LANCASHIRE ROCK

This site is a digital copy of the 1997 BMC guidebook to rock climbing in Lancashire

The Playground

  • 69 - North Corner

    Grade: | First Ascent: (1974-75)
    Rating: 0

    The short corner set back a little, and slightly lower.

  • 70 - Curver

    Grade: | First Ascent: (1974-75)
    Rating: 0

    The crack just to the right.

  • 71 - Finger Distance

    Grade: 6a | First Ascent: -1984
    Rating: 0

    Climb the wall immediately right of the crack via a long reach.

  • 72 - Short Chimney

    Grade: | First Ascent: (1974-75)
    Rating: 0

    At the end of the trough in the quarry floor there are two chimneys. This is the shorter, left-hand one.

  • 73 - Belly Wedge Buttress

    Grade: | First Ascent: -1959
    Rating: 0

    Go straight up the narrow buttress between the two chimneys.

  • 74 - Belly Wedge Chimney

    Grade: | First Ascent: -1959
    Rating: 0

    The right-hand chimney.

  • 75 - Belly Wedge Wall

    Grade: 4a | First Ascent: -1959
    Rating: 0

    Climb the wall to the right of Belly Wedge Chimney.

  • 76 - The Slab

    Grade: | First Ascent: (1974-75)
    Rating: 0

    12 metres right at a slightly higher level is a small slab. Numerous variations are possible ‘backwards, upside-down, no hands etc.

  • 77 - Unnamed Crack

    Grade: | First Ascent: (1986-87)
    Rating: 0

    Farther right again, above the trench in the quarry floor, is a tower. Climb the crack on the left side.

  • 78 - Hanging Arête

    Grade: | First Ascent: -1960
    Rating: 0

    Climb the steep arête of the tower.

  • 79 - Right-hand Route

    Grade: 4c | First Ascent: -1962
    Rating: 1

    The right wall of the tower is split by a peg-scarred crack. Climb these strenuously to a break, then go left to finish up Hanging Arête.

  • 80 - Rodin`s Requiem

    Grade: 6c | First Ascent: -1984
    Rating: 0

    Start just left of The Square, at an overhang. Surmount the overhang with the utmost concentration then tackle the wall above.

  • 80 - The Square

    Grade: 5c | First Ascent: -1964
    Rating: 0

    Nine metres right of the tower is a cubic block on the hillside. Climb its right-hand side. Alternatively, from the small overlap make a long and awkward reach left to gain a sidepull and thus the top.

  • 81 - The Third Party

    Grade: 4c,5c,5c,4b,-,4b | First Ascent: -1967
    Rating: 0

    A contrived girdle of the quarry.

  • 81.1 - Pitch 1

    Grade: 4c | First Ascent:
    Rating:

    Climb Twin Cracks to a small ledge on the right arête, then traverse to Great Chimney. Continue along the upper ledge of Orange Wall and round the arête, then descend a little and cross to Monolith Crack. Some difficult moves past large blocks at the same level lead to the ledge halfway up Cedric.

  • 81.2 - Pitch 2

    Grade: 5c | First Ascent:
    Rating:

    With an in-situ peg , traverse to the corner and descend this to a large ledge. From the right of this ledge continue at the same level, then move up slightly to The Groove. Move up and right, then belay below the capstone on Slime Chimney.

  • 81.3 - Pitch 3

    Grade: 5c | First Ascent:
    Rating:

    Descend the chimney until it is possible to follow a short crack (Grader) to join Lightning, then continue into the left corner of the recess and gain the sloping ledge. Cross this to the right corner of the recess and descend very awkwardly for three metres until at a ledge a traverse can be made to join Slipshod. Follow this to Green Slabs and belay on the large block. (It is advisable to place a at the top of Slipshod to protect the second.)

  • 81.4 - Pitch 4

    Grade: 4b | First Ascent:
    Rating:

    Cross to the ledge at the top of Pulley, then move round the arête and with hands on the obvious break traverse to Central Crack. A hard move to a high foothold enables the ledge on Crack and Slab to be reached.

  • 81.5 - Pitch 5

    Grade: | First Ascent:
    Rating:

    Secure one end of a 45-metre rope to the block then, using a ‘third party’, get the rope fixed to one of the fence posts above Rappel Wall. Make a tyrolean traverse to the large ledge below Rappel Wall, climb to Rappel Wall, then descend until it is possible to traverse right on an obvious line to a belay on Shivers Arête.

  • 81.6 - Pitch 6

    Grade: 4b | First Ascent:
    Rating:

    Go along the ledge to Kay and ascend this until it is possible to traverse to a ledge above Crooked Crack, with feet just above the peg. Descend Mo for three metres, then continue the traverse until it is possible to finish up Eeny.