Niall Grimes has a workout with the mighty new guide: Burbage, Millstone and Beyond.

I’m a great fan of the definitive guidebook. Well, I would say that wouldn’t I? But think about it for a second, they are there to show where every route is, to give details of the great and the good, the small and the obscure, the weird and the unpopular.

Their great advantage over select guides is the depth of knowledge they give to an area, a reflection of the familiarity that the writers have with their patch, and, far from being select guides plus the not-so-good routes, they are bibles of detail and surprise joy, of the delight to be uncovered in unexpected places, and the rewards that come from such, more personal, discoveries.

The new guide from the BMC, Burbage, Millstone and Beyond, is a fabulous guide for anyone who loves the gritstone edges. A definitive guide in every sense, uncovering and displaying the secret gems as well as the glittering diamonds on the more popular crags. As much work has gone in to lionizing the one star VS tucked away in a forgotten quarry as has to the mighty E9 that can be seen for miles, shining like a lighthouse. And one way that these tucked-away beauties are brought to life is via the themed circuit.

The idea of these circuits started in the Staffordshire Roaches guide. Things like “Ramshaw Crack School”, “Are you a “Staffordshire Obscurist?”, “A Brown and Whillans Day Out”, “Gus’ Slab Exams”, or “Breaking the Extreme Barrier”, and they all went down a treat. They fulfill many purposes. For one, they are an attempt to help readers to look at their cragging in a different way, by having themed days out, or perfecting their skills in a particular style of climbing. Or they are a chance for the guide writers to allow their special knowledge of an area to come across, by pointing visitors towards what that area is best for – good beginners’ climbs, for example.

Also, they are an ideal opportunity to give climbers the motivation to go to a crag or an area they have not been to before. This final reason is one of the most important. It allows users to get the most from a definitive guide, by getting away from the honey pots to the unvisited, special areas, which not only broadens their experience of an area, but, perhaps more importantly, takes the pressure off those honey pots, saving them from the effects of overuse.

The forthcoming guide will feature such circuits as “Routes for the Beginner”, giving ideal routes and sectors where those that are new to climbing outdoors can cut their teeth; “The Advanced Beginner”, stepping the lessons up a little; “Troglodites Corner”, a series of testing underground squirms in the Burbage Valley, great for a wet day, or climbers that are afraid of heights; “So You Think You Climb VS?” giving a dozen climbs to test aspiring tigers in the skills of the greatest of all grades; “Boulders! Know Your Holds”, with twenty close-ups to see how much attention you were paying; “The Peg Pocketeer”, going through the grades of peg crack climbing in the quarries; “The Ultimate Highball List”, with over a hundred highball problems and micro-routes of all levels.

Sounds interesting? Well here’s a selection of ideas to use with the forthcoming Burbage, Millstone and Beyond guide. Try a couple out, and see where it takes you...

The E2 big day out
Circuits, much established in Fontainebleau, are seldom followed on grit, especially on routes. Yet by combining a good number of climbs, followed on foot, a superb fitness testing day out can be had. Bring your sandwiches and a comfortable pair of boots, and by completing a list of routes such as the one below, you will collect a great amount of quality, and pump. Such a day out would be superb training for a holiday to Yosemite or the Alps, as both arms and legs are going to feel the experience. The climbs are generally pretty safe, allowing you to squeeze every inch of effort out of your tired body.

• Lawrencefield: Great Peter and Billy Whiz
• Millstone: Regent Street, Knightsbridge and Commix
• Higgar: The Rasp
• Burbage North: The Fin
• Burbage South: Midge, The Boggart, Zeus

The HVS big day out
A similar idea to the circuit above, although a couple of grades lower. But beware, it won’t feel that much easier!

• Lawrencefield: Slippery Wall
• Millstone: Bond Street and Plexity
• Over Owler Tor: Skydiver
• Carl Wark: Tower Wall
• Higgar: The Riffler, Surform
• Burbage North: The Grogan
• Burbage South: Pebble Crack, Brooks’ Crack and Nathaniel

It is worth noting that both these in-a-day circuits finish within crawling distance of The Fox House. This is no coincidence.

Hard routes where you don’t have to die
All too often, hard routes on grit tend to be lethal, devoid of protection. However, there are safe ones out there, which are very worthwhile. Here’s a few, but it’s worth noting that what you lose in danger, you gain in desperation.

