Guides

A delightful small North facing sandstone quarry venue with views to the sea and over Robin Hoods Bay to the North. Containing the impressive and enigmatic Two Sister boulders, set beneath the main quarry face. The North facing aspect gives grip even in Summer. Provides varied climbing on overhanging, vertical and slabby rock, using slopers, crimps and thin cracklines. Roadside parking right next to quarry, so walk-in is mimimal. Learn More

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Lancashire Bouldering is packed full of all the stuff that makes a climbing guide taste real good…full colour photo topos, action photos, maps, graded lists and interviews with key figures. There are loads of venues, with tons to do whether you are travelling from afar to sample the best bits, or just keen to discover some new local crags for an after work hit. Here’s the list… Bowland Area Bull Stones, Crag Stones, Craig-y-Longridge, Great Stone Of Fourstones, Longridge Fell, Nick Of Pendle, Reef Knoll, Thorn Crag, Windy Clough, Wolfhole Crag. The Quarries Anglezarke & Lester Mill, Baby Denham, Brownstones, Cadshaw, Denham, Duxon Hill, Egerton, Healey Nab, Hoghton, Jumbles, Knowle Heights, Lower Montcliffe, Ousel’s Nest, Parbold, Roundbarn, Stanworth, Stronstrey Bank, The Wiltons. East Lancs Moors Ashworth Moor, Birtle Boulder, Blackstone Edge, Cow’s Mouth & Wicken Lowe, Deeply Vale, Dove Lowe, The Hammerhead, Harcles Hill, Higher Chelburn, Holcombe Boulders, Holder Stones, Lee, Lobb Mill, Orchan Stones, Pinfold, Sladen Roof, Stony Edge, Troy, White House, Withens Buckstones.

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This is the first fully dedicated bouldering guide to the whole of the North York Moors and its east coast. With over 2000 problems to suit all abilities, we have packed this guide full of colour photos and topos to showcase this secret and stunning landscape. The guide contains: Established popular venues in the west, with the inclusion of more remote secluded hidden valleys. Venues deep in the heart of the Moors, where sheep roam free on the purple blanket of heather that leads to an abundance of blocks and crags looking out on the green valleys below. Eastern areas involving a journey back in time to a world of steam trains and ancient wooded boulders. The stunning Jurassic landscape of coastal bouldering beside clear blue seas. The North York Moors has many tales to tell of dreamers, explorers and smugglers. This guide hopes to capture the spirit of this beautiful historic area.

The areas in this guide are split into three areas, western, central, eastern and coastal. The Western Edges The most popular area of the North York Moors due to its easy access for the local population of Teesside, accessibility from the gritstone edges of Yorkshire to the west and The Peak District further south. There is a rich history connected with this western area, where several ground-breaking ascents have been made over the years. Recent development have uncovered several new venues, some giving a bouldering aspect to existing traditional crags. There are well known areas, such as Scugdale, The Wainstones, Captain Cook’s and Ingleby Boulders, along with other lesser known, though worthy venues. Even though this western area is more popular compared to further east, some venues still have an isolated feel and the potential for further exploration.

Venues included in the western area are: Low Water Stones, High Crag, Kay Nest, Tranmire Rocks, Earthworks Rocks, Wainstones and Garfit Quarry, Cold Moor, Thimbleby Crag, Scugdale, Ingleby Incline, Park Nab and NOS Boulder, Captain Cook’s and Roseberry Topping. Also brief mentions of other outcrops like Apple Tree Rocks, Tarn Hole, Todd Intake, Collar Ridge, Badger Stone and Highcliff Nab.

The Central Section The majority of bouldering in this area is on or around the spectacular Blakey Ridge, which is surrounded by the wonderful valleys of Farndale, Fryup Dale, Rosedale, Danby Dale and Westerdale. Most of the venues are located on the edges below the exposed heather moorland and all have a different panoramic aspect of the stunning valleys below. Many of the venues have a short walk-in from the parking, making it possible to enjoy more than one in a day. The area also includes the only limestone bouldering venue on the North York Moors, the hidden quarry of Ravenswick, a good dry bet in wet weather. Beware! It's dark world of painful eliminates that you can easily get obsessed with. Venues included in the central area are: Ravenswick Quarry, Duck and The Inbetweeners, Oak Crag, Petergate Quarry, Thorgill Crag, The Meadow, Middle Ridge Crag, Rosedale Head, Round Crag, Northdale, Dale Head, Clemitt’s, Camp Hill, The Finkelstones and Castleton Quarries, with a small mention of the edges in Farndale.

