Sport Climbing in the Peak

Not only do I live close to some amazing traditional style climbing on  gritstone and limestone in the Peak District, I also have some fantastic limestone quarried sport climbing. And early last year I was offered the opportunity to explore it. I first met Sam while on my trip to Scotland with the Wolverhampton Mountaineering Club, and he then asked me if I fancied climbing with him sometime as we lived so close together with plenty of local crags.  

First meeting Sam (left) in Scotland

Sport vs. Traditional

Climbing is a world of slang, abbreviation and has many areas within it, that includes the style in which you can climb. Some routes are climbed in a sport style which involves the use of preplaced protection usually in the form of bolts or staples in a rock face to clip the rope into as you move up a route. 

On the other hand traditional climbing involves the placement of protection in the form of nuts, camming devices and slings in and around natural features such as cracks, spikes and holes. Both these forms of climbing use the protection to arrest any form of fall and minimise the risk of injury. 

The more involved you become in the world of climbing, the more you see the for's and against's of each style. Some people favour one over the other, some say bolts deface a crag and others say bolts make a dangerous unprotected route safer. But as a new climber I want to just do and climb as much as possible, whatever the style.

First sport climbing venue

Horseshoe quarry was my first sport climbing crag and where I put my new to skills of how to climb and descend a route safety into practice. Climbing in a quarry is always a risky affair with the potential for loose rock which is constantly being created through periods of freezing conditions and then thaw cycles, this makes wearing a helmet particularly important as a belayer. Horseshoe quarry  had a great draw for me particularly as it offers a wide range of low to mid grade climbing routes and with some particularly interesting route names.

Main area at Horseshoe Quarry

Endless routes

 

 

I started off on a few short and very easy routes to put into practice the method Sam had taught me of clipping into the top bolts of a route with my cowstail (a sling attached to my harness with a screw gate karabiner on the other to clip into the bolts), then threading the rope through the top bolts and  reattaching it to myself with a figure of eight knot and a screw gate karabiner. All this enabled me to be lowered back down the route without leaving any gear behind and just pulling the rope back down.

 This process is yet another skills that if completed incorrectly could have dangerous and potentially life threatening implications and I cannot stress enough the importance of the learning this skill off in a safe position at ground level and with the guidance of a professional instructor or an experienced climber.

Once I felt comfortable attaching myself at the top of the route with my cowstail  and then rethreading the top out bolts, I moved onto some steeper and more challenging terrain. The first area of exploration was the delightfully named Latrine area with such routes as Thomas Crapper and the Bog.

Latrine Area

Long way down

 

Bolts don't always mean safe

The use of preplaced protection in the form of bolts or staples allows you to try generally more difficult routes than when climbing in a traditional style. This is due to feeling being safer if you fall off a route as the bolts are normally a secure form of protection, however when moving up a line of bolts you must always monitor there condition and make a judgement call whether they are fit for use. 

Other areas in the Peak

I've now visited a number of other quarries and areas around Matlock, Buxton and Ashbourne to climb a variety of different routes. I've used a number of guidebooks, but 'From Horseshoe to Harpur Hill' by Gary Gibson is the best I have found due to it's quality information, simple layout and a focus of low to mid grade climbing. 

Coleshill Quarry

 

Why give it a go? 

Sports climbing is another string to your climbers bow as it opens new areas, often different types of routes and rock and also due to it's style of protection allows you to push your climbing grade. However, like all climbing it's a extremely important to know the correct and safest methods for topping out and lowering off these routes. And even though the British Mountaineering Council instructional videos offer superb and high quality information, if in doubt consult a qualified instructor. 

I've tried to give you a brief overview of my experience of sport climbing in the Peak District. If I honest it's not my favour style of climbing, but is very enjoyable none the less. For videos and instruction of climbing and probably a much better discription of the difference between traditional and sport please visit the British Mountaineering Council website.

Most of all stay safe, enjoy and give it a go! Also please feel free to add any comments on my piece and any suggests of other good crags to try out in this area!