OS Sheet 94
Map Reference NZ730068
Aspect North
Altitude 220m
Approach time 15 minutes
Situation and Character
The crag generally faces north and the area below the crag is thickly wooded. The western end of the escarpment enjoys the most open aspect. The traverse along the bottom of the crag involves negotiating an area of large fallen blocks, and care should be taken.
History
John Jackson and Terry Sullivan who climbed Valiant and Vulcan pioneered the crag’s development, but it then lay dormant for many years. An extremely strong team of raiders consisting of; Hugh Banner, George Mitcheson, Bob Hutchinson, John Earl, Tim Edmundson, Dennis Lee, Ian Cranston, Dave Ladkin and Mick Foggon, all members of the Northumbrian Mountaineering Club, made a number of visits during 1974 climbing twenty new routes, among them George Mitcheson’s, Osiris and Hugh Banner’s Isis.
Access and Approaches
Proceed about a mile beyond Danby on the road to Lealholm, taking the Houlskye road and turn down the approach to Crag Farm. Note there is no vehicular access beyond the bridge over the Esk. On foot, follow the track to the woods. The crag occupies the escarpment in the woods above the farm. From this point, the crag runs towards the east for about half a mile; the extreme west corner is joined to the main rocks by a narrow band of broken rock.
Alternatively, follow signs towards Fryup until a sharp bend is reached below Head House. The path leads past Head House and along the top of the crag.
The Climbs
The routes are described from right to left.
North West Buttress
The isolated buttress at the western end of the escarpment nearest to Danby Village.
1. Castle Chimney 10m D
Start at the right edge of the buttress. Climb the chimney over wedged blocks.
2. Castle Ridge 10m VD
3m left of Castle Chimney is a wall. Climb to a horizontal crack and continue up the ridge above.
3. Mood Indigo 10m VD
Start round the corner 7m left of the last climb. Climb the groove to a ledge. Finish up the twin cracks.
4. Broken Chimney 10m D
Start 2m left of Mood Indigo, at the lowest point of the buttress. Climb the left bulge direct to finish up the chimney.
5. Birch Crack 7m VD
Climb the crack with a birch in it 3m, left of the last climb.
A girdle traverse can be made of the North West Buttress at VD. Start as for Castle Ridge and finish up Birch Crack.
40m to the left of Birch Crack is a broken face of rocks. There are several climbs recorded here.
6. Bracken Corner 7m D
Start to the right of a projection. Scrambling leads to a ledge occupied by a large clump of bracken. Climb the slanting crack on the left wall.
7. Genevieve 7m D
Start 2m left of Bracken Corner. Climb to a recess and finish either side of a u-shaped tree.
8. Wraith 7m VD
Start as for Genevieve. Finish up narrow slab.
9. Phantom 7m D
Start 5m left of Genevieve. Enter a cave and squirm up the back until it is possible to emerge onto the face.
10. Twisting Chimney 7m VD
Start 2m left of Phantom. From a large block step right onto the buttress and climb direct to the top.
50m left brings one to a ravine.
The Ravine
About 10m inside the right-hand entrance to the ravine is:
11. Vulcan 8m VS 4c
Start right of a leaning heap of boulders. Climb the impressive corner crack.
John Jackson and Terry Sullivan
12. Grasshopper 8m D
Climbs a grassy crack just left of Vulcan.
13. Thrutch 8m S
Start in a corner 3m left of Vulcan. Climb the crack.
14. Nemesis 10m VS 4c
Start at the corner left of Thrutch. Climb the left side of the arête until it is possible to gain a small corner on the arête up which the climb finishes.
15. Creeper Wall 13m VD **
Start in a hollow at the lowest part of the ravine. Climb the angled crack to a stance and follow more broken rocks to the top.
16. Little Greenhopper 8m VD
Start 5m left of Creeper Wall. Climb the short crack and then the groove passing a holly tree to the top.
Dennis Lee 1974
The left entrance of the ravine is here and the first climb outside it is: -
17. Silo 10m HS 4b
Start 2m left of the last climb. Climb the obvious thin crack running up the wall. Escapable but good climbing, unfortunately overgrown.
18. Tendril 8m VD
Start to the right of a rib 7m left of the ravine. Climb a right facing corner crack.
19. Scrabble 7m VD
Start just left of Tendril. Climb the crack, tree and chimney.
Across the grass rake stands a fine west-facing buttress with a holly tree springing from a ledge on the left.
Beacon Buttress
Is below the large stile at the top of the crag.
20. Chimney and Wall 10m S **
Start from the right flank of Beacon Buttress at a small chimney. Climb the chimney to a wedged flake. Step left, gain a ledge and finish up a crack on the ridge.
21. Valiant 10m VS 4c **
The groove 3m left of Chimney and Wall. Surmount the bulge and climb the awkward groove above. A good climb.
John Jackson and Terry Sullivan
22. Beacon Groove 10m D
Start left of Valiant at an Ash and follow the groove to the top.
23. Sodom 10m S
Start left of Beacon Groove. Climb a steep crack and narrow chimney line.
John Earl, Bob Hutchinson February 1974
24. Gomorrah 10m S
Climb the fist-width crack just left of Sodom.
