[ReubenRules123]

Surprised to find that there wasn't already a thread on this (or just inept at searching).  What order would people rank the gritstone crags of the peak district in terms of coarseness? I was thinking that Wimberry might be the coarsest with Burbage also being on this end of the spectrum and somewhere like the Roaches Skyline being the finest grade of gritstone. Don't really know where any of the other crags rank though.

[sxrxg]

Why limit it to just Peak grit?

Some examples from outside the peak would be the lovely fine thorn crag Lancashire gritstone through to the mega sharp and coarse hunters stones in Yorkshire.

[crzylgs]

As a proud owner of buttery, soft moist, skin -  I'd be interested in some form of scale / ranking. Can't say I'm well informed enough to contribute though.

[cheque]

Here’s my rough ranking, from sweetcorn-pebble-lined-handcracks-of-agony down to even-grained-Northumberlandesque-fineness. Sxrsg makes a good point but this is Peak only as I don’t consider myself experienced enough elsewhere.

Kinder
Ramshaw
Chew
Bleaklow/ Longdendale/ Derwent Edges
Bamford/ Stanage End/ Cowperstone
Higgar Tor
Most of Stanage & Burbage
Castle Naze/ Windgather
Froggatt/ Curbar/ Baslow
Gardom’s/ Birchen/ Chatsworth
Most of the Roaches/ Hen Cloud
Amber Valley
Cratcliffe/ RHS area
Black Rocks area
Roaches Skyline

There’ll be further nuances locals to Staffs, Chew etc. are familiar with that I’m not.

Geologically I think it’s down to the “series” (which I think is the time period in which is was deposited?) which explains why it broadly follows latitude and altitude. Someone who knows more about geology than me will need to explain how there can be such differences between quite closely-located crags and even buttresses but it’s basically due to it all being the beds of prehistoric river systems of course.

[andy popp]

Had a rethink.

[dunnyg]

In grit you will sometimes find quite a range in courseness at outcrop scale too. Size is generally a function of energy, so larger grains = faster water, and angularity mainly a function of distance the grains travelled from being where they were eroded from to where they were deposited.

This works at all scales from a single Channel that lasted a few years, to entire river systems.

Hunters stones should be up there on the painometer for sure.

[mrjonathanr]

Disappointed this isn’t about vulgar route names.
We could give Strapadictomy C5 and work from there.

[cheque]

Cowperstone should be higher actually, perhaps up with Ramshaw. That traverse is like something from the Saw films  .

[teestub]

Disappointed this isn’t about vulgar route names.
We could give Strapadictomy C5 and work from there.

If it helps, the geological units of different grit are referred to as ‘Members’

[Fiend]

Hunters stones should be up there on the painometer for sure.

It's a truly miserable place for grit coarseness, why on Earth people project stuff there ffs....

Good topic. Could do with been a bit more nerdy....oh wait.....no I think that's well covered 

[mrjonathanr]

Disappointed this isn’t about vulgar route names.
We could give Strapadictomy C5 and work from there.

If it helps, the geological units of different grit are referred to as ‘Members’

Now we’re getting somewhere 

[Fiend]

Talking about Yorkshire stuff, Shipley / Woodhouse / Baildon / Gilstead is definitely on the fine grained end. But pretty damn weird.

[tommytwotone]

If you want course, painful grit, you all need to have a session at Nought Bank / Guisecliff! 

[tomtom]

It may also depend on the 'sorting' of the sediment.....

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sorting_(sediment)

Something that is well sorted (all of the same size) may not be as painful as something that is poorly sorted (of lots of different sizes) where coarse - painful large clasts (sorry pebbles ) may effectively stand out more.

As DunnyG says the sizing generally reflects the energy of the system but the energy also reflects where in the system deposition occurred - so finer grains will tend to be towards the lower end of a river system (lowland floodplains, estuaries, delta's etc..) whereas coarse will be higher up. Sediment supply also has an important role too.

Just to add to the fun and games, some of the sandstones (Cheshire - Churnet for example) may be in places a mix of aeolian (wind blown sand) and fluvial (water). But they are from a different time than the peak grits. 

[dunnyg]

A sorting Vs pain study should be undertaken. Do we apply for funding from the BMC or from NERC?

[Bonjoy]

Talking about Yorkshire stuff, Shipley / Woodhouse / Baildon / Gilstead is definitely on the fine grained end. But pretty damn weird.

Ironically, some if not all of these are part of the top level of the grit beds, which is/was known as the Rough Rock Formation.

[SA Chris]

Is this coarseness to do with the coarse language after if removes your skin? in that case I nominate Slipstones, specifically Wisecrack Direct. I still have scars on my knuckles.

[teestub]

A sorting Vs pain study should be undertaken. Do we apply for funding from the BMC or from NERC?

Got to be a BGS BMC joint funding I reckon.

[36chambers]

Is this coarseness to do with the coarse language after if removes your skin? in that case I nominate Slipstones, specifically Wisecrack Direct. I still have scars on my knuckles.

From my experience, all gritstone is equally too f**king coarse.

[SA Chris]

fuck yes.

[User deactivated.]

Is this coarseness to do with the coarse language after if removes your skin? in that case I nominate Slipstones, specifically Wisecrack Direct. I still have scars on my knuckles.

From my experience, all gritstone is equally too f**king coarse.

Agreed, I think we can all agree that comfortable mag lime is easily the best rock to climb on 

[Smith42]

What about Goldsborough Carr?  UKC has it as Moorland grit but i seem to remember its more akin to the stuff Cullins are made from but my geology/memory fails me ATM. 

Its gorgeous to climb on but rough as .....