Cratcliffe Robin Hood s Stride Eagle Tor Rowtor Rocks Stanton Moor Harthill and more 5: The Cratcliffe Area

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1 No times observed, nor charitable lawes, The poor receive their answer from the dawes, Who, in their crawling language, call it plaine, Mock-beggar Manour, for they come in vaine. Taylor: Works from A dictionary of Phrase and Fable, 1894 Cratcliffe Robin Hood s Stride Eagle Tor Rowtor Rocks Stanton Moor Harthill and more 5: The Cratcliffe Area

2 Cratcliffe Tor by Adam Long OS Ref SK Alt. 240m Gritstone outcrops are few in the central limestone heartlands of the Peak, with the main concentration scattered around the villages of Birchover and Elton. In contrast to the strident edges of the west and east the crags are small and tumbledown, tors halfhidden by oak and birch. By far the most important of these is Cratcliffe, whose central section of Owl Gully and Suicide Wall rivals any on grit in height and architectural boldness. The plumb-vertical walls, criss-crossed by juggy breaks, give a unique style of climbing of unrelenting quality. Either side the crag degenerates into the wooded boulder-jumble typical of the area, offering short, sharp routes and a wealth of bouldering. Conditions and Aspect: Facing generally southeast, the main section of the crag is sheltered, takes little drainage and dries very quickly. Furthermore the deep gullies mean sun or shade can usually be sought as seasons dictate. The more wooded areas can remain damp in winter and midgy in summer. Routes and Bouldering: Over forty routes plus a selection of superb girdle traverses. Fifty plus problems neatly split between the slopetastic and crimpnasty, with more unearthed yearly. Parking and Approach: Lower Parking - Limited space for six cars in a small layby on the east (southbound) side of the B5056 (Haddon to Winster). The crag is visible above the trees. Don t try to park in the entrance to the farm track leading up to the crag. Take the large path up the left-hand side of the field, heading up to the col between Robin Hood s stride and Cratcliffe. Don t cut across the field, wait until you reach the woods (the bouldering starts here) and follow the small path rightwards through them to the crag. Upper Parking: Alternatively, follow minor roads between Elton and Youlgreave to limited parking opposite Robin Hood s Stride. See page 316. see map on page 316 Top Boulders N Hueco Wall Cratcliffe Middle 100m Tree Boulders Jerry s Traverse Low Slung Tit Traverse Sparrow 65 P Crack 14 Reticent 15 Hermit s Cave Tom Thumb Amphitheatre Owl Gully Suicide Wall Crag Boulders Grimoire Mark Stokes on Five Finger Exercise, E2 5c (page 362). Photo:Pete O Donovan. 326 Froggatt to Black Rocks Froggatt to Black Rocks 327

3 The Stone Circle You don t need to be stripped naked and full of cider and worshipping some earth-god on all fours on midsummer s evening to get in touch with the deep magic of Cratcliffe and Robin Hood s Stride. Instead, here s a temple of bouldering mysticism that s guaranteed to bring enlightenment. This is the harder of the region s two circuits that will give a day s worth of pushing and pulling on 34 problems mainly from V2 - V5. Cratcliffe Top Boulders page Blind Pocket Rib (8) 2 Top Rib (1) 3 Through Mantel (22) 4 Suicide Bummer (27) 4 Robin Hood s Stride - Kaluza Klein Area page Boysen s Crack (9) 18 Sweet Arête Sit Start (14) 19 The Kid Stand-up (20*) North Boulders page Burley s Bridge (35) 21 Flipper (51) 22 Shadow Slab no-handed hop (58*) 23 Milking the Cow Shelf Start (60a) 24 Spine Left-Hand (64) 25 Nobody Knows (38) Top Boulders 1-3 Hueco Wall Square Block North Boulders Cratcliffe Middle Tree Boulders 5-9 Hermit s Cave Owl Gully Crag Boulders South-West Boulders 19 Kaluza-Klein Cratcliffe Tree Boulders page Egg Arête (30) 6 Egged On (32) 7 Green Slopey Traverse (34) 8 The Lark (42) 9 Serpico () Cratcliffe Crag page Hermitage Traverse (4) 11 Magic Beans (20a) 12 Renaissance Start (*) 13 Brain Dead (76) 14 No Hueco (70) Cratcliffe Middle page Look At Me! (2) 16 Razor Roof (5) South-West Boulders page Jams O Mantel (73) 27 Concave Crimper (75) 28 Diamond Slab Right (78) 29 Front On (79) 30 Bossa Nova (84) 31 The Cave Problem (92) The Pinnacles page A.P. Special (48) 33 The Crucifix (31)

