Northumbrian Climbing Guide

The open groove at the left hand side of the crag where the Whin Sill abuts against sandstone. Up the corner to a bulge on the right wall, overcome by bridging. Follow the groove and rib above, avoiding a shaky block.

Climb the four short walls right of Craster Comer, via the faint cracks.

Takes the obvious feature running from left to right starting near Craster Comer. Pull onto the ramp at its left end and follow it easily to a block below a shallow scoop in the angle of the crag. Up the scoop to the top.

Takes a line through the obvious weakness to the right of The Ramp. Climb the broken rocks and round the bulge on its right side, up a small corner onto a sloping ledge. Continue to the top trending left. The rock is loose in the lower section.

To the right of the broken rocks, round the corner, a vertical crack splits the wall separating a huge block from the face. Climb the steep crack past a chockstone to the sloping top of the block. Pull up over the short overhanging wall above and move up and left into a steep shallow recess.

The obvious leaning chimney to the right of Impending Wall gives a unique climb. Climb the slabs to gain the overhanging chimney. Move awkwardly up this to a ledge beneath a groove. Finish up the groove.

A serious lead but mainly on good rock. It starts to the right of Impending Wall where a steep slab is bounded on its right side by a sharp incut recess, with a flat base, 3 metres from the ground. The slab is climbed to the base of the recess, up this until it merges with the overhangs, and exit to the left into an overhanging groove. After a metre a further recess is gained (old peg for protection). Leave the recess by making a long reach to the left to gain a ledge at the foot of a square cut scoop. Climb to the top avoiding a loose hold.

The obvious groove right of Zero G. Climb up to the two small roofs, climb these (crux) to the groove above and directly up this to finish.

Climbs the twin grooves right of Chasing the Tide and left of the clean cut comer. Just left of the comer are good holds which are used to gain a position between the grooves. Move left to a good undercling use this to gain a small finger jug in the back of the groove and then the good ledge above. Climb the grooves and cracks left of the old peg.

Climb the ledges beneath the slim groove immediately left of Ochre Wall An awkward move to get the right foot on the shelf on the right is followed by easier climbing to ledges. The thin cracks in the wall above and slightly right of the groove are followed to the top.

3 metres right of Zero G is a steep yellow wall. Up easily then climb the wall to a niche (difficult). Step right then traverse up and left round a tottering rib to a ledge at the foot of a yellow groove (peg out on the left wall for protection). Finish up the difficult groove.

The most popular of the harder routes. It starts 8 metres right of Ochre Wall and takes the prominent open V groove and crack above. Climb the wall below the V groove to a restricted stance just left of the groove. (Alternatively traverse in from the left along the obvious line). From the stance move right round the rib and climb the groove, using holds on the right wall, to a broken ledge at the foot of the crack. Jam this to the top.

The walls and arete right of Original Routes first groove to ledges beneath the finishing groove of the route. Move right to climb a fine groove to the top.

Start below a flat bottomed recess at the base of the smooth groove to the left of Poised Blocks. Climb the groove to meet Poised Blocks where that route traverses left. Climb directly up the steep wall above (crux) to a line of ledges. Step left into a groove and climb it to the top.

Start up the grey, shattered cracks, 6 metres right of Original Route. Where the rock steepens, traverse 3 metres left until it is possible to climb the wall above over two poised blocks. Continue up the V groove ahead.

The large groove left of Franks Rib. Climb the ochre curving groove and crack to the niche, exit from the left to a good ledge. Above are two grooves, climb the left hand one to half height, runner in a short crack, move right to a good handhold in the right hand groove and climb this to the top.

One of the best climbs on the crag. It takes a line to the left of the prominent rib, just left of the great yellow rock scar, to reach a small ledge at two thirds height. From here move up the steep wall above until it is possible to step left and climb a short groove with an overhang on its right wall.

Start right of Franks Rib and just left of the scarred area of rock below an obvious crack:
1 17m Climb the steepening crack with a difficult move to gain the bulge, pull over this with a long reach then step right to belay on shattered ledges.
2 6m Step back left and climb the short wall to a small corner which leads more easily to the top.

The obvious bow shaped crack 5 metres right of the scarred area. Easy rocks are followed to the crack which is climbed to a ledge. Move right and finish up a short corner. At high tide the first 3 metres are under water.

A high level girdle of the crag. Climbable at any state of the tide. 1 9m Start as for Fritz and climb up to a belay beneath the crux of Impending Wall.
2 24m Climb Impending Wall for 3 metres then move rightwards across The Deep and into Zero G (a runner can be arranged a metre above) Move awkwardly down rightwards to attain an obvious foot hold and overhung groove. Leave this on the right and move up to a ledge. Move right across the wall to another ledge on Ochre Groove. Move down then right along ledges to a belay at the bottom of the crack on Original Route. (A backrope can be arranged to protect the second).
3 30m Move round right across a series of grooves until overlooking the steep recess left of Franks Rib. Step down and traverse this using undercuts to the ledge on Franks Rib. Move round the rib and continue right across the scarred area to finish up the obvious easy chimney.

Well left of the main crag is a broken Whin Sill crag on top of some sandstone. This route climbs the very blunt arete. Graded as Mild Very Death.