Back Bowden Doors

Back Bowden Doors
Nearest city	Belford, Northumberland
Coordinates	38°50′07″N 79°20′00″W
Climbing type	traditional crag
Rock type	Sandstone
Quantity of rock	over 200 routes
Development	well developed
Cliff aspect	west
Classic climbs	County Ethics E7 7a Lost Cause E4 6b
Stars

Grid Ref: NU065336   Aspect: W   Routes: 88   Problems: 1   Max Length: 23   Average Length: 10

Altitude: 170 mtrs   Walk in: 15 mins   Route quality: ***   Bouldering quality: ***

From Belford take the B6349 Wooler Road. Continue for 5 kilometres, turn right at the Hazelrigg sign and follow this for 1 kilometre to the brow of the hill and a large steel gate on the right. Pass through the gate and continue left to another gate. Follow the track and the main crag soon comes into view. This track can be very damp and muddy and approach footwear is recommended. There is no public right of way.

General:

Shown as Dancing Green Hill on the map, Back Bowden Doors lies approximately 5 kilometres west of Belford in an unusually sheltered position looking west across a shallow valley. The rock is Fell Sandstone of the same good quality as that found at Bowden Doors. The crag tends to dry very quickly with the exception of the North wall, which needs a number of days to fully dry after heavy rain. Routes on this wall can suffer from holds snapping, particularly after a damp spell and excessive use of the routes should be avoided at this time in order to prevent damage. This crag offers a fantastic selection of some of the best extremes in the area, with a superb contrast of climbs, including bold technical walls, intricate smearing tests and the legendary North wall, the crucible of steep and powerful climbs . Unusually many of the harder lines offer reasonable protection. While containing many routes in the upper extremes , plenty of routes exist in the easier grades.

Rock:  

Fell Sandstone Carboniferous, Dinantian

Excellent

Access issues:

There have been issues with people obstructing the gate. Don't. Only part of teh crag is on open access land.

Routes/Bouldering:  

Routes:

Protection on some of the middle E grades is a bit poor, not much (comparatively speaking) for the VS and below climber.

Problems:

Absolutely top notch. Some very hard stuff, lots of workouts and is often dry in the rain

Other interesting stuff:

There are some good plant fossils on the ledge at the top of Hazelrigg Wall area.

History:

