OS Map Reference: NU119069
Altitude: 260m
Aspect: North West and South West
Approach: 20 minutes
Situation and Character
A small, compact crag of good quality . The setting is very fine, in an area of moorland and moss amongst Edlingham Woods. The rock is generally good quality Fell Sandstone but with some snappy flakes on a couple of lines on the main wall. A bit lichenous in places, judicious use of a bristle brush may be needed. . This is a smashing little bouldering crag, there is only one short route. The bouldering is mostly in the easier grades. The landings are good - an excellent place for the VS/HVS climber to spend a few hours bumbling around. There are also a few much harder problems on perfect rock.
Approaches and Access
From the A1 travelling north take the A697 Wooler road until the B6341 Rothbury/Alnwick road crosses it, turn right for Alnwick. Redheugh is located above Caller Crag which is clearly visible on the left. After 1 mile there is a grassy lay-by on the right beside a gate and a bridleway sign (just beyond the gravel road). Go through the gate and straight up the hillside beside the forest, passing the lower outcrops (Caller Boulders) on their left and continuing on to the leftmost section of Caller Crag via a faint path through the moss. Go past the left hand end of Caller Crag and continue straight up the hillside and across the moor - Redheugh soon comes into view. It is drier if you keep left on the final approach to the crag. There are no access issues in the area, but please park sensibly in order to maintain this situation.
There is a right of access to the crag under CRoW.
History
The crag was initially developed in 2001/2002 by John Dalrymple, Steve Gray, Bob Smith and later James Ibbertson. Andrew Earl added some harder problems including Easy, Dancing on the Ceiling, Don’t Stop the Music. Finally Chris Graham added Launch Sequence in 2006
The Climbs
The crag consists of four buttresses, two large boulders and small pillar. The problems and routes are described more or less from left to right. Some brushing with a BRISTLE brush may be needed.
First Wall
The first 4 problems are on the black stained buttress 100 metres left of the main crag.
1. VB 3c
The left hand side of the short arête at the left hand end of the long dark wall.
2. VB 4b
The wall immediately right of the arête
3. VB 4c
Just left of the left the heathery recess, past the pocket at 2/3rds height.
4. VB 4c *
On the right hand side of the black wall there is a section shaped like a truncated pyramid. Climb the center of this.
Second Wall
The next few problems are a few metres right of the heather.
5. VB 5a
SS in the small shallow cave at the left hand side of the wall, hands on the break. Straight up, with fingers of the right hand in the double mono. Or is that a duo?
6. VB 4c
SS at the right hand arête of the cave, hands around the obvious 'thread'. Up and diagonally right.
7. VB 4b
Just left of the short crack in the bottom of the wall.
8. VB 4b
Just right of the crack.
9. VB 5a
3 metres right of the crack, sitting start from a deep finger pocket. 4c from a standing start.
The main part of the crag lies 100 metres further right and consists of two good walls and a couple of large boulders. Further right, there are broken rocks with a couple of poor problems, ending in a small buttress at the far right hand end of the crag.
Ironstone Buttress
The problems on this buttress all have rounded finishes and perfect landings and all are good. The left hand section consists of a short wall with slabby, rounded finishes and has 4 problems
10. VB 4a
SS at the left end of the wall, beneath the magnificent sharp finishing jugs.
11. VB 4b
Sitting start 1 metre left of the crack, at a flake.
12. VB 4a
The crack.
13. VB 4a
Flakes 1m right of the crack.
14. VB 4a
The vague groove 1m right of the crack.
15. VB 4b
The slanting groove 1m right of the previous problem.
The right hand section is a little steeper, with an ironstone skin on the rock providing a wealth of good holds where the skin has been weathered away.
16. VB 4b
The left hand end of the ironstone wall. Moving right a little at the top is easier.
17. Ironstone Wall VB 4b
The centre of the wall, 2 metres left of the arête straight through the giant pock marks.
18. VB 4c
The arête, taken on the left
19. VB 4b
The short wall to the right of the arête.
Main Buttress
Some of these problems are quite high, one is recorded and graded as a route!
20. VB 4a
The left hand arête of this buttress.
21. V0 4c
Mantel the ledge at its right hand end.
22. VB 4b
Via the short runnel.
23. V3 6a
The wall via the flakes, which are not entirely reliable, to a hard finish.
24. V4 6a
Just left of the arête, finish over the dodgy looking block at the top, which seems to be solid, unlike the flakes below. Top roped.
25. The Crack 8m Very Severe 4c
The corner crack, escaping right at the bulge.
26. Launch Sequence V7 6b/c
Just right of the arête. Jump start may gain the sloping rampline, slap to the arête and up to a scary finish. (Probably could have an E grade as its probably 7/8m).
27. The Redheugh Bridge V2
An excellent sustained traverse. Starting on the block just right of problem 22, traverse leftwards, crossing the grassy corridor onto Ironstone Buttress and finishing up on problem ??
Main Boulder
The largest boulder has a fine slab on the north west facing side and an overhanging wall between it and the large adjacent block. There are two good problems on the slab, each avoiding the bilberry bush in the centre, and several on the steep wall. The slab has a tendency to get green. Please DO NOT wirebrush the holds - stiff bristle is all that is needed.
28. Slab Traverse V0 5b
Traverse the lower crease, keeping hands below the crease emanating from the hole with the bilberry bush in it. Start with a toe in the small dimple at the right hand end of the crease, end at the left hand arête.
29. Forbidden Fruit V1 5b
Straight up the slab to the left of the bilberry bush, which is out of bounds (as is the left hand arête), trending right to finish at the apex of the slab.
30. Easy V9 6c
Sitting start on small edges on the left side of the overhanging face - make a difficult pull off the ground to gain to iron features at head height, slap over the lip on poor holds and finish up the wall with less difficulty.
31. Easier V2 5c
Sitting start at the bottom of the triangular wall under the roof. Past the left hand end of the roof and finish on the slab above.
32. Dancing on the Ceiling V9 6c
Sitting start on a large side pull, make powerful moves to gain the roof. To be honest I stopped at a jug in the roof at about Fb7b+. Andy was very vague about how he crossed the roof and I think he must have trended left slightly to get out through the roof.
33. The Unfinishable Crack
SS. Nice until all of the holds stop.
34. Don't Stop the Music V8 6c
The crouching start to the right arête. We've both tried the sit down start and it hasn't gone yet - very awkward.
Small Block
The outermost block has one problem recorded and a couple of harder ones for which details are not available.
35. VB 4a
From the left hand side of the gap between this block and the overhanging prow of the large boulder, start at the horizontal flake and pull over the top. Much easier for the tall. The SS is V2.
The Pillar
There is a small pinnacle at the foot of the corner crack on Main Buttress
36. VB 3c
The left hand arête, reachy.
37. VB 4b
The shorter right hand arête is harder than it looks
Deep Flake Slab
Between the Main and Far End buttresses there is a short slab with a deep flake crack on the left.
38. VB 3c
Layback the flake crack
39. VB 4a
The slab, moving right at the top
Far End
The small buttress at the very end of the crag
40. VB 4b
The centre of the wall past the heathery ledge.
41. VB 4b
The crack to the right
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Northumberland Climbing Guide The definitive guide to climbing routes in Northumberland. Updates available from the NMC here.
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The Northumberland Bouldering Guide The Second Edition of the guide was written and produced by the people who developed the area. Updates available from the NMC here.
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