking spot indicates that this is going to happen between May and September during which time the parking will be taken over for wagon turning). My suspicion is that if a forestry employee sees you in the plantation then access will instantly be banned so it's imperative that this doesn't happen. By all means go, but just be very careful about checking who's around before entering the forest if you're going on a weekday.  The stuff on the big roof is probably not suitable for someone on their own with limited pads. Everything else is a gooer. Make sure to do A Time of Gifts if you go, that's my one! Topos for various crags in the vicinity are on unknownstones.com

[tomtom]

I would prefer somewhere ‘safer/nearer’...

[Will Hunt]

There's loads of dots near Reeth on the UKC crag map. I haven't been to any of them.

[andy_e]

I think fatneck has been here http://climbonline.co.uk/arkengarthdale.htm

I've never been but it looks good. Bit of a walk in but close to Reeth.

[tomtom]

Yes - all the dots near Reeth have 30 min walk ins. So it’s 30 min drive and 10 min walk in or 10 min drive and 30 min walk in :D

I’ll have a think.

[Alex-the-Alex]

I went to Healaugh's once, well good. I dont remember it being 30min to walk in, maybe 20? but it was a while ago. Theres two really nice slabs with loads to play on but not sure about 7s... I do remember one of the 6b aretes felt about a 7? And i remember thinking Sin Fein would good with a stack of pads.

[webbo]

Gah.

Anyway, I'm leaving one fieldcourse in Pickering on Friday to go onto another one in Swaledale on the Sat - so could stop at Slipstones on the way over. Except I'll have one student in tow (who'll be on both courses too) and not sure how they'd take being told to twiddle their thumbs for a couple of hours whilst I piss about on some rocks

Hence - go out once I'm there. Anyway, it'll probably rain.

Where is Will anyway.... oh Willis....

Drop your students off in Pickering and tell them to go watch the trains for a bit or even go for a ride on one. Then nip along to Ravenswick quarry, North Yorkshire’s Minus Ten and a 2 minute walk in.
Jobs, jobbed.

[sherlock]

Given your criteria Ravenswick is a very good call. Quite pleasant for a quarry. And you could dump your passenger at the pub in the village,Hutton le Hole,I think.

[tomtom]

N.Yorks minus 10 is not especially attractive to me I'm afraid...

Looking most like Healaugh atm...

[webbo]

Goldsborough would be quicker than  Healaugh and it’s a flat walk. Also according to the guide Healaugh is more routes than bouldering.

[Stabbsy]

Healaugh is a fair walk, flat then up a steep hill so not ideal for a quick hit. Depends what you want from your visit - it's a nice place to be, but I didn't think it was a great place for getting a lot of stuff done in a short visit.

As Webbo says, the central bit felt more like routes than bouldering, even the stuff with bouldering grades. It's not that the crag was especially high, more that the landings slope downhill so it feels quite committing on your own. Add in the fact that conditions were odd when I was there (the rock is quite black so it retains the heat of the sun if there is any) and everything felt quite scary.

Looking back at the guide, there looks like there's stuff either side which might have better landings, but I didn't end up exploring as it was a quick visit. I'd go back, but in cooler conditions with a bigger team.

[tomtom]

Goldsborough would be quicker than  Healaugh and it’s a flat walk. Also according to the guide Healaugh is more routes than bouldering.

50 min drive from Reeth to Goldsborough looks good though.

[andy_e]

Goldsborough would be quicker than  Healaugh and it’s a flat walk.

Maybe a flatter walk than Healaugh but not flat! Try heading up there with 3.5 mats on your own!

[webbo]

Ok then, what about Roundhill that’s a flat and short walk.

[andy_e]

Reasonably ;-)

Good crag though. Not much in the higher ranges but a pleasant circuit below that. Plus a savage crimpy "7A" and a nails pop to a sloper.

[tomtom]

So I may be able to deposit the student at destination - check into my B&B and be ready to go from Reeth about 5:30-6. Which gives me time to get to Slipstones (or other crags) and back etc...

[webbo]

Reasonably ;-)

Good crag though. Not much in the higher ranges but a pleasant circuit below that. Plus a savage crimpy "7A" and a nails pop to a sloper.

There are a few things that Mike Grey did that he seems to have never recorded further along to the right of the crag as you look at it. Also he did some stuff in Arnagill in the 7b/ c range which probably will have returned to nature by now.

[SA Chris]

So I may be able to deposit the student at destination - check into my B&B and be ready to go from Reeth about 5:30-6. Which gives me time to get to Slipstones (or other crags) and back etc...

Got a decent headtorch?

[Mike Tyson]

So I may be able to deposit the student at destination - check into my B&B and be ready to go from Reeth about 5:30-6. Which gives me time to get to Slipstones (or other crags) and back etc...

Will have to run it by the boss, but I might be able to join you for a Slipstones hit!

[tomtom]

👍 I’ll post up if there’s any change of plan.

[fatneck]

Not been to Arkengarthdale more's the pity - total shame about Crag Hill, class venue and Roadside Arete is super good..

[Will Hunt]

If you're going tomorrow then it's going to be scorchio and connies at Slipstones will be very much sub-boss. That might not be a problem if you're keen to bask. With the sun being so strong, you might find Crag A is nice - shorter walk in and shady in the trees. Most climbs are in the 6s as well so you won't even feel pressure to pull down too hard! Obviously just check there's no lumberjacks around.

[tomtom]

True good point. See what I feel like (bimble on warm rock or pulling hard on shady trickier stuff). Never know what the connies will be like up there anyway.