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The Peak District National Park forms a much needed
green lung for the many millions of city dwellers who live
just over the horizon in almost every direction. The Park
- the first in the UK (1951) lies within 50 miles of half the
population of England. Despite its small size, it exhibits a
rare variety of landscapes in such a small compass. From
the desolate northern moors and their rugged gritstone
edges, through the central farmland with its drystone walls,
to the tranquil southern dales with their bubbling trout
streams and white limestone towers; the area has a bit of
almost everything and as such it attracts many visitors.
Of course climbers are just one such group and they are
doubly blessed with two rock types to go at within the Peak
Park, each with its own characteristics, unique settings and set of
enthusiasts. The Grit remains the rock of choice for many, limestone
being seen as the poor relative, and it appears likely that a superb
set of grit area guidebooks over recent years is at least part of the
reason for this. It is time to redress the balance a bit.
In this book we have the best of the limestone on offer in the Peak
District. For trad climbing there are venues like the big three of High
Tor, Beeston Tor and Chee Tor which rank with any limestone crag
in the country for quality. Then there is the old forcing ground of
Stoney - a place which can be warm and sunny when the near-by
gritstone edges are cold and weather-beaten. Alternatively you could opt for some pleasant
easier routes at Aldery Cliff, Wildcat, Ravensdale or Harborough - all great venues with a
variety of climbing to suit most tastes, and this is not to mention a dozen other great crags.
Despite the pedigree of the limestone trad climbing, the most popular crags are the
quarries that pockmark the Peak District landscape. These have been extensively explored
and developed with most decent bits of rock now being bolted for sport climbing. They
may not always be the most picturesque locations but crags like Horseshoe, Masson Lees
and Harpur Hill have many quality routes towards the middle and lower end of the grade
spectrum and are extremely popular and busy locations.
Those after harder sport routes on natural rock are spoilt for choice: the Mecca of Raven
Tor, a couple of Cornices, loads of fine cliffs in Chee Dale, the fierce fingery walls of Water-
cum-Jolly, plus a number of smaller crags dotted around to go at. This includes some world
famous cutting edge routes offering great climbing from the mid grades right up to 9a.
Of the 2381 climbs described in this book, 1411 are sport routes (59%) and 970 are trad
routes including classics of both genres. Sport climbing has become the norm on limestone
for many nowadays, and at the same time trad limestone climbing has fallen out of fashion,
though aficionados have continued to enjoy these fine climbs. New guidebooks always
cause a spike in activity and we hope this one will provide a stimulus for anyone not familiar
with climbing on Peak Limestone to get out there and give it a go, be it trad or sport.
Alan James, Chris Craggs, March 2012
4
Manchester
Sheffield
Glasgow
Dublin
London
Peak Limestone
Introduction
Hathersage
Buxton
Stoney Middleton
Ashbourne
Baslow
Hartington
Wirksworth
Matlock
Matlock Bath
About 10km
Southwest
p.278
North
p.40
Southeast
p.324