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SUNNY
BROW BOULDERS - LOUPS'S HILL
OS
Sheet 92
NGR 972176 (Easterly Group) to
968174 (Far Crag)
Aspect
South
Altitude
340m
Alan Dougherty
September 2002
Access:
These descriptions confer no right of access but no difficulties have been
experienced during the current development.
Note:
Both the approaches and the boulders lie within the Danger Area of the Battle
Hill Firing Range. Do not enter when red flags are flying.
Approach:
Taking the minor road from Cotherstone to Bowes room should be found to
park a couple of cars tidily on the north side of North Gill Bridge (GR 996175).
Immediately to the south of the bridge a Public Footpath sign points westwards
along a well-defined track. This can be followed, passing a gate / style at a
sheepfold, for a couple of kilometres to the ruined farmstead at East Loups'.
Just beyond East Loups', the tumbled down wall on the left (south) can be
passed, descending slightly from the ridge track way, and the Easterly
Group should be visible just ahead. This approach is 2.3km and takes about
half an hour. It should be noted that the boulders are not visible until one is
quite close. It is also possible to approach from Goldsborough (from where the
boulders are hidden from view) by aiming for the gate (GR 964175) where the
previously mentioned track (now marked on maps as a Public Bridleway) meets the
open moor, near a solitary pine tree.
Character:
A south
facing collection of Gritstone boulders and buttresses, up to 5m high, spread
along some 600m of moor side. The Grit is generally of good quality but care
needs to be taken with lichen (brushing has been kept to a minimum) and with the
odd friable hold along iron rich bands. Many of the landings are good but there
are some real ankle crunchers so beware - a bouldering mat is advised. Bracken
between the boulders can be irksome but the bases of most problems are clear.
Midges can be a nuisance when the wind drops. Generally the bouldering is of
good quality and the ambience and outlook excellent, especially as an evening
venue. Many of the problems finish with rounded mantelshelves that can feel
precarious if the top is lichenous.
History:
The present level of development results from visit by Alan Dougherty,
Kevin Flint and Paul Johnson during summer 2002. Dougherty and Flint had
previously visited circa 2000, when several problems were recorded and no
evidence of previous climbing was noted. Scope remains for further problems and
several existing ones have only been top - roped so far.
Steve Crowe visited in
September
2002 and added a few problems and freed one top roped line.
Grading:
British technical grades have been adopted without adjustment.
General
Layout:
Via
the suggested approach, the Easterly Group of 3m high boulders will be meet first.
The Three -tier Boulder is 90m to the west, with the Cantilever
Stone just 5m to its east. Along the same line, 25m to the west is found the
Two-tier Boulder and 30m beyond the Pudding Stone.
A further
30m to the west lies the Reference Point
Group, which is situated where a stonewall runs up the hillside from by a
pond.
Down - slope
of this general line is found the pointed Matterhorn
Boulder midway between the Two-tier
Boulder and the Pudding Stone.
On the lower
slopes hereabouts are various smaller boulders that may provide worthwhile
problems, especially to aficionados of the sit-down start.
Just 5m west
of the Reference Point Group lie the Three
Sisters Boulders and 35m further west the obviously cleaved Lightning
Crack Group, with three smaller boulders in between.
The Far Crag is 200m further west, and slightly lower down, in a small
valley where the Toby Well spring emerges and comprises (from east to west) Toby
Spring Buttress, The Cave, The Long Traverse Buttresses and, finally, the Far
Undercut Boulder.
A good way
to appreciate the general layout is to follow the cart track below the boulders
and bracken. This extends to beyond the Reference
Point stonewall before eventually fading into a sheep trod.
The
Climbs
ROUTES
ARE DESCRIBED FROM LEFT TO RIGHT FACING THE CRAG
FAR
GROUP
Far
Undercut Boulder
Nothing is
recorded to date on this small boulder.
Long
Traverse Buttresses The following problems are all about 3m high.
Left
Buttress:
1. The Aręte 4b
Climb the aręte.
2. The Wall 5b
Climb the wall.
3. The Wall 5b
Climb the wall.
4. Bilberry Crack 4c
Climb the wide crack.
5. The West Wall 5b
Climb the west facing wall.
Right
Buttress:
6. The Aręte 5b
Climb the aręte.
7. Eliminate 5a
8. The Wall 4b
The wall via little ledge 2m right.
9. The Wall 5a
The wall 1m further right.
10. The Wall 5a
The Wall 1m right again (beware loose stone wall at top)
11. The Long Traverse 14m 5b*
Sustained
and strenuous. Traverse the obvious break from left to right across both
buttresses. Beware of the odd friable pocket on the second section
The
Cave 12. The Cave 4c
Bridge the cave to exit to right.
13. The Wall 5a
Climb right wall of cave to exit as previous problem.
14. The Wall 5a
Wall to right, finish via a pocket.
Toby
Well Buttress 15. TW Left-hand 4c
Left-hand flake/crack.
16. TW Right-hand 4b
Right-hand crack/overlap.
About 250m east and at a slightly
higher level is…
REFERENCE
POINT GROUP |
