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PALLET CRAG
OS Sheet 92
NGR NZ 027226
Aspect North East Facing
Altitude 305m
Approach
time 10 minutes
Situation and
Character
This small
gritstone outcrop is well worth a visit, when in the area, if only for the
climbs on the main buttress. Being North East facing this is definitely a summer
crag and be warned, late in the summer the crag suffers badly from midges on
still days!
History
The crag has been
climbed on for many years and the ancient bolt on Kermit is evidence of
early-unrecorded visits. The first recorded ascent was Paul Inghams ascent of
Kermitt. Roy Small climbed the more direct Miss Piggy in 1982. Paul
Carling, Nigs Reader and Nigel Jones climbed many of the other routes including
Talisman, The Swan, The Hollow Hills, Shady Lady, Little Mary, and
Cracked Arête. Steve Crowe discovered the crag in July 1991 and opened up
the Artists Face with Brush Strokes then returned in March 1992 with
Karin Magog to add Pastel Shades and Just a Dab of White for Another
Masterpiece. Finally Bob Bennett and John Cook climbed Link by
following the left arête of the main buttress.
Access and Approaches
From Bishop
Auckland take the A688 to Staindrop, then the B6279 towards Eggleston/Middleton
In Teesdale. As you drive through Kinninvie the crag will be visible across to
your right (note the electricity pole above the crag). As you take a short
series of bends the crag will disappear behind the hills. Drive through the
small woodland and park next to the last gate into the forest on the left.
Opposite, on your right, is another gate, which is usually padlocked. Climb
carefully over this and follow the track down into the shallow quarry. Then
follow the dry stonewall on the left North Eastwards up over some rough ground
to reach the top of the crag just to the right of the electricity pole.
Climbers have been asked to leave this crag.
The Climbs
Although not all
the climbs described here are particularly suitable for bouldering, they have
all been soloed in the past. The routes over ten metres long have been given
adjectival grades for those who may prefer to lead them. The descriptions start
on the left of the crag at an obvious v-groove. The climbs are described from
left to right.
1.
Day Of
Action 7m D
Climb the obvious
large v-shaped groove, with a small tree at its finish.
1980s
2.
Talisman
7m 5a
Takes the wall
just to the right of the obvious groove of Day of Action to the platform.
Paul Carling, Nigs
Reader and Nigel Jones 1980s
3.
The Swan
7m 4b
Climb the obvious
curving crack right of Talisman.
Paul Carling, Nigs
Reader and Nigel Jones 1980s
An ascent of the
obvious, easy looking, crack to the right has not been claimed, I wonder why?
4.
Birdlime
Wall 7m 5a
Takes the wall
between the crack filled with birdlime and the arête, avoiding the big ledges on
the arête.
1980s
About 10m to the
right is a large slabby vegetated wall. Immediately to the right again is the...
Main Buttress
South Face
5.
The Hollow
Hills 13m HVS 5a
Start to the left
of the arête, climb the groove and ascend the prominent hanging flake until a
difficult move can be made to gain a large ledge on the left. Move rightwards
to finish. Nice climbing, shame about the ledge at half height.
Paul Carling, Nigs Reader
and Nigel Jones 1980s
The front (east
face) of the main buttress is...
Muppets Face
6.
Link
15m E2 5c *
Starts up the
front face of the biggest buttress. From the toe of the buttress climb the twin
cracks until stopped by an overhang. Step left to a ledge. Follow the crack
until it peters out then go straight up the wall just left of the arête.
Bob Bennett, John Cook 23rd
August 1992
7.
Miss
Piggy 15m E1 5b
Start up the twin
cracks as for Link. Climb the crack to a ledge for a breather then back
right to enter the shallow groove, step right, back onto the front face, and
continue up the left arête to the top.
Roy Small 1982
8.
Kermit
15m E1 5b ***
The original route
of this buttress. Climb the twin cracks to the overhang as for Miss Piggy,
traverse right beneath the overlap and step briefly around the right arête. Make
one move up this sidewall, friend 1/2, then step back left above the overhang
onto the slabby wall above. Continue up this keeping to the right hand side. A
start is also possible directly up the right arête at the same grade.
Paul Ingham 1970s
The right hand
side of the main buttress is...
The Artists' Face
9.
(Just a Dab
of White for) Another Masterpiece 13m E3 6a **
Climb the shallow
groove just to the right of left arête, and just right of the direct start of
Kermit. Climb to underneath the large overhang. Good Friend 3 in a pocket
on the right and the same Friend ½ as for Kermit to the left. From the
large undercut make a long reach over the roof to a good hold, mantelshelf on to
this with the aid of two good crimps out to the right. Continue up the wall
above keeping to the right of the arête.
Steve Crowe, Karin
Magog March 1992
10.
Brush
Strokes 15m E1 5b *
Start on the right
of the Artists’ Face just left of an obvious dirty crack. Climb, avoiding the
dirty crack, to skirt past to the right of two overlaps and up the wall to a
roof. Traverse leftwards until you are able to pass the roof and keeping to the
right of the arête.
Steve Crowe, Karin Magog.
July 1991
11.
Pastel
Shades 14m HVS 5b
A worthwhile
alternative finish to Brush Strokes. Climb the wall below the roof
then make a long reach right to a good hold over the lip. Pull over to a ledge
and either, climb up over the next roof and continue to the top, or move up
trending left to pass the roof and then straight to the top.
Steve Crowe, Karin Magog.
March 1992
To the right is a
distinctive over-hanging groove.
12.
Shady
Lady 10m 4b
This poor climb
takes the slab on the left of the distinctive groove to a ledge. Finish up the
broken crack taking care with loose rock.
Paul Carling, Nigs Reader
and Nigel Jones 1980s
13.
Little
Mary 10m 4c *
Jam and bridge up
the distinctive overhanging groove to a ledge. Step right and climb the
overhanging crack using brilliant finger locks.
Paul Carling, Nigs Reader
and Nigel Jones 1980s
14.
Cracked
Arête 10m 4b
Follows the
cracked arête right of the distinctive groove of Little Mary. From the
ledge continue more easily up the arête to the top.
Paul Carling, Nigs Reader
and Nigel Jones 1980s
The next two
climbs may be of great interest to botanists. Dunromin (D) climbs the
overgrown slab, to the right of Cracked Arête and Happy Hernia (D)
climbs the slab somewhere right of Dunromin!
Full
details in the
North East England Guide
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