[harrison]

I need to climb some slabs and avoid pulling on hand holds so I'm in the market for some friction recommendations to get a bit psyched.

No grotty crimping or pebble pulling please, silky footwork only.

Appliance Friction at Stanton in the Woods is the ideal example, nothing to pull on, basically hard walking.

Location anywhere in the UK apart from maybe not further north than bowden doors. Unless its really good. I'm between London/Northumberland a lot so peak, yarkshire, and the county are all ideal, but wales, lake district etc all good.

Grade range ideally f3 - f7B (7B friction slab surely nails) and top quality.

Open to easy route recs as well!

I'll update original post to contain the list.

Thanks!

[Aussiegav]

Velvet Silence at Blackrocks. One of my all time favourite lines on grit.

Highballable with plenty of pads. Or protectable on a fixed line.

[Dingdong]

Ron slabs at stanage come to mind

[SA Chris]

If you are looking for easy routes Rylstone is the queen of Yorkshire slabs, starting from President's and working your way upwards. I have done Dental at least a half dozen times (only solo once wired!) and it never fails to please.

[Ross Barker]

The C3PO/Spring Slab boulder at the Roaches must be a contender for sure. Probably quite a few others in the Roaches/Ramshaw area too I'd imagine!

I don't think North Wales is blessed with many pure friction slabs, but the RAC boulders has a clutch of easy ones in a pleasant location. I think Willy Two Goes up in the Pass fits the bill but probably mega hard!

[Plattsy]

There's a big easy slab near alliance friction too. Hands optional.

Chicken ninja slab (Stanton Moor) has a handful of smearing problems. Though to get established on the slab might require a pull.

Square block at Robin Hood Stride. Scoop slab various and scoop slab traverse no pockets/ no hands.

Easy smeary slab next to square block.

Probably stuff over at Cratcliff top boulders if you willing to eliminate handholds.

[edshakey]

Big Slab, higgar tor

[Bonjoy]

Witchcraft 7A – Crag Z
Just Looking 6A – Stanton-in-the-Woods
The Cherub’s Bit 7A – Turningstone Edge
Beauty 6C – Stanage N
Tex Avery 6C+ - Baslow

[andy popp]

How Sure? at Howshaw
Force Nine, Ramshaw
Spring boulder, Roaches, as others have said.

[mrjonathanr]

In your position I'd arm myself with a top rope and set up camp at Froggatt. Benign Lives, Science Friction and Sunset Slab and Great Slab areas come to mind.

[stone]

If you reconsider your Northern boundary, Arran and Glen Etive are really good for pure friction slab routes.

[Fiend]

What a great topic 

In addition to what has already been mentioned (a few of which are steep and thin enough surely involve some serious ratting).

The Gallt Yr Ogof slab, 6-something, it really does look like a walk, 49 seconds in, proper teetery:


Elsewhere in Snowdonia, Frostbite 6C+, Ryan's Slab 6C+, Spiderpig 6C+, all brilliant but do involve some boning. Standing Loon Only 6C / 7A-and-a-bit is pure desperate smearing.

Depending on what hands you're resting, Mono Slab RH 6B is good and Mono Slab LH 6C is bloody great, at Stanton In.

Nihilistic Narl 6C+ with a tied down spotter at Stanage Plantation is as good as any grit slab with a stunning situation, start of this:


Paul's Peach Slabs 6B+ - 7A at Honley involve a few pebbles but as per grit it's also in the smears etc:


(Details here: https://fiendophobia.blogspot.com/2021/11/a-very-secret-slab.html )

Sunset Crack 6C/+ at Wharncliffe is ace, maybe too boney tho:

(I'd say Nihilistic Narl, Sunset Crack, Mono Slab LH, and Beauty are the holy quadrilogy of Peak Grit 6C/+ slabs)


Further North, the Garheugh Port slab has some beauties, especially Half-Life 6C/+ (a Varian find), again it has edges but look at the angle it's mostly feet:

(Details here: https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TKp7vQf3zUU/XH-q-xvsgCI/AAAAAAAACfU/jBIWFE0gS58un1JscLiaXOWjfej02bQPgCLcBGAs/s1600/gargheughtopo.jpg )


Crikey, yes, slabs...