Back Bowden Doors has a fairly early history with climbing first recorded in the 1935 Oxford and Cambridge Mountaineering Journals under its local name of Lion Rock. It mentions routes which sound suspiciously like those on the south end of the crag. Unfortunately the routes ascended up to 1965 are without documentation. In 1965 Rodney Wilson climbed the brilliant Arches, a soaring diagonal traverse on the north crag. 1968 saw Allan Austin and Dave Roberts climbing the ferocious Sorcerer which still demands respect today. Also around this time Ken Wood climbed The Sorcerer's Apprentice. In 1973 Hugh Banner, doing what he does best, jammed over Roof Route. 1974 saw the first ascent of the Central Wall on the north crag with The Witch by Malcolm Rowe and Nev Hannaby. In 1975 Bob Hutchinson and John Earl produced two bold companion routes for The Witch, The Enchanter led by Hutchinson and the Broomstick by Earl. 1976 saw four more routes climbed, Magic Flute and Glass Slipper by Hannaby and Rowe, and the bold On The Verge by Earl and Hutchinson. Later in that year Hutchinson climbed Black Magic. In 1977 Earl and Hutchinson came across The Duke of York. The following year produced a spate of fine hard routes with Earl and Hutchinson (again) climbing Broken Glass and The Wand. The same team, this time led by Hutchinson, climbed the brilliant Tube and Hard Reign. Unfortunately this was to be Bob Hutchinson's last route on the crag. Also in 1978 Steve Blake and Jeff Lamb came under The Spell. 1979 saw Tommy Smith going head over heels with the very impressive Lost Cause and Dwarfs Nightmare with brother Bob. Meanwhile Paul Stewart along with Earl stretched it out on the intimidating Outward Bound. 1981 was to see the first breach of the impressive overhanging North Wall with Merlin by Bob Smith and Earl. Later in the year Earl and Bob Smith collected Pyewackit and Shackletack with Ian Kyle. In 1982 the second route on the North Wall fell again to Bob Smith and Earl with the bold and technical Macbeth. On a summer's evening in 1985 Smith and Earl extended The Tube with Uncouth Youth and Smith stretched it even further with the relentless but well protected Right of Reply. The following year Bob Smith was at the North Wall again this time with brother Tommy producing Morgan. 1987 proved to be a popular year for bold technical routes starting with Bob Smith's ascent of the much sought after On The Rocks while Tony Courts smeared his way up Peak Technique in slippers. Karl and Graham Telfer woke up with Charlotte's Dream and the bulging When The Wind Blows. Leading up to the publication of the 89 guide, activity was rounded off with Bob Smith and Earl climbing the very sustained Mordreth also on the North Wall. Cutting edge development continued on the impressive North wall in the early nineties with a Scottish raid from Dave Cuthbertson adding the desperate County Ethics. In 91 Dave Pegg brought his new routing eye and not inconsiderable fitness to claim the very bold Pixies and the powerful but safe King Lear. Whilst working at Proctor and Gamble, Pegg added his last new route to the crag in the form of the very short and very hard Big Aerial Dynamite. 1994 brought two big routes with big numbers. I bet he drinks Carling Black Label added the longest and hardest route on the North wall to date, whilst Malcolm Smith picked of one of the Counties last great lines with the fantastic Transcendence. 1995 saw the addition of yet another fine bold climb on the Tube wall with Nick Dixon going Off the Rocks. Due to the bouldering trend, recent years have seen little activity in terms of new routes or significant repeats. It is hoped that the trend will reverse and that the routes on this crag, which offer one of the finest collection of outcrop extremes in the country will be enjoyed in the future. To this end, descriptions and accurate grading for on sight attempts have been carefully examined to encourage activity on the extremes.

