OS Landranger Sheet: 93
Map Reference: NZ593097
Aspect: South
Approach: 20 minutes
From the car park follow the obvious broad path of the Cleveland Way south to reach Captain Cook’s Monument in about 20 minutes (as for Potters Quarry). Leave the Cleveland Way to continue southeast from the monument to where the crag will soon appear on the left through a gap in a wall.
The first rocks encountered are...
The Pinnacle Area
1. Easby Corner 5m 4c
Climb the left side of the aręte at the extreme left hand end of the crag.
2. Arty Farty 5m 5b
A good eliminate up the wall between Easby Corner and Deviation.
3. Deviation Direct Finish 5m 5a
Gain the two holes in the groove, and then continue direct to the top, via a small flake for the right hand.
4. Deviation 5m 4c *
Gain the flake in the groove, and then make a difficult step up and right to a ledge, which is followed by a mantelshelf to the top.
5. Fibre Optic 5m 5b
Start at the nose right of Deviation and left of the well-named Greasy Wall. Climb the edge of the slab then pull left, around the aręte to finish at a good pocket on the lip.
6. Greasy Wall 5m S
Follow the left (west) wall of the vee alcove. Start about 2m right of the aręte, of Fibre Optic, and climb the middle of the wall on indifferent holds.
7. Lambert’s Wall 5m 4b
Climb the right hand line of greasy wall on small pockets.
8. Short Wall 4m D
The clean, right wall of the alcove can be climbed via a diagonal crack.
The Pinnacle
The next three climbs and a traverse are on the pinnacle itself.
9. The Other Way 5m 4c
Start on the west side of the pinnacle. A long reach to a notch in the horizontal break enables the thin crack to be followed. Good climbing.
10. The Pinnacle Nose 5m VD
Start in the back of the alcove. Climb the aręte via the projection and the wall above.
11. The Easy Way 5m D
Start in the gully on the right (east) of the pinnacle. Climb the zigzag crack. This is also the normal descent.
12. Trickster 15m 5c
A traverse of the base of The Pinnacle. Start and finish at The Easy Way.
Long Low Wall
A few metres to the right of The Pinnacle is a long low wall, which is undercut at its right end and hosts some short problems:
13. Slap and Hang It 3m 5c
Start 2m to the left of Alan’s Wall. Gain the obvious small shelf by a dynamic move and if you can “hang it” finish direct.
Tony Marr 5th November 2000
14. Alan’s Wall 4m 5c *
Start at the undercut wall and climb the obvious slanting fault with interest.
Alan Taylor 28th February 1999
Across the narrow gully is a smooth aręte this is:
15. Pimple Picking 4m 6a
Hard moves up the knobbly aręte.
Below Long Low Wall is a Harp Shaped Slab, with a warm up traverse across the north and west faces, and two short powerful 5b boulder problems on the south face.
A few metres further right of Long Low Wall and just around the corner of the buttress is:
Pobble Wall.
The next route starts close to its left- hand side from the lowest point.
16. Stone Cold 6m 4b
Start from the embedded boulder. Climb the wall direct to finish up a shallow depression.
Tony Marr 7th February 1999
17. Pobble Wall 7m VD
Climb the sculptured wall right of Stone Cold, to finish up the short corner.
The Nose Buttress
To the right of the gully is the highest buttress on the escarpment offering some of the best climbs.
18. The Corner 6m HS 4b *
Climb the smooth looking rib to the left of the prominent flake of Two Tier Crack.
19. Two Tier Crack 8m S *
To the left of The Nose is a prominent flake crack splitting the face. Start below the crack in a shallow corner. Climb the awkward corner and even more awkward crack above.
The next four climbs are all bold and poorly protected!
20. Cookie 8m E1 5b
Start just right of Two Tier Crack and two metres left of Sundancer. Climb via the small scoop directly to the top.
To the left of the overhanging wall is a large triangular ledge, just above the ground, which makes a comfortable seat. This is also the start of...
21. Sundancer 8m E3 5c *
Three metres left of the obvious hole on The Nose is a flake leading to a small groove. Gain it from the left with difficulty then make awkward and bold moves to the top.
Nick Dixon, Pete Whitfield 1981
22. Winter Warmers 8m E2 5c
Start at the left end of the overhanging wall, immediately right of the obvious ledge. Climb the left edge of the overhanging wall to arrive at the break 1 metre left of the obvious hole. Continue with difficult moves up the aręte, moving right onto a slab to finish.
Steve Crowe
23. The Nose 9m E2 5b **
Start directly under the obvious nose. Climb the overhanging wall, moving left to a hole. Step left, and then climb the aręte as for Winter Warmers, moving right onto a slab.
Paul Ingham, Tony Marr 1979
This aręte looks good but is it ever dry?
24. Cook's Corner 8m 4c
The obvious corner crack to the right of The Nose is often damp but worth the effort.
25. Endeavour 8m 4c
The lichenous wall right of the obvious corner crack (Cook's Corner).
26. Green Crack 6m HVD
The obvious crack just right of Endeavour.
27. Green Man 5m HD
Climb the corner right of the last route to join the finish to Rufus.
28. Rufu 5m M
Start from a heather ledge below a projecting roof. Climb the slab and turn the roof on the left.
29. Dead Tree Aręte 6m S
Start just right of Rufus and climb the stepped aręte around the roof to exit awkwardly onto the slab.
30. Dead Tree Crack 6m S
Ascend the crack behind the old tree stump. Worthwhile.
