Northumbrian Climbing Guide |
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| Curtis Crag | What the symbols & colours mean |
| Grid Ref: NY068015 Aspect: N Routes: 27 Max Length: 11 Average Length: 7 | |
| Altitude: 255 mtrs Walk in: 5 mins Route quality: * Bouldering quality: poor |
       9 | Click here for StreetMap |  | |
From Knowesgate on the A696 or the Bellingham crossroads on the A68, drive to Sweethope Lough and park beside the cattle grid. Walk in a westerly direction for 100m along the road and follow the stone wall onto the moor to reach the North Buttress after a short 5 minute walk. The landowner has been contacted and has no objection to climbers gaining access to and climbing on the crags | |||
General:
This crag, shown on the OS map as Long Crags, has been dabbled with for many years. It was used as target practice during the war years and pegging practice during the fifties and sixties. Several of the obvious lines had been climbed prior to the crag getting the benefit of Malcolm Lowerson's systematic approach in 1995, resulting in a comprehensive guide. The crag is certainly worth an evening visit. Most visitors solo the routes at the right hand end, where the rock is of better quality and is not so high.
Rock:
Ottercops Sandstones Carboniferous, Dinantian (Lower Limestone Group) Mostly good, but a bit soft and snappy in part Routes/Bouldering:
Routes:
There are some quite good routes here, mostly solos and with not very good landings No recorded problems.
History:
The overhang of Shot In The Dark was used for aid climbing practise in the 60's, at which time G Thompson did some unrecorded routes. Bob and Tommy Smith soloed what was probably Shot In The Dark in the 70's, but recording of routes had to wait until Malcolm Lowerson developed the crags during the summer of 1994. With the help of Jeff Breen and Trevor Iceton, some 27 lines have been recorded. Steve Crowe onsight soloed Natural Line in May 1995. |