4 Cratcliffe Amphitheatre D Area Cratcliffe b The Amphitheatre The routes on the left get lots of morning and afternoon sun. An easy climb, Amphitheatre Crack, Mod (trad), funnels up the left-hand side with awkward sections and is the best descent hereabouts. 22 Bramble Groove VS 4c m Follow the groove that breaks out from the foot of Amphitheatre Crack to a ledge. Climb the groove on the left or steep crack on the right to another ledge. The overhanging crack above gives the crux. a Alternately, the wonderfully exposed escape left on jugs is Bramley s Traverse, HS 4b «(1907): see photo on page Oblique Chimney VD 4a «pre m From Amphitheatre Crack, trend up and left to gain a clean-cut cleft. Shimmy up this. 24 Darran Hawkins Invisible Neck E4 5c «1986 7m The short overhanging arête above the ledge. Crux moves off the ledge (spotter advised) gain a 330 Froggatt to Black Rocks deep pocket (good cam). Haul up to much friendlier breaks above. 25 Elliot s Unconquerable HVS 5b «1933 9m The left-slanting crack is short but, after some seventy years, still a fine testpiece. b Finish direct or, for more fun at the same grade, head left from the top of the crack Mephistopheles Exit (1951). 26 Elliot s Right-Hand E1 5b m The wall just right is sweet, if a little short. Pull over the overhang and follow friendly cracks above. 27 Hey Turkey Neck E2 5c m From the ledge on the right side of the amphitheatre (right of the finishing chimney of Weston s), climb the wall using three small pockets. 28 Weston s Chimney VD m Back on ground level, and just left of the arête that bounds Owl Gully, a historical grovel up the obvious chimney leads to cleaner rock and a large ledge. Finish up the wide crack. Look at his little legs! Andi Turner managing to stay calm in the face of the drastically exposed swing into the hanging crack on Tom Thumb, E2 (page 357). From this point, the next six feet are usually covered with a bit of a fight. Photo: Adam Long. Froggatt to Black Rocks 331

5 Cratcliffe Owl Gully Owl Gully Cratcliffe 31 Three Hundred Pounds of Musclin Man V10 (7a) A superb problem up the striking undercut arête. Power and hip flexibility are pre-requisites, though giants may be able to dyno straight to the break. 37 Owl Gully VD «« m Although now rather polished, one of gritstone s great pitches at the grade. Exit rightwards: photo on page Percy s Cornflake V7 (6c) Just to the right, a sit-start leads to stretches up to slopey gastons and then the break. 33 The Groove E9 7b «« m The shallow groove in the steep wall was one of the most desired unclimbed lines of its generation. It now gives some very twenty-first century climbing in a traditionally bold situation. Gain the groove and magic up it to the break and two vertical cracks, crux. Continue up the disappearing continuation groove and ascend the blunt rib to join Fern Hill below the roof (this bit being only E7 6c): see photo on page Tiger Traverse E2 5b « m From the start of Fern Hill, traverse the break on the opposite side of the gully to reach the big ledge on Five Finger. Squirm across this to gain pleasant climbing up the arête to the top. 39 Nettle Wine E4 6b «« m A superb route in a similar vein to Five Finger. From the start of Tiger Traverse make tricky moves up to the next break. Just right, even trickier moves lead up a poor flakeline to a hole and glory. Well protected, and harder (E5) without sneaky use of the flake on Five Finger: photo on page Nutcracker E3 5c «« m Possibly the original route of the wall, though claimed many years later amidst much confusion. The technical grade assumes you can make the initial reach, otherwise expect a tough 6a. From the first ledge a few metres up Owl Gully, launch leftwards along the horizontal break and follow it to the arête. From here more heightist moves lead up the slab (as for Boot Hill, tall man s way) and then right to finish as for Fern Hill. Climbers heading towards the Bower in the 1930s Owl Gully The thrusting open book corner is one of the cathedrals of gritstone. Its steep, crack-riven walls are swarmed over by a plethora of routes. The classics are of course the originals, but the climbing is so good that any of the pitches are worth doing. the wall above. a Boot Boy, E4 6b (1984), is the direct start up the sidewall to gain the hand traverse; runners but not limbs are allowed in Weston s Chimney. 30 Trick or Treat E4 6a, 5c, 5c «1985 The first of Cratcliffe s superb girdles, giving climbing every bit as good as the other climbs hereabouts. 1 18m Follow Boot Hill to the arête, and continue the traverse around the arête and taking a rising line to gain Fern Hill and so the gully. 2 17m Drop down the gully a few metres then take the break which leads around under the great roof to The Bower. 3 17m Leave The Bower as for Suicide Wall but continue into Savage Messiah. A thin flake then leads to the arête and the top. 35 Fern Hill Indirect E4 6a « m Extend Fern Hill with a superb arm-draining, rope-tangling zigzag out along Nutcracker and then back along the next break up. However, the crux for most will still be the start, which, for the sake of balance, is graded for the short this time. Tough stuff. 36 Fern Hill E2 5c ««« m A magnificent route on immaculate rock; the classic of the wall. At the lower end of the grade but strenuous and well guarded by a tricky first move. Easily up the gully until about 2m above the thirdheight ledge. From a bridge position, gain the diagonal crack and follow it out left, moving up just before the arête is reached; the holds improve (hopefully) quicker than the arms tire! A step left gains a good rest below the roof, above this is a shelf which provides a precarious exit. 29 Boot Hill E3 5c ««« m The first of the great Owl Gully routes, and one of the best, loosely based around the left arête. From 6m up Weston s, hand traverse right to gain a small ledge on the arête. From here, the tall can stretch up the slab, the short will need to use cunning and sneak up the steep side of the arête. Romp up the left arête to the roof and a surprising finish up 332 Froggatt to Black Rocks

