Rivelin Quarries Update
Some recent new additions (all in bold) and most of the good existing routes have been cleaned Autumn 2020-Spring 2021. Some worthwhile harder trad lines, and a smattering of bouldering in the mid high 6s and a couple of low 7s. Now a worthwhile little bouldering circuit for an afternoon.
Approach as per Rivelin but near the small signpost, take a path leftwards and over the wall. There is also a path along the top of the crag which is easier if going between routes at the main edge and the quarries.
Conditions, Conditions, Conditions
Although in the trees, the rock is generally clean and fast drying. The crag and quarries are South facing so catch all the sun which can mean it gets very warm, and can be sheltered from the wind due to the trees and aspect, particularly anything NW, N, NE. As with alot of quarried rock, the square cut, iron-y aretes can feel very glassy in all but the bon-est of cons (ie Knife Wound). So although reliably dry, the best conditions can be rare - aim for when it’s windy as fuck (with an element of S in the wind direction), sunny spells, and <10 C.
However, in the depths of winter the damp overgrown base of the crag will hold moisture and the rock can be green/damp. So in the winter, you want a good dry day before, a bit of sun and ideally some wind.
As with all gritstone, wet rock feels scrittly and erodes/breaks so please don’t climb here if it is wet or damp, especially the harder routes, where small edges are liable to breaking and rounding off.
From left to right, recently cleaned/climbed things and some new bits-
Rhododendron Crack Area (far left quarry)
Rhodo chopped out of Rhododendron Crack E1. Quite pure offwidthing which is unusual for the Peak. Possibly in-situ squirrels, mind your nuts! The corner crack to the right gives a good powerful layback, Ipecacuanha Groove HVS 5a*
A hold has broken on Glom Onto bumping it up to a balancy 7A. This is an interesting balancy problem.
The arete above, (the right arete of Rhododendron Crack), is very good Knife Wound E7 6c**
Start up Glom Onto and rock into the scoop on the arete (pegs).
Make very hard crux moves to the next thin break (pegs) and a sustained sequence up the arete above to easier ground.
The arete problem just right is Final Overthrow of the Orange Devil 6C (Matt Ferrier). This is listed as an unnamed 5+ on PB.info, but has since been dug out to give some extra moves. Finish high at the block and reverse/drop, or dive off rightwards to the higher ground
The slab right again up the slope is an open project - blank smearing
Earthboots E7 6c ** (surely 7a) and Jack the Groove E6/7 6c** have been cleaned in the last year.
A bit further right is a neat little buttress with some lovely micro routes-
The Two Toms E1**, Piglet HVS* have been climbed recently so should be clean. The impressive blank arete of That’s My Lot E8 7a** is worth looking at in wonder!
100m to the right is a buttress of natural grit, The Web.
The Web Arete LHS 6B+ (Matt Ferrier) Short leaning arete from a sit start. Some lovey fat grippy arete pinches.
The Web Arete 5+ One of the original problems here is the slabby side of the arete. Poor landing and might feel more like E1.
Magic Roundabout area -
Garbage VS (2021 Paul Harrison) Slabby wall just left Dustbin in Saigon to a steep finish
The Trash Can Speaks E1 6a (2021 Paul Harrison) Eliminate but smart technical climbing up wall right of Dustbin in Saigon, starting up that route. Direct start added Oct 2021 Matthew Ferrier, no change in grade.
Just right is a cleaned slab below the tree, giving a few good eliminate slab problems. Most finish at the branch on the tree-
Arete 5+
Traverse 1 6C+ From the arete, traverse right to the flake and press this out to gain the high pocket and then break
Traverse 2 7A? From the arete, traverse right to the flake, drop down and match (hard), finish rightwards as for ‘Flake 6A’
Thin slab 6B Left hand low pocket, RH crimp, climb the slab between the crack and flake, past a high pocket
Press problem 7A+ Lie down start, RH press, feet in crack. Press up the flake and walk feet up the crack to gain the high pocket. Daft, bizarre, but fun.
