Rock climbingRock climbing also lightly called 'The Gravity Game', is a sport in which participants climb up, down or across natural rock formations or artificial rock walls. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a pre-defined route without falling...
is a popular activity in the
Peak DistrictThe Peak District is an upland area in central and northern England, lying mainly in northern Derbyshire, but also covering parts of Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Staffordshire, and South and West Yorkshire....
; particularly on edges such as Stanage or
FroggattFroggatt Edge is a gritstone escarpment in the Dark Peak area of the Peak District National Park, in Derbyshire, England and situated in close proximity to the villages of Froggatt, Calver, Curbar, Baslow and Grindleford...
. Generally the climbing style is
free climbingFree climbing is a type of rock climbing in which the climber uses only hands, feet and other parts of the body to ascend, employing ropes and forms of climbing protection to prevent falls only....
(as opposed to
aid climbingAid climbing is a style of climbing in which standing on or pulling oneself up via devices attached to fixed or placed protection is used to make upward progress....
) and the rock is either
gritstoneGritstone or Grit is a hard, coarse-grained, siliceous sandstone. This term is especially applied to such sandstones that are quarried for building material. British gritstone was used for millstones to mill flour, to grind wood into pulp for paper and for grindstones to sharpen blades. "Grit" is...
or
limestoneLimestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
. Climbing has been practised in the Peak District since the late 19th century; James W. Puttrell is generally credited with starting the sport.
There are over 10,000 routes in the Peak District.
One of the most famous Peak District climbers, and a pioneer of many new routes, is
Ron FawcettRon Fawcett is an English rock climber. He is noted for being amongst the outstanding rock climbers of the 1970s and 1980s, and for being one of the first professional rock climbers....
. The climb known as "
Master's EdgeThe Master's Edge is a rock climb route at Millstone Quarry. Rated E7 6c, it is one of the world's most famous gritstone climbs. The first ascent was made by Ron Fawcett in December 1983....
", on Millstone Edge, near
HathersageHathersage is a village in the Derbyshire Peak District, in England. It lies on the north bank of the River Derwent, approximately 10 miles west of Sheffield...
, is a testament to his skill and strength. The climb is graded E7 6c and rises 19m up the near vertical edge.
Gritstone
The gritstone crags include:
Western Grit (
StaffordshireStaffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
,
KinderKinder Scout is a moorland plateau in the Dark Peak of the Derbyshire Peak District in England. Part of the moor, at 636 m above sea level, is the highest point in the Peak District, the highest point in Derbyshire, and the highest point in the East Midlands. It is accessible from the villages of...
,
BleaklowBleaklow is a high, largely peat covered, gritstone moorland, just north of Kinder Scout, across the Snake Pass , in the Derbyshire High Peak near the town of Glossop...
, and the Chew Valley)
- The Roaches
The Roaches is the name given to a prominent rocky ridge situated above Leek and Tittesworth Reservoir in the Peak District of England...
- Hen Cloud
- Ramshaw
- Windgather
The Windgather Rocks is a gritstone crag on the Derbyshire–Cheshire border in England. It is in the Peak District National Park and is a popular site for learning the rudiments of rock climbing. As the name suggests the area is exposed to the prevailing winds, being above sea level.-Links:***...
- Castle Naze
- Kinder Scout
Kinder Scout is a moorland plateau in the Dark Peak of the Derbyshire Peak District in England. Part of the moor, at 636 m above sea level, is the highest point in the Peak District, the highest point in Derbyshire, and the highest point in the East Midlands. It is accessible from the villages of...
- Shining Clough
- Dovestones Edge
- Ravenstones
- Rob's Rocks
- Wimberry
Eastern Grit (
Derwent ValleyThe Upper Derwent Valley is an area of the Peak District National Park in England. It largely lies in Derbyshire, but its north eastern area lies in Sheffield, South Yorkshire...
,
SheffieldSheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
,
DerbyshireDerbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
)
- Rivelin Rocks
Rivelin Rocks are a gritstone edge or escarpment that are situated in the upper Rivelin Valley at grid reference , 9 km west of Sheffield just off the A57 road in the county of South Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom.- Overview :...
- Stanage Edge
- Derwent Edge
Derwent Edge is a Millstone Grit escarpment that lies above the Upper Derwent Valley in the Peak District National Park in the English county of Derbyshire...
- Burbage Rocks
- Millstone Edge
- Froggatt Edge
Froggatt Edge is a gritstone escarpment in the Dark Peak area of the Peak District National Park, in Derbyshire, England and situated in close proximity to the villages of Froggatt, Calver, Curbar, Baslow and Grindleford...
- Curbar Edge
- Birchen Edge
Birchen Edge is a rock face in the Peak District, United Kingdom, popular with walkers and with novice climbers as most of the climbing routes are in the lower grades.-Nelson's Monument:...
- Gardom's Edge
Gardom's Edge is located near Baslow in Derbyshire, England.The shelf between Gardom's Edge and Birchen Edge is now moorland used for grazing sheep, but was inhabited and arably farmed duringthe Bronze Age...
- Black Rocks
- Bamford Edge
Bamford Edge is an overhang of gritstone rock that sticks out north of the village of Bamford, Hope Valley, in the English county of Derbyshire....
- Higger Tor
Higger Tor is a gritstone tor in the Burbage Valley, in the Peak District of England.It stands in the county of South Yorkshire, about from the border with Derbyshire, which runs along the nearest road, approximately east of Hathersage. Higger Tor overlooks the hill fort of Carl Wark to the...
- Dovestone Tor (on Derwent Edge
Derwent Edge is a Millstone Grit escarpment that lies above the Upper Derwent Valley in the Peak District National Park in the English county of Derbyshire...
)
- Cratcliffe Tor
- Baslow Edge
Limestone
In-situ bolts and pitons are more acceptable on limestone and some crags are almost exclusively bolted.
- Beeston Tor
Beeston Tor is a limestone cliff in Staffordshire. It overlooks the confluence of the River Hamps with the River Manifold, and is popular with climbers....
- Chee Dale
- Deep Dale
- High Tor
- Pic Tor
- Raven Tor
- Thor's Cave
Thor's Cave is a natural cavern located at in the Manifold Valley of the White Peak in Staffordshire, England. It is classified as a Karst cave...
- Wild Cat
External links