Climber September/October 2017

DEStination
pocketed wall that keeps on coming but
with the odd rest and, finally, Superveloce
(F6c+) left again is first-rate with a blind
finish. There are a couple of projects in
this area identified by missing hangers so
please respect these as it takes a lot of
effort to develop these venues.
Darlton Quarry
Darlton Quarry is the middle of the three
and least developed with most of the
routes climbed by Gibson. The routes are
on the north-facing back wall over to the
right when you enter. Eight routes have
been added with grades from F6c+ to F7b
on good rock and sustained in nature.
The best of the routes start with the first
on the left-hand side of this wall, This
is Not a Drill (F7a), offering good face
climbing and a crux on small holds, the
easiest on this section are second and
third from the right, The Knew and Blue
Knew (both F6c+), the final right-hand
route is The Grey (F7a+) with a mix of
high steps and rock-overs. There are a
few easy routes on the opposite wall and
the best is Still Game (F5+), starting next
to a block of wood that is bolted to the
wall (but not by the first ascensionist)
then to the right are four routes at F5+,
F5+, F5 and F6b+.
Goddard’s Quarry
Goddard’s Quarry is opposite Stoney
Middleton Garage buttress, accessed
via the stile opposite the Lover’s Leap
Garage. With most of the development
having taken place on the north-facing
walls most areas are in shade until the
late afternoon/evening in summer. The
initial wall encountered at the top of
the approach track, Crustacean Wall,
was the first developed in the quarry
(by Gibson) just in time for inclusion in
BMC Peak Limestone North guidebook.
Since then a number of climbs of varied
character have been added throughout
the quarry by Gibson, Mark Pretty, Paul
Freeman, Nick Taylor, John Allen and
David Simmonite.
Recommended on Crustacean Wall
is the obvious crack of Pearls from the
Shell (F6a+) plus the technical walls to
its left and right, Brachiopods Bite Back
(F6b) and Red Mist (F7a). Walking into
the quarry there are some massive walls
over 30m+ in height. The first route By
Goddard (F6c) takes a white scarred
pillar and to the right is the long arête of
Sheffield Tape Archive (F6a+) giving lovely
moves with a good sequence through a
small shallow corner at half height. Right
again is a striking arête high on the cliff
taken by Steps (F6c+), perhaps the first
ascensionist’s second favourite band after
the Stranglers? Then, after a number
of routes high on the cliff starting from
an access rope, there is a big and prominent
left-facing corner; Goddard’s Corner
(F6a+) gives some super old fashioned
traditional laybacking and bridging on
the crux upper corner.
After this head up a grassy bank
to the right that eventually levels out
and leads to The Plantation. Several
worthwhile routes are on the Upper Tier
to your left as you head up the bank, accessed
with care across a scree slope. At
the very left-hand end a corner above a
belay bolt is Boy Better Know (F6a) giving
old school jamming in a fine position.
Right again is Weasel Wall; the left-hand
routes, Weasel Assassin (F7a+) and Psycho
Squirrel (F7b), are very intense and
technical. The right-hand routes start on
diabolical rock but are pleasant above,
both are F6b+. The next cluster of short
routes are even higher up the scree cone,
Buzzards Banquet (F6a+) is a good route
with an off-width finish, Billy Bunter (F5)
is an easy slab and there are two routes
at F6a+. Back down below and to the
right, facing the cliff, are several more
routes in left-hand section of The Plantation
that are not described but offer a
grade spread from F5 to F6c.
Moving along to The Plantation’s
main area, all routes on the left-hand
side have tricky starts, on the left Crozzles
Away (F6b), right again is Pebbles
Away (F6b) via a thin crack before
moving right to another crack and the
recently added Clastic Rock, a sustained
F6b direct through a small overlap from
the initial thin crack of Pebbles.
The next route is Unbroken (F7b)
followed by 3D Magic (F6c) with good
pumpy climbing that swings into the
alcove and up through bulges to the
short rib above. On the right side of this
wall are seven more routes from F6b+ to
F7a+. Recommended are the two routes
on the right, the wonderfully sustained
Debrilliant (F6c) and Careless Talc (F6b+)
complete with a tricky finish.
Over to the right-hand side of The
Plantation area is a scattering of easier
routes, first up is the groove of Mup Me
and arête of Strong like Horse, both F5+
and these share a lower-off. Isolated in a
bay behind a distinctive tree is Tree Twister
(F6a+), at the far right-hand is a flowstone
pillar offering up Dendrophilia (F6b+) and
on the right is Eticlac and Underclac at
F6b. Next up, two routes gain a ledge then
clip shared bolts from either side; Style
Scott (F6b) and Flabba Holt (F6a) on the
right. Lastly is a flowstone crack swinging
right onto a wall to give Junjo Lawes (F6a).
The last area is at the far end of the
quarry on the opposite side – Sunshine
Walls – which actually become shady on
summer afternoons. Routes on the main
wall are left-to-right: Sun of a Gun (F7a+);
Sunny Side Up (F6c+); Here Comes the
Sun (F6b+) and Good Day Sunshine (F6b).
Finally, a pillar 30m to the right is the
easiest thereabouts, Sun Honey (F6a).
On the wall directly below Sunshine Wall
is Chuckle Brothers offering a nice F6a+
with a tricky start. n
Please Note
Inclusion of some of the crags in this article, in particular
the south side of the dale doesn’t give you the right to climb
there. If asked to leave please do so courteously and without
hesitation. Please bear in mind that these quarries can
contain loose rock and some of the routes, even though
well-cleaned, can be dusty with the odd dubious hold so take
this into account. As with all climbing, climbers and belayers
should be aware of this and pay close attention at all times
and use of helmets is advisable. Climbers should evaluate
any fixed gear used and make a personal judgement about
its quality and trustworthiness.
Route information and guidebooks
The final moves of Careless
Talc (F6b+) in The Plantation
area of Goddard’s Quarry are
the toughest; Stephen
Coughlan eyeing them up.
It is beyond this article to highlight every route but further details can be found on
Gary Gibson’s invaluable and regularly updated website www.sportsclimbs.co.uk
There’s a selection of all but the newer crags in both the BMC’s Peak Limestone
North and Rockfax’s Peak Limestone guidebooks.
www.climber.co.uk Sep–Oct 2017 61