OS Landranger Sheet: 99
Map Reference: SE448940
Aspect: West
Altitude: 170m
Approach time: 5 minutes
Situation and Character
A quiet wooded crag close to but not disturbed by the A19. A number of buttresses can be seen on the left of the road approaching Over Silton from the A19.
History
Forked Oak Chimney, Lost Buttress, Knees up, Pieman, Simple, Simon Arete, Elderberry Chimney, Birds Nest, Branch, Silton Stairs, Spiny Norman, Robinson, all were done early 1974 by A Lawton, T Harton, D Robinson, S Harwood, P Cresswell, R Rowlands, P Brayshaw, A Andrews, and the Cleveland S&R Team. Ian Dunn, Claudie Dunn Spring added Delhi Belly in 1986. Steve Crowe was disturbed an owl and a kestrel while soloing in April 1996 before producing Blue Stilton.
Access and Approaches
The best approach is to take the forestry road from the north of Over Silton village. A path leads up to a forestry sign “Forestry Commission, Cleveland Forest, Silton, No Vehicles” which is adjacent to a small area of quarried rock. Take a path on the left just before this. Follow the path until it reaches a forestry track. 20m along the track turn left and follow a fence, which leads to the edge of the escarpment. Turn left again and the main buttress is a further 100m diagonally downwards. At the left end of the buttress is a fallen oak tree.
The Climbs
The climbs are described from left to right. The first route is in a dangerous condition since the demise of the oak tree
1. Forked Oak Chimney 12m VD
Follow the chimney immediately behind the fallen tree. Loose.
1974
2. Lost Buttress 12m S
Start 2m right of the last route at the foot of the buttress. Climb up to a notch and traverse diagonally left to the top.
1974
3. Knees Up 13m S
Just right of Lost Buttress is a gully. Start on the left wall moving across the gully to the right wall and then direct to the top.
1974
4. Blue Stilton 12m VS 4c/5a
Tackle the hanging arête.
Steve Crowe solo 12th April 1996
5. Pieman 12m VD
Climb the chimney direct, 2m right of Knees Up, and around a corner.
1974
To the right of Pieman is an impressive undercut wall at its right hand end.
6. Simple 13m HS 4b
Start at the left end of the wall and climb straight up to a prominent crack that is behind an overhanging tree branch Climb this to the top.
1974
7. Simon Arête 13m S
Start just right of Simple. Climb the wall on weathered holds. . At about two thirds height traverse 2m right on to the arête and then climb straight up. A fine route but poor protection.
1974
8. Delhi Belly 13m HVS 5b *
The overhanging and prominent arête to the right of Simon.
Ian Dunn, Claudie Dunn Spring 1986
9. Elderberry Chimney 13m D
Start to the left of the foot of the left-hand branch. Climb into the chimney then direct to the top.
1974
10. Birds Nest 13m VD
Start just right of the chimney base. Climb the right-hand branch using the right wall.
1974
7m right of the last route is a rather loose slab. Above is an oak with three trunks on the top of the crag.
11. Branch 13m HVD
On the left of the slab is a chimney. Climb this, bypassing the loose central section on the right. Finish up the awkward chimney to the left of the oak with three trunks at the top of the crag.
1974
12. Silton Stairs 10m D
Start 1m right of the last route. Climb up steps on the slab to the top.
Avoid the loose middle section on the right.
1974
Across a wide grassy gully is another buttress with a large cave.
13. Spiney Norman 10m D
Start at the stone embedded in the ground at the foot of the buttress to the left of the cave. Climb on weathered holds until the overhanging wall above stops progress. Traverse left to finish.
1974
14. Tony’s First One 10m HVS 5a
The roof above the
cave by Spiney Norman.
Chris Shorter, Tony Holdsworth 1992 Tony's first ever first ascent.
35m right of the main area are broken buttresses on which Robinson and a number of routes have been climbed.
Hanging Stone is well hidden in the woods near Silton at NGR 451944. There are three recorded routes.
Rhubarb 7m S
On the south facing wall where J77 is engraved on the rock, climb directly up the wall passing two small overhanging blocks.
Mark Lawton June 1988
Custard 7m S
Climb the wall 1m right of Rhubarb to finish through a vee notch.
Mark Lawton June 1988
Cream 8m VS 5a
On the west facing wall. from beneath the overhang pull into a small recess and continue straight to the top.
Mark Lawton June 1988
Graded List
HVS
Delhi Belly 5b *
VS
Blue Stilton 4c/5a
S
Lost Buttress
Knees Up
Simon
Full details in the
North East England Guide