[Dingdong]

Oh yeah, Acid Reign 6C at Rivelin too

[Ged]

Depending on your boldness/willingness to top rope, peak technique at back bowden 

[Will Hunt]

C3P0 springs to mind.
Depending on how tall you are, Andy Brown's Wall (left of Deliverance) is decent. There's a couple of pebbles that you hold gently for balance but you're not really pulling on them for upwards progress.

[Tom de Gay]

Miles’s Slab at Wimberry is pure friction and pure class.

[stone]

Johny Dawes handfree toproping at Roaches

[stone]

Rewatching that Johny Dawes video got me imagining him and Faz Apefoo forming a climbing partnership.

[andy popp]

I've done Obsession Fatale hands free (there may have been a knee or two at some point) and wouldn't be at all surprised if it's easier than Chalkstorm in that style.

[SamT]

Honarary Caley at the plantation would fit the bill too.

[Fiend]

I found HC a bit cranky, I remember cutting loose on it, although on a palmdown I think.

Top UK slab padding recs (no cranking pls) thread definitely needs more layback aretes and morpho jumps tho  .

[Ballsofcottonwool]

Spring Boulder at the Roaches as others have recommended
PDB at Burbage south
Scratch Scoop on the pock block at Burbage south, mostly padding with one hard pull on a left hand crimp, the more you pad the less you have to use the crimp.

[chrisbrooke]

Force Tart (7A+) at Plantation is fun and mostly about feet.
Scoop Eliminate (6A+) in the Burbage South boulders is really fun.
Smear Test (6A+) at Plantation has one committing slab move and is worth seeking out.
I would say Tombstone at Froggatt.... but that is definitely grotty crimping......

[SamT]

I found HC a bit cranky, I remember cutting loose on it, although on a palmdown I think.

are we thinking of the same problem  .

How do you cut loose on a palm down?

[Will Hunt]

Oh my goodness, how did I forget?!
The slab at Dalehead on the valley way up to Simon's Seat. Info on Unknown Stones.
https://www.ukclimbing.com/photos/dbpage.php?id=319905

Grades on the block are a bit all over the place. I thought Sounds and Silences was the hardest at 6B+ and the 6B+ on the right was the easiest 

[andy popp]

How Sure? at Howshaw

I'd forgotten there's a couple of nice slabs - Pothole Slab and the one to its right - at Rock Ahoy/Hurkling Stones to break up the long trudge to Howshaw.

[mark20]

Appliance Friction is probably the best I can think of in the Peak for pure padding.
Presumably you have some sort of injury at the moment? Quite a few I can think of involve some sort of pressing etc which might not be good for bad wrists.

Witchcraft is all smears, but does involve flipping a palm just below the top. Mile's Slab / Directissima at Wimberry also.

If you allow highballs then Mad Bilberries at Baslow is one of my favourites. Renaissance also good.

Roundhill in North Yorkshire has a nice slab boulder with around 10 smearing problems 5+/6A, and a lovely location
High Crag near Slipstones has a good smearing slab 6B-Cish slightly highball

[harrison]

I found HC a bit cranky, I remember cutting loose on it, although on a palmdown I think.

Now we're slab climbing!

I do think nasty palming down would be hard on the wrists atm, but I'd say pulling on edges is worse.
And steep things are even worse!

Thanks everyone for the suggestions, loads of good ones in there! And some ambitious mentions! I will seek some out.

Laybacking aretes could definitely be a 2nd installment. Have to see how I get on with some of these!