Eastern and Coastal Area Although there's not a huge amount of bouldering on this eastern side of the moors there's a good and diverse variety of venues. This ranges from the magical Arncliffe Woods in the Esk Valley to the obscure pinnacles of The Bridestones just outside Dalby Forest and all the way over to the coastal bouldering of Smuggler’s Terrace high above the North Sea. Most of the venues have only recently been discovered and many are not well known as a result, but a visit in good bouldering conditions or a nice sunny day can rival a trip to more popular areas further west. This area is also home to the largest boulders on the moors, which are 'The Two Sisters' of Stoupe Brow, one of which goes by the name of ‘Barry’. Venues included in the eastern area are: The Bridestones, Levisham, Hunt House and Blawath Crag, Glaisdale Head, Arncliffe Woods and Limber Hill. Venues included in the coastal area are: Cloughton Wyke, Smuggler’s Terrace, Stoupe Brow and Boulby, with a mention of the tricky to access Rocky Point.

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Bouldering Essentials is packed with clear, practical advice for everyone interested in bouldering whether a complete beginner looking to learn the basics, an indoor climber keen to start bouldering outdoors or an experienced boulderer who wants to explore advanced topics such as dynamics, strategy, tactics and highballing. Author David Flanagan Learn More

A 200 page guide to bouldering at Fairhead in Northern Ireland, 12 years in the making, this guide finally unlocks many secrets the massive jumble of blocks hold. Learn More

9 out of 10 climbers are stuck. They are stuck on the same things. Some of the things that hold climbers back from improving their climbing standard are the same as they were 20 years ago: motivation, managing time, and not being able to analyse and correct their own basic technical or tactical errors. But they are also stuck for a new set of reasons. Twenty years ago, the problem was that no one knew how to train for climbing. Information was scarce. Today, it's the opposite problem. Book after book lists technique, exercises and tips. Navigating this barrage of information, filtering out the irrelevant and homing in on what matters to your life, your climbing and your circumstances has been the limiting step for today's climber. This 176 page book is the first to present the science of improving at climbing in a way that will actually help you make confident decisions and stay focused on the things that will make the biggest difference. Copies sold from this shop are signed. Learn More

A single sheet of paper that folds out like a map and is printed on both sides. Supplied in a clear plastic pouch. 28 "pages". This guide illustrates all the great boulders climbed to date in the Coire Lagan area of the Cuillins. A unique climbing experience- thousands of gabbro boulders lie among the glaciated slabs - between the altitudes of 200m and 600m - giving some of the finest mountain bouldering in the country. Only the most obvious routes have been climbed so far - leaving hundreds more - in more remote areas - unclimbed. The rock is generally solid and clean - although new climbs may need some hard brushing. Due to a lack of weathering - there are rarely any features on the roofs and steeper walls - so alot of the problems tend to be on lip traverses - aretes - thin faces and sometimes cracks. Gabbro is well known for its incredible roughness - many a bouldering trip has been abandoned early due to raw fingertips - so gloves/finger tape is advised. A bouldering mat would also be useful - as the landings are usually either in a bog - stream or on rocks. Learn More

A nice little spot next to the road just above Castleton, some easy stuff and some test pieces on hard leaning prow and other varied bouldering. The topo has ten problems in it but there is plenty other stuff to go at. Take a brush. Learn More

This idyllic sandy haven is just waiting to be explored, a multitude of fantastic little solos and traverses. Most grades are around the font 3 to 5+ grade, with some harder lines and lots of eliminates The rock is forever eroding so problems will change! Set in a stunning part of the Northumberland coastline the geological patterns here are incredible, the sandy beach is clean and perfect for a picnic or dare I say sunbathe. Learn More

A nice boulder field with some small easy blocks, and the great lion boulder lying in the middle, the monolith is worth seeking out, the topo has 11 problems on it and there are more to be done enjoy. Learn More

Includes the areas: Simon's Seat, Lords Seat, Hen Stones, Crookrise, Deer Gallows, Fairies Chest, Hellifield, Rylstone, Brandrith, Flasby Fell, Goldsborough, Guisecliff. Learn More

Wild bouldering for sure, quite a trek. Learn More

The bouldering at Dobb Edge is set in the Chatsworth country estate landscape, complete with resident fallow deer, hares and even the odd daredevil flying display visible from the big house around holiday weekends!. A pleasant circuit exists with grades from font 3 to projects around 7a and up. Most problems are relatively short, though there are a couple of highball projects around. Spotters are needed for some. Park in the car National Trust car park next to the Robin Hood Inn, walk down towards Baslow then look for a turnstile on the other side of the road that drops down and crosses the river, then the path climbs up to a path that leads over the top of Chatworth Edge, continue past the Edge , past a field on the right with small boulders in it, over the wall, Dobb Edge on the right hand brow of the wooded hill. Learn More