Bob Hutchinson, John Earl February 1974
25. Venom 12m S
Start below a holly tree 5m left of Beacon Groove. Climb the crack to the holly, which now looks very prickly! Continue up the crack on the left and ascend the overhang on the right.
John Earl, Bob Hutchinson 1974
26. Beacon Chimney 12m S
2m left of Venom. Climb to a recess, then the wall on the right to the chimney, which is followed to the top.
The Recess
The next two routes are on the back wall of the recess, bounding the right-hand side of Owl Buttress.
27. Ninevah 10m HS 4b
The corner crack can be extremely wet.
D Ladkin 1974
28. Babylon 10m S
The ramp which slopes left into the wide crack 3m left of Ninevah.
Bob Hutchinson, John Earl 1974
Owl Buttress
The smooth-looking buttress
29. Bastile 8m S
The corner crack on the flank of Owl Buttress.
30. Tawny Cracks 10m D
Start 3m in from the right-hand end of the buttress at an S-shaped crack. Climb this using the slab to aid progress.
31. Pygmy 10m VD
The crack and corner left of Tawny Cracks.
32. Portcullis 7m VS 5a
Start just left of Pygmy. Climb the wide crack set in a shallow corner.
Hugh Banner 1974
33. Turret Crack 8m VS 4c
The narrow ‘v’ groove and jamming crack left of Portcullis.
Bob Hutchinson 1974
34. Battlement 8m S
The crack up the left side of Owl Buttress, alongside a pinnacle.
35. Snowy 8m D
Start at the foot of Owl Chimney. Climb the right wall; move right and then directly to the top.
36. Owl Chimney 7m D
The deeply cut cleft on the left flank of Owl Buttress. Enter the chimney and climb a crack on the right.
37. Southern Comfort 8m HS 4b
The steep corner 8m left of Owl Chimney.
John Earl 1974
38. Poseidon 8m HS 4b
Start 5 left of the last route. Climb a triangular slab and the narrow chimney above.
John Earl January 1974
39. Horus 8m HS 4b
A jamming crack formed by the right edge of a huge flake 2m left of Poseidon.
D Ladkin 1974
40. Set 8m MVS 4b
A crack on the left side of Horus’ flake.
Hugh Banner 1974
41. Minute Man 8m HS 4b
Just to the left of Set. Climb a slab to an overhanging recess, which is quitted using a hold on the right arête.
Bob Hutchinson September 1974
42. Damp Squib 8m VD
Start 3m left of Minute Man. Climb to the right of an arête. Finish up a crack to a tree.
John Earl January 1974
The next route lies in the prominent corner 10m left.
43. Roosevelt 8m VS 4c
The obvious curving crack line and concave slab. Climb the crack and move right to finish.
Hugh Banner 1974
44. Winston 7m S
Climb the crack in the next prominent corner.
George Mitcheson January 1974
45. Slime Crack 7m S
Start left of Winston and immediately right of a spring, which drips over the rocks. Climb the crack. Unpleasant.
Hugh Banner February 1974
Left of the watercourse is:
Radar Buttress
This buttress enjoys some of the longest routes at Danby but it is currently overgrown.
46. Osiris 12m HVS 5a
The crooked jamming crack up the front of the buttress is climbed. A sustained route.
George Mitcheson January 1974
47. Isis 12m HVS 5b
Start 2m left of Osiris. A difficult finger crack running up the left, past a small tree, to the top of the buttress.
Hugh Banner January 1974
48. Gee 22m VS 4c
Start 3m in from the right of the buttress and about 10m from the spring. Climb a greasy corner for 8m to a grassy ledge. Continue up an open gully for 5m and enter the final groove, which leads to the top
49. Dewline 22m VS 4c
Start to the left of Gee. Climb the cleaned buttress by a thin crack in its nose to a grassy ledge. Climb the thin crack into the corner finishing to the right into Gee.
50. 7K 22m VS 4c
Start 3m left of Gee below a Rowan tree. Climb straight up past the Rowan to a grass ledge. Easy climbing leads to a ledge and a crack at its left end; climb this and the groove above to the top.
Twenty feet to the left is a gully/chimney containing a large protruding flake:
51. Aerial Gully 20m VD **
Climb a rib for 10m to the foot of the gully. Continue for 5m to the protruding flake. Move left up the wall until a step back right onto the flake can be made. Finish up a broken wall on the left. A good route.
52. Prickly Chimney 13m D
Ten feet left of Aerial Gully, but at a higher level. Climb through the Holly to a chimney then up this. Unpleasant.
100m further left from Prickly Chimney is a large, two-tier buttress with an overhanging chimney.
53. Outrigger 13m S
Climb the chimney.
Bob Hutchinson January 1974
Left of Outrigger lays a section of the crag attaining about 7m. Many lines are possible on here.
About 200m left of the last buttress is a buttress containing a wedge below a roof, above which grows a twisted Oak. The following climbs start there.
54. Gardener’s World 10m VS 4c
Climb the corner beneath the roof. Exit left and climb up to the top.
55. Green Corner 10m S
Start just left of Gardener’s World. Climb the corner throughout.
56. Elder Groove 8m D
Start 7m left of Green Corner behind an Elderberry bush. Climb the groove.
Full details in the
North East England Guide