I can't edit my original post, but I'll figure that out later:

(Peak)
Velvet Silence f7A / E6 6c - Black Rocks (H)
Ron's Slab f7B+ - Plantation (H)
Ron's Slab II f7B - Plantation
Nihilistic Narl f6C+ / E5 6c - Plantation (H)
Andy Brown's Wall f7C - Plantation
Force Tart f7A+ - Plantation
Smear Test f6A+ - Plantation
Honorary Caley f7A - Plantation
C3P0 f7A+ - Roaches
Three Pocket Slab f6A - Roaches Lower Tier
Big Slab f5 - Higgar Tor
Witchcraft f7A – Crag Z
Chicken Ninja f6A+ - Stanton Moor (Chicken Ginger 7A low 7B)
Appliance Friction f6B – Stanton in the Woods
Just Looking f6A – Stanton in the Woods (and Everybody's Slave etc)
Mono Slab RH f6B - Stanton in the Woods
Mono Slab LH f6C - Stanton in the Woods (excellent)
The Cherub’s Bit f7A – Turningstone Edge (and Jumpin' on an Aphid f6A+)
Beauty f6C – Stanage N
Tex Avery f6C+ - Baslow
How Sure? f7A at Howshaw (and Not Sure 6A+ and Fo' Sure 6B+)
Force Nine f7A+ start / E4 6c, Ramshaw (H)
Sunset Crack f6C/+ - Wharncliffe (cranking)
Acid Reign f6C - Rivelin (H)
Directissima / Miles’s Slab f7B+ - Wimberry
PDB Slab f6C - Burbage Valley
Scoop Eliminate f6A+ - Burbage Valley
Scratch Scoop f7A+ - Burbage Valley
Tombstone  - Froggatt (grotters crimping)
Mad Bilberries f6A+ / HVS 6a - Baslow
Renaissance HVS 5b Baslow
Pothole Slab f6B+ - Hurkling Stones (and Gurgling Green Streak f6C)
Witchcraft f7A - Crag Z


(N'land)
Peak Technique E6 6b - Back Bowden

(Dumfries)
Half-Life f6C/+ - Garheugh Port (H) (looks mega)

(Yorkshire)
(North)
Sounds and Silences f6A+ - Dalehead Rocks (looks epic)
Roundhill - 10 smearing problems 5+/6A
High Crags (scenic)
Slipstones (scenic)
Rylstone
Permutation Rib E1 6a - Caley
(West)
Paul's Peach Slabs 6B+ - 7A at Honley

(Wales)
Willy Two Goes f7B+ - Tonfedd (Gwynedd)
The Gallt Yr Ogof slab, 6-something
Standing Loon Only f6C / 7fA
Frostbite f6C+ (cranking required)
Ryan's Slab f6C+ (cranking required)
Spiderpig f6C+ (cranking required)


Routes
Presidents VD - Rylstone
Dental S 4a - Rylstone
Froggat
Chalkstorm - Roaches
Obsession Fatale - Roaches Lower Tier

 Arran and Glen Etive are really good for pure friction slab routes.

[Bonjoy]

Good list, but there's quite a few on there that I'd say don't really fit your brief. Andy Brown's Wall is a 7C dyno FFS!
I approve of Witchcraft being listed twice. It deffo needs re-cleaning though at the moment (you need a ladder or rope to get to the upper smears really).
Just remembered another:

Longshaw Zombies, Padley Quarry 7A+ - Does have a bit of pulling but is mostly about bad feet

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C3UnatNNtKI/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

[JamieG]

If you end up at wimberry. Elephant slab on the tank is also very good. A bit of a pull for the first move but all about the feet after that.

[Will Hunt]

Andy Brown's fits depending on the OP's height. It's all slab to get set up, with some gentle thumbing on pebbles to keep you balanced. Once you're in pounce position you just bend your knees and spring. It's actually not even that far if you go off the RF above the little hole and LF on the vertical crack/seam. At 5 foot 10 it felt about the same, maybe slightly easier than Deliverance. Low end 7B or 7A+ 

[andy popp]

Chalkstorm - Roaches
Obsession Fatale - Roaches Lower Tier

Clive Coolhead has absolutely pure padding once you're on the slab. If you're on a top rope you could just swing into a position standing on the lip of the bulge.

