Basic HTML Version
When we realised Northern Limestone was due to sell out (it actually sold better then we ever expected)
and there was no queue to take on the rewrite, I thought I could squeeze in just one more project. Some
guidebooks plead to be born and rush forth with barely a breaking of sweat from the grateful authors.
Others have to be forced into existence by brute force and sheer bloody-mindness. The limestone guides
always seem to slot into the latter category. The previous version; Northern Limestone, had the longest
gestation of any Rockfax ever and although this volume has only taken a couple of years it has proved
no exception to the rule. The reasons are various and obvious: new venues get developed, old ones
become overgrown, holds break, bans are established and of course the trees get bigger year on year
making the photography ever more challenging. Despite the tribulations we hope the final product does
justice to these fine climbs.
Without the help of many climbers the book would never have happened. Jon Clark got in touch at an
early stage and his encyclopedic knowledge of the Peak's hard sport routes has been invaluable, the
Raven Tor section is a prime example of his great feedback. Graham Hoey has proof read the whole
book and offered advice from his vast experience of hard trad routes throughout the Peak area, as has
Gary Gibson - Mr Peak Lime himself! Others who have offered their advice/experience include Marc
Bellingall, Bob Bennett, Dan Smith, Dave Johnson and Neil Foster. Apologies for anyone any I have
missed. Kris Clemmow has provided excellent feedback as well as doing sterling work on access and
rebolting. Jon Fullwood, Paul Bennett have read most of the text and offered plenty of feedback. Daimon
Beail and Emma Harrington have been great proof readers.
As ever we have had the pleasure of browsing through and choosing from the galleries of many
excellent photographers, their work adds immeasurable value to the book. Thanks to Adrian Berry, Ben
Lea, Christian Fox, Craig Bailey, Dan Lane, David Bond, David Simmonite, Denise Hammer, Esther
Bott, Jon Fullwood, Keith Sharples, Mark Glaister, Mike Hutton, Neil Foster, Nick Smith, Pete Clark,
Ryan Edwards, Stu Littlefair; and also to those who offered photos; Mark Rankine, James Smith, James
Reece, Thomas Bond, Tim Lounds and Tony Moody.
Graham and Dan Parkes were very helpful in getting many of the final (and more esoteric) action shots
we needed (see pages 132 and 228). Stephen Horne has managed to make the complex production of
these books a lot less complex and fraught. His support has been second to none - cheers for that.
As ever Sherri Davy has been standing right behind me, despite dragging her back from the sunny
delights of winter in Kalymnos to tramp the muddy Derbyshire Dales - not once but twice!
Alan James has been the guiding light behind this and every other Rockfax, accepting nothing less than
perfection; with a mixture of cajoling and cudgelling I think we got there in the end.
Chris Craggs, March 2012
The bread and butter of this guidebook is the crags and the routes that it covers. Without the routes we
have nothing to climb, and even with the routes we still need people to negotiate on our behalf to ensure
continued access. We are very grateful to those who put in effort developing; people like Gary Gibson,
Kris Clemmow, Jon Fullwood, Jon Clark, Graham Hoey and many more over the years. For access the
whole Peak Area committee need a mention but especially Henry Folkard who deserves endless praise
from every climber who ever touches rock in the Peak District.
It seems almost incredible that it was 20 years ago that I wrote my first acknowledgements in a Peak
Limestone Rockfax. That particular effort - my first guidebook - was a life-changing event for me and
took me in a direction I hadn't contemplated up to the point that Mick Ryan and Greg Rimmer gave me
the opportunity. I am very grateful to both of them for having faith in me at that time.
Finally thanks to my family - 20 years ago there were just the two of us, now we have a house full and
the place is so much more lively for it.
Alan James, March 2012
11
Acknowledgements
Peak Limestone