Flake 6A The obvious line
Flake sit 6B+ Sit start and move up and right to a good pocket, break, then tree branch
Flake sit left 6C Move left to gain the left hand pocket then the break
Mr Creosote E5 6c* (2015) is the RHS of the arete And Now.. E5 6b. Safer but harder than the original line (clip the Snivelin peg + small cam). Has been repeated ground up
Snivelin Rivelin E3 6a * has seen a few ascents and confusion over the line has been cleared up - start up the arete to the first break, step right and climb the slab directly up the middle (past a peg) to the top. The move past the last break is OK when you find the hard to see black crimp up and right.
Snivelin Rivelin Direct Start E4 6b *, up the ramp, curving sidepull feature and stretch/dyno to ledge. I finished up the route but I expect most will highball to the ledge at 6B+/C
Portnoy's E2 5b***, Flex E6 6b*** and Final Overthrow... E5 6c* have all been cleaned and climbed recently.
Left on the Bench 6C - LHS of the undercut arete eliminating the crack and ledge
Peter 7A - RHS of undercut arete - pull on with LH arete and lovely RH pinch.
Peter (Crouch) 7A+ LH crimp and RH lip sloper, slap up into the stand with some trickery.
(A full sit start seems very difficult/awkward with no obvious start holds, which is a shame as it's a decent line up the groove to the arete)
Just right is an obvious square cut arete which gives probably the best problem here-
Geisterspiel E7 6b** - Climb the leaning arete to the break (big cams) and the balancy scoop above, with a particularly tenuous move to the break. Finish more easily. Has seen a couple of repeats.
Geisterspiel Start 7A - The arete to the break is a good problem in it's own right. A sit start doesn't add any harder moves but makes the whole thing feel a bit more tricky, maybe worth 7A+
Cold School Closure Start 7B+ has seen a rare repeat (2nd ascent?!) and seems to involve crimping a small two finger pocket, and then crimping your fingers with your other hand.
Arriving Somewhere but Not Here E7 6c* (7B/+!!)- The direct start to Delivered, very highball. A technical crimpy problem up the scooped wall, to two crimps sharp on the overlap (a worthwhile 7A+ to here) then crank through the overlaps to the high ledge and escape.
The long crack line of Awkward Willy E2* is currently clean.
Big Quarries
Feet Neet E5 6c** has been climbed recently, on the LHS all the way as per the FA. Though other ascents have also climbed it on the right, then front on, then back right along the rail. Vid Either way is hard for E5! font 7A+ ish, pre-clipped pegs
Teddy Bear's Picnic E4 6b** is still desperate and may have a snapped RP in situ!
Dextrasol E1 5b*, Glucose HVS 5a*, Bear Necessities E5 6b*, Paddington E4 6a** all see a few ascents and tend to stay clean and dry.
Final Quarry
Johnny Ashton has climbed the big back wall of the Final quarry, Horror Wall E4 6a*. There is an in situ RURP to protect the crux. There was talk of removing this for a mega runout E5/6 6a but I think it's still in.
A cleaned highball line up the rib, finishing at the ledge and abseiling off is Logistical Nightmare 6B+ (Matt Ferrier)
A hard sit start problem up the twin aretes is desperate and unclimbed
The arete behind the mossy block is Rivelin It Large 6C (James Jacobs) from a sit start. The cleaned wall just right via a pocket is Jame’s Project ??? 7C??? - please don’t nick it - waiting for cooler conditions and an A2 pulley to improve...
The highball arete behind the tree above is unclimbed.
Just right is Happy Campus 7B+, Nik’s Wall 8A, etc. Right again and at a slightly higher level is the popular Mini Beak 7A and Ed GS’s new highball up the hanging arete of the big block Lifeline 6B+
At the natural edge
Steve Ramsden has climbed the project left of Ausfart up the blunt rib, via some lovely moves on the vaguest of holds, Wireheading E7 6c*. A big span to reach between the two rounded aretes is useful. Low small/med cams, and pads on the ledges. Best to not fall off really.
Also recently climbed is the high arete of Birth of Venus on the right hand side, The Great Conjunction E6/7 6b
Chimp A 7A+ highball prow has been cleaned and has a good platform
The usually mossy slab of Small Time E2 6b is clean. Climbing this without the siderunner would make a worthwhile E5/6. In the bay up and left is a cleaned slab via a pebble Fake News 6C (Matt Ferrier).