[Fiend]

...the usual gobbledegook...

Bloody Modern Climbers and all their trendy hands-free volume-jumping comp style parkour bollox  Next you'll be sliding along dual-tex at The Tor and downgrading that too....

[Wellsy]

I'm convinced that comp slab climbing resembles grit more than any other form of indoor climbing.

[Paul B]

Deliverance Trav.?

[Duma]

I've done Obsession Fatale hands free (there may have been a knee or two at some point) and wouldn't be at all surprised if it's easier than Chalkstorm in that style.

This got thrown out very casually Andy! Well I've looked at OF from below and it blows my mind. Another Popp feat!!

[andy popp]

It's honestly not that bad. I was there with Johnny (no surprise). I'd just soloed it and he suggested trying hands free - I think he'd done it like that previously. I was dubious too but it went pretty easily (this is on toprope obvs). It's a very pure piece of padding.

[Ulown]

I've done Obsession Fatale hands free (there may have been a knee or two at some point) and wouldn't be at all surprised if it's easier than Chalkstorm in that style.

This got thrown out very casually Andy! Well I've looked at OF from below and it blows my mind. Another Popp feat!!

Ah, that raises the bar even higher! Completing Obsession Fatale hands-free (even with a sneaky knee assist) is  impressive. It's definitely a different beast than Chalkstorm, though, so comparing difficulty directly might be tricky

[grimer]

It's honestly not that bad. I was there with Johnny (no surprise). I'd just soloed it and he suggested trying hands free - I think he'd done it like that previously. I was dubious too but it went pretty easily (this is on toprope obvs). It's a very pure piece of padding.

I think I was there too.

[andy popp]

It's honestly not that bad. I was there with Johnny (no surprise). I'd just soloed it and he suggested trying hands free - I think he'd done it like that previously. I was dubious too but it went pretty easily (this is on toprope obvs). It's a very pure piece of padding.

I think I was there too.

You were, and Chris Plant. I was learning to drive and very nearly piled us all into a drystone wall coming down that steep hill into Crowdecote.

Anyway, back to padding ... what about San Melas?

[SamT]

You were, and Chris Plant. I was learning to drive and very nearly piled us all into a drystone wall coming down that steep hill into Crowdecote.

Now then... I've heard about this (Was Jez there too??).   I may very well have got this wrong/embelished the truth, but in the version I have in my head, Johnny saved the day by reaching through from the back seat and pulling the hand brake on.

(note - never let the truth get in the way of a good story!)

[IanP]

Anyway, back to padding ... what about San Melas?

Lovely little route.

For easier graded boulders Matchbox Slab at Five Clouds is pretty pure  iirc.

Also Trust at 4th Cloud once you've done the pull on to the slab.

[Ulown]

Also like spending time here where everybody can relax
Anyway, back to padding ... what about San Melas?

Lovely little route.

For easier graded boulders Matchbox Slab at Five Clouds is pretty pure  iirc.

Also Trust at 4th Cloud once you've done the pull on to the slab.

San Melas sounds like a great choice! there are well equipped routes

[SA Chris]

Prelude to Space is also pure joy if you are comfortable doing a slightly scary move up high.

[Fiend]

Sinister Rib E3 5b & Black Ball E3 5c @ Ilkley (only done the former, it was great)
Thumper E4 5c @ Eastby (one of the highlights of my grit climbing in the last decade)
Nose Climb S @ Eastby (and Bambi E1 5b links the former to the latter)

[spidermonkey09]

Loads of brilliant slabs at Thorn Crag. I thought the ones on the Diamond Boulder were particularly good. Here I am 6B ish and private room 7A+ ish. Also a 7B+, Private Press, which is absolutely brilliant and pure smearing. I didn't do it.