• Millstone: Mother’s Pride (E6), Toploader (E7). Both rely on oldish pegs, all the same. Higgar: Linkline and Block and Tackle. Two Neil Foster E6 6cs – desperate, brilliant and great protection. Ahhhh.
• Burbage South: Balance it Is and Masters of the Universe – a couple of E7s, first from that man Foster again, with bomber gear in a crack, the second an old one, protected by ancient bolts but backed up by an abseil rope.
• Carl Wark: Lost World (E6 6c). An old John Allen delight with bouldery moves above good cams in a break
• Rivelin Quarry: Earthboots (E6) and Flex (nearly E6). Two slippery desperates, the first a searing fingernail romp with small gear in some slots, the second a butch arête with a couple of good pegs. Oh the joy!

Obscure gems
Far from the madding crowds, in the dark reaches of some of our local crags, live many fine routes which seldom get visited. Maybe the rock is a bit suspect, maybe the crag is too small, maybe you can’t pronounce the name. For whatever reason, some routes don’t get the attention that they deserve. Yet for this very reason, this can make an ascent the most rewarding of experiences, free from the chalk and wear and predictability of the three-star classics five minutes from the road. Here’s a few, ideally suited to those operating in the VS-E1 bracket.

• Birch Buttress, Rivelin: the wild western reach of this great crag had an isolated little outcrop with some fine severes and HVSs.
• Hallam View Buttress: a lovely, isolated pinnacle near Rivelin, worth a quick visit for its short, easier routes (and an E7 if you feel limbered up).
• Ladybower Quarry: a great morning crag for anyone who can handle hollow rock and a death-defying parking experience. Many powerful lines in the VS-HVS range, with The Rat being one of the finest Obscure Ticks in the area.
• Back Tor: the hidden gem of the Derwent Edges, with many fine routes on steep, interesting rock. Spartan is the standout climb here – mighty roof-crack action.
• Howshaw Tor: while being only 300m away, Howshaw Tor makes Back Tor seem like Stanage. Its northerly aspect gives obscure a whole new dimension, and should be combined with a visit to Back Tor, especially for the Eliminate and Rectilinear Wall.
• Rivelin Quarry: no-one ever visits this crag, due to an unfair reputation for being overgrown. Okay, so maybe it is – but only in parts. For the adventurous dabbler, visit the impressive Big Quarry for Glucose and Dextrasol, and earn yourself a couple of stars.
• Agden Rocher: Arcadia. Bucolic Paradise. Hands up who’s been here? See! Only one, and he wrote the guide. A sunny, tree-lined crag. If you liked Ladybower Quarry, you’ll love this! Castor and Pollux are the two obvious choices for the marauding obscurist, with steep, pumpy crack climbing. There you are, you are a true adventurer.

Great wriggles and thrutches
The worst forgotten art? Hardly! Squirming is one of the most enjoyable and technical forms of climbing, and this area boasts a grand selection.

• Chockstone Climb, D, Burbage North
• Lime Juice Chimney, VD, Carl Wark
• Wall Chimney, HVD, Burbage North
• Thrall’s Thrutch, S, Burbage North
• Scarlett’s Crack, HS, Rivelin
• Every Man’s Misery, VS, Burbage South
• Kremlin Krack, HVS, Rivelin
• Rhodedendron Crack, E1, Rivelin Quarry
• Goliath, E5, Burbage South. Bit of a jump, maybe, but it’s good to shock the system the odd time.

Crack masterdom
The crack, the badly bruised achilles heel of the modern climber, should be mastered if climbers want to broaden out into all sorts of traditional climbing. The main thing with them is to get over the fear. To help, here is a breakneck fast-track list for the aspirant. Tick your way through these for enlightenment.

• 20 foot Crack, S
• White House Crack, S
• Mutiny Crack, HS
• Amazon Crack, HS
• Obscenity, VS
• The File, VS
• No Zag, HVS
• Roof Route, HVS
• Dexterity, E1
• Easy Picking, E2
• Undercut Crack, E2
• Gates of Mordor, E3
• Teddy Bears’ Picnic, E4
• London Wall, E5
• Scritto’s Republic, E7

There. That wasn’t so bad was it? You can book that flight to the States now.

« Back