The Culdie area is scattered with small terraces and free standing blocks. The rock is a superb super-fine grained Torridonian Sandstone which is easy on the skin. Just south of Culduie there is a fissure, called Slochd na Beinn, named by one of the locals the Valley-of-the-Kings. the scope for development here spreads all the way along the hill. The rock is old and weathered, so caution is required in places. Before Pulling on any problems it may be worth testing to see how hollow the rock sounds. This is especially so on the wall problems where the erosive patterns seem to create hollow flakes, but all the problems that are recorded here were done are on sound rock, especially the free standing boulders of the Sphinx and Sarcophagus. Approach Culduie is 3 miles south of Applecross village. Drive through Culdie and carry on for another half mile and park just before a bridge. Walk SE towards the entrance of the valley, and the Sphinx boulder will come into site, it is an obvious free standing rock 100m before the valley. The majority of the bouldering is on the left hand side of the valley. From the Sphinx, cross the wall, then head up the left flank to arrive on the terrace above the large crag. Learn More

One of the finest circuits in the moors - stunning area - easy walk in - pleasant wooded boulders - over eighty problems to explore on some really good sandstone blocks. Learn More

Aside from the great (but painful) gabbro boulders of Coire Lagan, there is also a collection of finer-grained basalt boulders at Carn Liath off the A855 to Staffin. About 13km north of Portree, before the hamlet of Rigg and the conifer plantations, two burns tumble down from Carn Liath hill on the west. Approach up the main grassy ridge to the west onto the flat boggy moorland (the main cliff is visible high up ahead). Aim for a mini col at about 300m, right of the cliff. From here you can see a couple of thousand boulders. The main bouldering area is on the flat area at about 250m. It is a complex place to explore but there are some terrific natural problems. Described here are the best of the lines so far developed by James Sutton, Lee Robinson and friends. Expect to get lost in the jumble! Learn More

A giant amphitheatre of boulders sitting under the jewelled mountain consisting of dense clusters and scattered free standing boulders, good clean rock, easily found following traversing deer paths below the horns of Alligin. Listen to the underground streams and beware of the frogs!!!!! probably the biggest and most dense field of boulders in the UK. There are hundreds of lines to be had in this amazing venue, enjoy but be careful in the dense jumble. The profit from this guide will be donated to mountain rescue. This guide is dedicated to Pete Walker a true trad climber who thought bouldering was utterly preposterous! Learn More

This guide illustrates all the great boulders climbed to date in the Coire Lagan area of the Cuillins. A unique climbing experience- thousands of gabbro boulders lie among the glaciated slabs - between the altitudes of 200m and 600m - giving some of the finest mountain bouldering in the country. Only the most obvious routes have been climbed so far - leaving hundreds more - in more remote areas - unclimbed. The rock is generally solid and clean - although new climbs may need some hard brushing. Due to a lack of weathering - there are rarely any features on the roofs and steeper walls - so alot of the problems tend to be on lip traverses - aretes - thin faces and sometimes cracks. Gabbro is well known for its incredible roughness - many a bouldering trip has been abandoned early due to raw fingertips - so gloves/finger tape is advised. A bouldering mat would also be useful - as the landings are usually either in a bog - stream or on rocks. Learn More

Kyloe in the Woods This topo has on it only the central wall, Classic desert island bouldering, the walk in is 15mins to this very mystical bouldering venue, a true right of passage place to go. As you tick a harder problem you some how feel you have earned some respect from the crag! even if you never repeat the problem. The Central section has held the attention of the strongest and most dedicated of boulderers in the UK, John Earl, Steve Blake, Dave Cuthbertson, Malcolm Smith. The climbing is three star and the sequences needed to succeed on the problems can be difficult to work out, drawing you back to the woods for more. The rest of the crag will be added later. Learn More

All approach, crag and problem information has been reviewed and revised since our first Peak District Bouldering guidebook (2005), and the authors have spent several years researching, writing and updating all of the established crags in the area, together with the many new crags that have risen in popularity or been developed in the last 5­6 years. New crags have been added, including several which have never been fully documented in guides before, such as: the Derwent Edges, Bamford and Birchen Edge on the Eastern Edges; Beeley Hilltop, the Matlock Quarries, Turning Stone Edge and Black Rocks in the southern Peak; Gradbach Hill, Wolf Edge, New Mills Torrs, Tintwistle Knarr and Black Tor in the western and northern Peak; and Blackwell Dale, the Alport crags and Dove Dale on the limestone crags. The Churnet Valley bouldering has also been updated. This guide features over 3,300 boulder problems on over 70 crags, both major and minor. Catering for boulderers of all abilities, there are over 2,150 boulder problems below Font 7a, and over 1,150 problems at Font 7a and above. Problems and their grades have been checked and double checked by many dedicated local climbers, with experience at all grades, to ensure as great an accuracy as possible across the grade range. Each crag features detailed access and approach information, together with overview and topo maps. The guide features over 500 colour photo topos and is illustrated with action photography from some of the area¹s best photographers, including Adam Long, John Coefield, Keith Sharples and David Parry. International climbing legend Ben Moon has written the foreword, and there's a detailed Appendix which includes everything climbers need to plan a visit: Tourist Information Centres; cafés and pubs; campsites & accommodation; gear shops; climbing walls; and useful websites. Learn More