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The best location in Weardale is Parson
Byers/Woodcroft Quarry ( OS Map Reference
NZ005368 -OS Sheet 92). The quarry can be seen looking South of
the A689 when traveling from Frosterley to Stanhope on the Durham-Alston road
and is located above the old Stanhope – Frosterley road across the River Wear.
Climbers should ask permission from Woodcroft Farm prior to climbing. No dogs please. The photographs
below were taken in January
1982 during a particularly cold spell of weather. The North facing quarry is at
about 400-500 metres above sea level, so a good freeze is required to bring it
into condition. The best climbing as the 3 right hand photographs show, is where
the stream Cow Burn falls into the quarry, giving a grade 3 route. This is just
left of centre of the back face. Numerous other steep ice falls form, but have
never looked substantial enough to climb other than on a top rope. The ice shown
on the left hand photo, just left of Cow Burn, has been climbed.
Bob Bennett
Gallery: Bob Bennett exploring Weardale in the winter of 1983. |