About 50m of bush whacking to the right are two prominent slabs lying at a gentle angle like a fallen stack of playing cards. There are three routes on the lower one. Above and just to the left of The Slabs is Veranda Buttress. Above and to the right of the slabs is the Overhanging Buttress. This east facing area is slow to come into condition after poor weather.
Veranda Buttress
The next climb starts just left of a tree in front of the wall
31. Out of Reach 4m 5c
Start under the bulge to the left of Skulduggery. Pull over the bulge to gain the pocket. Exit up the blunt rib on the left. Strenuous.
Tony Marr 6th July 1997
32. Skulduggery 4m 5b *
Start at the left end of the wall in front of a tree. Climb the sculptured wall on fragile edges with increasing difficulty. (The exit is the crux!).
Tony Marr 6th July 1997
33. Dirty Tackle 5m 4c
Start at the right end of the wall. A good starting hold followed by a long reach enables a curving edge to be reached. Step up and left to escape via the dirty corner.
Tony Marr 6th July 1997
The Slab
The easy angled slab lies below Veranda Buttress.
34. The Slab - Left-hand 10m D
Climb the left hand side of the slab more easily after an awkward start.
35. The Slab – Centre 10m VD
Start in a shallow depression in the middle of the slab. Climb the bulge direct and continue to the top.
36. The Slab - Right Edge 10m D
A reasonable route up the right hand side of the slab.
.
Overhanging Buttress
Just right of The Slab is a small undercut buttress.
37. Wasps Are OK Really 5m 5c *
Start left of Stirrup. A hard pull gains a good hold on the aręte, up which it finishes.
38. Stirrup 5m 5b
Follow the blunt nose of the overhang on poor rounded holds.
39. Flanker 5m VD
Climb the hanging scoop right of the overhang, passing a small ledge.
40. Flake Wall 5m VD
Climb the wall to gain the short ramp, just to the left of a small gully.
The next route is on the boulder that abuts the wall.
41. Gibber 5m 5c
To the right of Flake Wall is a curving aręte. Climb the aręte by its left side until it is possible to pull right onto the final slab.
Tony Marr 6th July 1997
42. Brittle Band 5m VD
A traverse of the overhang. Starts beneath the overhang crossing the steep wall to finish in the gully on the right.
About 30m east of Overhanging Buttress / The Slab area is a quarry.
Cook’s Quarry
The first climb is to be found on the small buttress at the extreme left-hand side of the quarry.
43. The Watchman 5m 5c *
Ascend the overhanging aręte direct. Good moves.
Tony Marr 7th February 1999
A few metres further right is a prominent square prow. The next problem traverses the wall left of the prow.
44. Cook’s Wall 4m S
Start 3m to the left of Men’s Zone and trend rightwards across the wall to the ledge.
Tony Marr 22nd June 1997
45. Men’s Zone 6m 6a *
Starting on its left side, levitate up the left aręte of the prow.
Tony Marr 22nd June 1997
46. Forty Years On 5m 5b
Climb the right edge of the buttress.
Tony Marr 22nd June 1997
About 6m further right is a cracked wall. None of the following actually top out due to the dense heather, instead they all escape right and down the right wall.
47. Crack One 6m D
Follow the wide zigzag crack to the dense heather at the top. Then reverse, or traverse right on good pockets to finish down the right wall.
48. Broken Crack 6m S
Climb the broken crack to the right of Crack One.
Andy Laing 1997
49. Crack Three 5m 4b
Follow the thin fingery crack to gain a second wide diagonal crack above. Continue straight up the wall on good pockets. Descend down the wall to the right.
50. Noble Fish 6m VD
Climb the wall above the inscription ‘NOBLE’ to the fish shaped pocket. Reach for the break and pull up to gain the top.
Andy Laing 1997
The Boulder
Below the main escarpment and directly below The Nose Buttress is a huge split boulder. It provides many problems and variations, only the more obvious lines are included here. The climbs are described clockwise starting from the side facing the main crag (the North West side).
51. Rampart 5m VD
Start from a small boulder 2m right of the chimney that divides the two main boulders. Step into a slanting crack on the wall. Follow it to a small corner and gain the slab above.
52. Green Slab 5m 4b
Start immediately right of the chimney at an undercut slab. Gain the slab and continue, via a small shallow scoop, over the bulge to an awkward finish.
53. Chimney Variant 8m MS
Start 2m inside the chimney. Climb to the broad ledge on the left (East). Surmount the projecting nose on the right (West) by some strenuous moves up a shallow scoop.
54. Chimney Variant LH Finish 2m 5b
Tackle the tip of the nose left of the scoop on jugs. Serious.
55. Baldy 5m 4c
Start 3m left of the chimney at a scoop/ramp. Climb the bulge direct using obvious holes to the top.
56. Baldy's Traverse 7m 4c
Start as for Baldy but on reaching a horizontal break a few feet up traverse left using the horizontal crack to finish by an awkward pull just to the left of the summit block.
57. Nimrod 7m E2 6a
Start just around the corner to the left of Baldy. Gain two small crimps from a large ledge then pull up right to gain a sloping break. Work straight up through a break to a crimp to a crimp then top out. A large cam was used on the first ascent.
Graeme Paige, John Hewitt both led, and then GP soloed the route. 20th May 1999
58. The Boulder Very Direct 6m 5b
The wall right of The Boulder Direct finishing over the summit block.
59. The Boulder Direct 4m 4c
Start 2m right of the left aręte. Climb the steep wall direct to finish just left of the summit block.
60. The Boldest Yet 4m 5c
The short wall immediately right of the aręte.
61. The Boulder Ordinary 4m VD
Gain the small ledge on the left of the aręte then climb directly up the shallow vertical crack above.
Full details in the
North East England Guide