Climber September/October 2017

Chris Hindley nails the Thief
of Mad Dad (F6b+) on the
right-hand section of Horse
Thief Quarry.
The cliff itself has much to recommend
it to the sport climber, the rock is
generally good quality, although a loose
band in the upper reaches demands care,
the base of the cliff is well-shrouded by
trees but its elevated nature means it enjoys
a sunny aspect and is ideal for a late
afternoon or evening session. The rock
dries relatively quickly after rain and its
sheltered nature makes it a good choice
for a blustery day. A word of caution,
however, the steep vegetated slope
below the cliff quickly becomes muddy
and consequently very slippery when wet
as a number of unsuspecting climbers/
belayers have found to their peril.
As for the routes, Another Camden
Day (F6c+) is perhaps the one to single
out of the recent additions, pleasant face
climbing culminates in a spectacular
steep finish where a hidden knee bar can
be more than useful if arms are wilting.
Out of interest, either side of this are the
fine early trad routes Southerners Can’t
Climb (E3 5c) and Northerners Can’t Climb
(E5 6b); the latter was retro-bolted but
then quickly de-bolted, a good example
of climbers self-management of ethics.
Just left is Can’t Climb, Won’t Climb (F7a)
another good face climb and this one is
fully bolted.
The small bay above the vegetated
slope in the centre of the cliff has a number
of shorter sport routes. These are
deceptively sustained and many of the
routes feature fierce and fingery climbing.
Perhaps the pick of the bunch are In
Conversation (F6b) a technical thin crack
and Libation (F6b+) up a crimpy little wall
just right. The steeper wall right again
has proven popular and now has a clutch
of quality middle grade wall climbs to
tempt. Nearly all the routes feature fierce
bouldery starts and if you have carried a
stick clip up with you this is the place to
use it. Don’t Talk to Strangers (F6c) is my
favourite; a bold and reachy start leads
up into the black streak in the centre of
the wall. Procession (F6b+) is the slightly
easier line just right, again with a fierce
bouldery start where a long reach helps.
Perilscope (F7a) climbs the fierce crimpy
wall right again, the desperate start can
be avoided from the right and knocks the
grade down a notch. High in the right-hand
side of the wall is a large hole; this is the
gained by the excellent State of the Nation
(F6c) and left with no little difficulty.
Right again a more broken wall provides
a number of pleasant easier routes, the
best thereabouts is A Timer and a Place
(F6a) up the nicely positioned arête.
Finally, a short buttress, one of the first
encountered on the approach, gives a
couple of worthwhile routes – Shake Rattle
and Roll (F6b) a deceptively tricky wall
climb and Before Too Long (F6b) a burly
pitch up the roofed-corner and wall.
Golden Wall
In the trees below Stoney West is a small
and easily accessible wall with a handful
of short routes ranging from F5+ to F6c+.
The routes feel stout at the grades but
can give a good afternoon’s sport. The
best routes are Black Bryony (F6b) giving
pleasing moves via a blunt rib and pleasant
wall, and just to its right is the decent
wall climb of Blickin’ ‘eck (F6b+).
Garage Buttress
A true roadside crag, following recent
developments Garage Buttress has been
elevated to one the area’s most popular
sport climbing venues. Again fully bolted
sport routes sit side by side with classic
trad climbs, an example of climbers
self-policing the development of modern
routes, although some bolts do sit a
little close. It’s got the advantage of easy
approach, quick drying rock and a sunny
aspect thus popular in winter.
The routes on the left side of the
buttress are reached by a scramble up (a
rope sometimes in place) to a high ledge
which has an in-situ rope rail and bolt
belays. Starting from the left the routes
tend to start off steady and get harder
towards the top. Worth doing are:
Bohemian offering open wall climbing at a
benchmark F6b+; its close neighbour on
the right Empty Cartridge (F6b+) is a bit
tougher with hard pull above the break
and Reloaded (F6b+) via a shallow groove
to the break and a fine finishing headwall.
Further right the buttress is home to
an imposing piece of rock (Little Plum
Area) with a collection of hard test-pieces
including Dig Deeper (F8a) with fierce
pocket pulling, Ozone Bozo (F7c) involving
some big long moves so height is a
factor. Next to be recommended is the
hardest of them all, Kristian Clemmow’s
route Tollbar (F8a+), and finally on this
section is the superb Little Plum. Originally
climbed on aid, Jerry Moffatt freed
both pitches of the route at the start of
the 80s. Although it can be climbed in
two pitches it is best done in one long
pitch at an ‘easy’ F8a.
Moving to the right-hand section
of Garage Buttress the dozen routes
added in the last few years have proved
instantly popular with a couple of short
warm-up routes on the left at around
F6a to start the ball rolling. Right again
the 30m long Dreamcatcher (F6b+) is
without doubt the best pitch on this
wall with lovely flowing moves to a
steep pull at the top. Immediately right
is Creamsnatcher (F6b) with some good
delicate sections. Just around the corner
the rock isn’t quite so good with some
snappy holds but there a few routes from
F6a to F7a, the best being the exposed
upper wall of Four Thousand (F6c). If you
have a 60m rope, tie a knot in the end as
the route is 32m in length. If that’s too
much, you can climb to the first lower-off
in the break to tick Two Thousand (F6a+).
The South Side
Nick Taylor looks at the climbing and offers
suggestions for this side of the dale.
Drive the dale from Horseshoe Quarry
towards Stoney Middleton village and
at the sharp bend in the road you may
glimpse a striking buttress on the right
above the trees, thereafter the valley is
heavily wooded on this side for nearly
a mile, until opposite the Lover’s Leap
Garage at the start of the village, a large
quarry is noticeable. There are, in fact,
three huge quarries hidden from view
which offer numerous varied and very
worthwhile sport routes. West to east
these are Hidden Quarry, Darlton Quarry
and Goddard’s Quarry. Recent developments
followed the abandonment
of these quarries and be reminded that
there is no official access so if asked to
leave please do so courteously.
Hidden Quarry
Hidden Quarry contains the striking
prow, known locally as The Sphynx, or
recently by climbers as Sit Down
Buttress, and several other areas of
development. The first climbs there were
by Tom Proctor and Geoff Birtles in 1973,
58 Sep–Oct 2017 www.climber.co.uk