Over the Moors: download extras

Posted by Niall Grimes on 20/06/2012
Luke Allen emerges from a great big cleft, and he's still smiling ///Photo:Martin Kocsis

Over the Moors features so many crags that we made the difficult decision to exclude some of them for reasons of space or dereliction. Just because these crags are on the web does not say anything about their quality, although I doubt we'd put Shining Clough in here.

Here are the crags we have for your delight and delectation, you traveller in the obscure you! Not all of them are ready yet, but bear with us and we'll soon be there.

In no geographical order:

Crowden Great Brook:  A selection of little buttresses on the east bank of Crowden Great Brook, just north of Brookside Buttress. Routes between VD and E1, worth a quick shufty if you're cruising up the brook on your way to The Castles. (p288 in the guide)

Middle Black Clough: Simply lush, and well worth seeking out. These craglets and buttresses are in one of the most peaceful locations around, and it has a truly terrifying 4c slab (E2) above a monster Drop of Doom. Honestly, such a great place. (p311 in the guide)

Bottoms Quarry: An urban quarry in a sort of countryside setting. Routes up to E3 with the majority being below that. There's variable quality and interest but being less than 30 seconds from the car it's very accessible. (p599 in the guide)

Harry's Quarry: This is a place with potential as well as some impressive walls and aretes. It's a bit close to the nearby houses, and the residents perhaps aren't all that keen on people in the quarry, but a friendly attitude and low key approach might get you somewhere. Maybe they just assume anyone in a quarry is up to no good -and you may well be! (p191 in the guide)

Dovestones Main Quarries: In all its tottering horror comes this guide to the "Alps of Saddleworth". Why go all the way to France to climb crumbling multipitch routes when you can do it in the comfort of the Chew Valley? Actually, if you've got this far in the description I should tell you that I'm lying about this place being as bad as the Alps. It's way better and there's decent beer afterwards. I recommend it - climb here now. You will notice that most of the descriptions are given in feet; but that's just how we do it up here so get used to it. There is also an 1100ft gritstone traverse...where else in the world can you get one of those? What follows is a full script to the quarries, including routes listed in the current guidebook.

Cowbury Dale:  A big place with a wide variety and selection of routes. It has only recently (2010) been developed and there is still an air of exploration about it. The occasional hold might be loose as the routes have only had a few ascents but go with an open mind and you'll be fine. Easy access, great views, quick drying. This topo, written by Tony Howard & Di Taylor, with help from Mick Shaw, Simon Troop and other ne'er do wells, is a full colour guide to the crag in all it's magnificence. I climbed here a couple of years ago and got sunstroke, and this is the Grim North! A nice view, no chavs and it's sunny all the time, even at night. Worth checking out. (p599 in the guide)

Crow Stones: The edge comprises good quality moorland grit in the Derwent Valley that has probably never been seriously assessed beforethis guide – or at least no records have been found. The edge consists of three tiers of buttresses that are generally sound, clean & coarse grained gritstone from 3m to 8m. The rock enjoys the sun from late morning and is quick to dry out. None of the routes are particularly high in the technical grades but the situation and quality of climbs make it a good day out.

These next downloads are coming soon:

Torside Clough: MIssed out because of the way things were. In all the years working on the guide I only went there once and had a tough time finding things, but then it was a hot summer day, and the bracken was nineteen feet deep. And there were ginormous midges. This is a bare bones script, mainly cut and pasted from the 1991 gude, with Keith Ashton's new routes stuck on at the end. If someone would like to take this on as a project (crag shots, action shots etc) then it might get  into the next edition. (p342 in the guide)

Bollington Quarry: Blair Witch comes to Cheshire. There are some good lines here, but also some dreadful ones in this supernatural quarry, and it's as well to know which one is witch. Both before and after climbing you really must visit Belfield's Bakery. Their meat & potato pies are simply the best I've ever had, and the local welcome you'll get in there - especially if you tell them what you've been up to - is memorable. (p599 in the guide)

Download support for other guidebooks:

Download support for Froggatt to Black Rocks

Download support for Roaches area



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Anonymous User
03/07/2012
I see Cowbury is still not in the updates. Y'all don't know what you're missing! Great place, easy access, nice location, south facing, quick drying and good climbs at grades from Mod to 6a (or harder, some lines still waiting). Most, if not all, routes have been cleaned (they weren't bad in the first pace). Just a note of warning though - avoid the central top tier apart from the existing lines on its extreme right and left edges. It's central part is dodgy with bad top-outs, though we tried a couple of lines and I'm told someone considered an arete to a lower-off, but never did it. Don't blame 'em! Tony H
Anonymous User
17/07/2012
Hi, me again. Re my earlier comment, I'm very happy to see Cowbury download is now available. If it ever stops raining it'll be one of the first 'Chew area' crags to dry out. Give it a go, you don't know what you're missing! Tony H
Anonymous User
17/07/2012
Hi, me again. Re my earlier comment, I'm very happy to see the Cowbury download is now available. If it ever stops raining it'll be one of the first 'Chew area' crags to dry out. Give it a go, you don't know what you're missing!
And re the Dovies Q download, you should be aware that some of the routes in it have actually downloaded themselves into the quarry bottom some time ago, joining other, older routes already piled jigzaw like beneath the crag. But what's still standing is guaranteed to provide adventures - the Joggled Crack section between the Waterfall area and the Lower Left isn't bad for starters, Tony H
Anonymous User
14/09/2012
A very nice, inspirational guidebook - a pity this summer's weather hasn't matched!

Went to Millstone Buttress recently - routes 3 and 4 have got mixed up on the diagram, so there's a danger of VDiff leaders getting very frightened on an E1 5a. It does, however, illustrate the dangers of omitting more detailed route descriptions, and putting too much reliance on diagrams. In the Approach section, it would also have been helpful to point out that the crag is below the moor edge, and to reach the crag it is necessary to turn off left down a grassy ridge soon after crossing Coombes Clough/Lads Leap.

Could you please correct the first ascent details (on P. 132) for C.M.C. Induction Programme, on Nether Tor. The route was led by Martin Whitaker, and seconded by Brian Hutchinson (who was the C.M.C. inductee!). Pat Cocks was third on the rope, Hugh Dowling fourth, and Caroline Whitehead fifth. The date (21/08/1994) is correct!
Anonymous User
14/09/2012
Hi,

Thanks for that important note and your kind words. Hopefully a VD leader would spot that it wasn't VDiff but I take your point! The description could do with beefing up, I agree. All comments on here and elsewhere will be acted upoin when the reprint comes around. If you spot anything else, please note it on here.

TTFN,
Martin

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