A Taste of the Peak District

Accommodation and attractions of the Peak District of the UK

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Stanage, wow! Where do I start. I suppose at the Popular End (above). The name is rightly deserved, you try getting onto Hargreaves Original (VS) at a weekend! A classy climb. Pull up, onto a slab and off you go tee hee! There are plenty of V Diffs here too, for example, Hollybush Crack. No hollybush, just excellent climbing, jam it, layback it, the choice is yours. Is the start really V Diff? Equally as good is Leaning Buttress Indirect. This follows a corner crack to a 'window' at which point a traverse in a fine position  takes you to the left side of the tower, up which you finish. Black Hawk Traverse is another good one worth seeking out, if you want to make it harder, go up too high!  Aim for the Mississippi Buttress area as well, there are some classics to suit everyone such as Amazon Crack (S), Mississippi Buttress Direct (VS ), Congo Corner (HVS) and Dark Continent (E1). Moving along to the middle group, you find the classics of  the Left (E1) and Right (HVS) Unconquerables, in addition to Tower Face and Goliath's Groove (both HVS).

If you fancy a "right thrutch" go and do Tower Crack (HVS)whilst you are in the vicinity.  For those extremists who may be reading this, savour the perfect aretes in the same area, e.g. Archangel, which goes at E3. What a line!  If you can be bothered to walk to the North end, there is plenty to delight and tax you. For a bit of fun, do Kelly's Overhang (HVS) or Quietus (E2). More subtle than these two, but very close by, is High Neb Buttress (VS).The Crow Chin area is popular with mid grade climbers with a range of grades from Diff to HVS. There is tons more, visit marble wall and further north still, the end slabs have some nicely exposed but reasonably graded climbs when they are not luminous. For a bit of entertainment send your mate up The Vice (and then refuse to second it!)

Below is the brilliant Cave Arete (climber unknown), a little harder for the short (that is my excuse for making a meal of it anyway!)