6 Cratcliffe Owl Gully Area Cratcliffe a b a b c c d d e e a b c d a e Five Finger Exercise E2 5c ««« m A varied and absorbing wall climb with an almighty climax. From the base of the gully, polished cracks lead up the right wall to a blank wall. Thin crimping up improving flakes gains the ledge at half height make the most of the rest! The grand finale is the hanging flake to the left; gaining this is awkward and climbing it intimidating, so just as well the gear is so good: photo on page Froggatt to Black Rocks 41 Liquid Assets E5 6b « m A little overshadowed by the surroundings but offering a nice contrast. Climb the arête with a bold and balancy crux move to reach the roof and decent gear, then continue up the fingery wall just right of Five Finger. Exit more easily up the arête and groove. Originally climbed with high runners in Five Finger at E4. Pat Nolan doing it the hard way on Nettle Wine, E4/5 (page 361), making tough crux moves onto the blind flake without the help of the Five Finger flake. Photo: Niall Grimes. Froggatt to Black Rocks 335

7 Cratcliffe Crow s Nest Suicide Wall Cratcliffe Renaissance E2 6a, 5c, 5c 1985 The second of Cratcliffe s classic girdles, rather shorter than the others with more upward momentum; start just right of the arête. 1 10m Climb the thin crack and The Direct Start to gain The Bower reachy! The first crack alone makes a good V2. ac 2 18m Scuttle leftwards along the break at the back of the roof around the arête into Five Finger. Follow this up to the ledge and then traverse the break above it into Owl Gully. 3 10m Use a variety of diagonal cracks to gain the right-hand end of Fern Hill s finishing ledge Requiem E3 5a, 6a «««1970/75 Yet another classic with superb positions and impeccable rock; this, though, has a mean crux to spice it all up. 1 9m Surmount the jutting tongue and climb the wall direct to The Bower. 2 14m Without using the tree, gain and climb the crack splitting the right-hand side of The Bower s roof testing. If you make it to the break, follow it leftwards for a couple of metres then up to a hole. Press on direct veering slightly leftwards to a delightful finish: see photo opposite. Checked woollen shirt, fibre-pile trousers, EBs, Troll chalk bag and centre-parted barnett. Dave Wiggins sporting the 1970s look (well, it is the 1970s) on Reqium, E3 6a (opposite page). Photo: Pete O Donovan. Suicide Wall To the right is a big steep wall named after one of the best climbs on grit. The rock is amazing, the climbing superb big rough pummels on great holds, usually with ever-present protection. It is hard to see the routes from the ground, adding a sense of adventure. The cave on the left-hand side, with a huge oak tree growing from it, is known as The Bower. 42 The Bower, Route 1 HS 4b « m Can you abseil? Good. From just right of the arête, alternate steps up and right lead to a shallow corner. This gains the tree, a superbly-positioned belay and, sadly, the end of the route. 43 The Direct Start VS 4c m Not especially direct but a good test. From the start ledge on Route 1, jam up a groove then make a tricky traverse right to The Bower. The Bower became a favourite resort and escape upwards from it an ambition. There was an exploration already on top rope for cleaning purposes, and it had already become known as Suicide Wall. In May 1946, Peter Harding and Veronica Lee arrived at the crag, and the burning question: Could Suicide Wall be led?. It was found that it could. It was a fitting end of an era, and the beginning of a new one. A new era which, because of the lead of Suicide Wall would see climbers casting their eye at many previously unscanned walls on other gritstone crags. Eric Byne, Chatsworth Guide, Froggatt to Black Rocks Froggatt to Black Rocks 337