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The Book
This is the third ROCKFAX guidebook to Peak Limestone and it is 20 years since Alan James' first
ever guidebook was produced back in 1992. Things have moved on considerably from the hand-
drawn topos of this 1992 offering; nowadays lavish full-colour photo-topos have been used wherever
possible and these are closely linked to detailed descriptions. Where the cliffs are heavily shrouded
by trees we have used full-colour drawn topos. In a few cases we have actually used an amalgama-
tion of both photo and topo (see Wild Cat - page 366). All crags are also feature a detailed approach
maps with GPS parking locations.
Coverage
We have given extensive coverage of all the major limestone crags in the Peak District, both
sport and trad. In general, where a buttress or crag is included, we have included all the routes
on that buttress although very minor eliminates may be excluded. This means that the book is a
selected crag guidebook rather than a selected route guidebook. There are a number of large
well-developed quarries - Intake, Halldale, Cawdor, Slayley Brook - that have been left out owing
to legal restrictions placed on us by the land owners. Climbing is banned in these quarries anyway.
History
The history of climbing on Peak Limestone stretches back over 100 years, every great climber of
his generation has tested his mettle on these fingery classics. Most of the big lines were climbed,
often with some aid, in the 1950 and 60s. As gear and fitness improved, many of these were free
climbing and the intervening gaps were plugged by ever harder routes. Bolt protection arrived in
the 1980s although initial acceptance was slow their use spread onto unclimbed sections of rock
proved inexorable. Finally the development of sport climbing, introducing routes of the highest
grade and allowed the development of many old quarries that had previously been dismissed
as worthless. Beyond the first ascent details included with every route (where known), no other
historical overviews are included here.
Andy Hutchinson pulling hard on
Albatrossity
(8a+) -
page 248
- on the Water-cum-Jolly
Cornice. Photo: Ryan Edwards
6
Introduction
Peak Limestone
Introduction