Name	Grade	Stars
Diagonal	VD	-
The Toppler	HVS 5b	-
Lichen Groove	D	-
The Tippler	HVS 5b	-
Tippler Traverse	f6C	-
Pedestal Problem	f6B+	-
The Bogie	S 4a	-
Quarry Face	S 4a	1
Glass Slipper	VS 5a	-
Broken Glass	E2 6a	-
Twisting Crack	HS 4c	-
Route One	f6A	2
First Traverse	f5	-
Black Triage	f8A	-
County Ethics	E7 7a	3
Merlin Traverse	f6A	-
Merlin	E5 6a	3
Hard and Low Traverse	f7C	-
Darth	f6C	-
The Pixies	E6 6b	1
Little Pixies	f7A	1
Little Piggies	f7C	-
The Emperor	f7B	-
Emperor RH	f7A+	-
Morgan	E5 6a	1
Morgan (start only)	f6B	1
Lady MacBeth	f6B	-
I Bet He Drinks Carling Black Label	E8 6c	2
MacBeth Low Level Traverse	f6C	-
Black Mirror	E7 6c	-
The Dark Side	E9 7b	3
Empty The Bones Of You	f8A+	-
Mordreth	E6 6b	2
Macbeth	E6 6b	3
Paradise Road	f7A	-
MacDuff	f7B	-
Easy Up	f6B+	-
Sigurd	E6 6c	2
The Arches	E1 5b	3
The Arches (start only)	f6A	1
Low and Hard	f7B	1
Lower And Harder	f7C	2
Roof and Wall	f7A+	-
Cauldron	E1 5c	-
King Lear	E6 6c	1
Hard Reign	E3 5c	2
Hard Reign Direct	f7B	1
Hard Reign (start only)	f6A	2
Underneath the Arches	f6A	-
Blood Gutters	E5 6b	2
Weird Sisters One	f7A	-
Weird Sisters Two	f7A	-
Weird Sisters Three	f6C+	-
Holly Tree Corner	S 4b	1
Hollybush Crack	MS 4a	-
The Big Sister	f8A+	3
Pyewackit	E4 6a	-
The Witch	E2 5b	3
Shackletack	E3 6b	1
The Wand	E3 5b	1
The Broomstick	E3 5b	1
The Enchanter	E3 5c	2
Low Level Traverse	f5+	-
Bottle Arete SS	f5+	-
Strange Brew	E3 5b	-
Bottle Crack	VS 5a	2
The Young Warlords	f6C	3
The Wizard	E3 5c	1
The Wizard (start only)	f5+	-
Black Magic	E1 5c	1
Harry Potter	f7C	2
Dead Severus	f7C	3
Severus Snape	f7B+	1
Movin' On Up	f6C	-
Merlins Pubes	f6B	-
Merlin's Beard	f6C+	2
Pockets Traverse	f7C	3
Intermediate Traverse	f6C+	-
The Vole Left Hand	f6A	-
The Vole Left Hand SS	f6C	-
The Vole	E1 5c	-
The Vole, Alternative Finish	E1 5c	1
The Vole Right Hand	f6A	2
The Vole Right Hand SS	f7B+	2
Solastalgia	f7C+	-
Sorcerer's Apprentice	E1 5c	1
Sorcerer's Apprentice (start only)	f5+	-
Sorcerer's Apprentice SS	f7A	-
The Sorcerer (full route)	E1 5c	3
The Sorcerer	E1 5c	3
The Sorcerer SS	f6C	-
Pockets Extension	f7C+	-
Under the Spell	f7A	2
The Charm	E1 5c	1
The Spell	E1 5c	1
Straight Crack	HS 4b	2
Solastalgia ss	f8A+	1
Dead Sirius	f8A	1
Straight Crack, Alternative Finish	E1 5b	-
Magic Circle	HVS 5a	-
Golden Stairs, Direct Start	S 4c	-
Golden Stairs	VD	-
Magic Flute	E1 5b	2
Boulder Lands	E5 6b	1
Dead on Arrival	E6 6a	1
Short Wall	f6A+	-
Pick Pocket	f6B+	-
Savage Slab	E7 6c	1
Magic Leap	f6A+	-
The Grim Creeper	f8A	1
Bubbles	f6C	-
Larn Streng	f7B+	3
Thundering Apoplexy	f7B	2
Peak Technique	E6 6b	3
On the Verge	E4 5c	2
Woodcutters Crack	HVD	1
Wood Splitter	VD	-
Forester's Corner	D	1
The Tube, Left-hand Exit	E3 5b	-
The Tube, Direct Finish	E5 5c	-
The Tube	E4 5c	3
Uncouth Youth	E4 6a	1
Right of Reply	E5 6b	3
Charlotte's Dream Direct	E7 6b	2
Charlotte's Dream	E5 6b	1
On the Rocks	E7 6c	3
Off the Rocks	E8 6c	1
Duke of York	E1 5b	2
Transcendence	E8 6c	3
Leap of Faith	E6 6c	1
Lost Cause	E4 6b	2
Angle Corner	VD	-
Angle Corner, Alternate Finish	E3 6b	-
Back to Back	E5 6b	-
Gangway	VS 4c	1
Holly Tree Corner (Alt Finish)	MS 4b	1
Purgatory	E8 7b	3
Scabby Hand	E4 5c	-
When the Wind Blows	E6 6b	1
Peace at Last	E5 6a	-
Outward Bound	E3 5c	2
March Line	VD	2
Wall and Crack	S 4b	1
Roof Route, Direct Finish	E2 5c	-
Roof Route	E1 5b	3
Roof Route Traverse	f6B+	-
The Dead Horses Tea Party	f6C+	2
Door Mats Wall	f7C	-
Door Mats Wall SS	f8A	1
Four Mats Wall	f7B+	-
Four Mats Wall SS	f7B+	1
Stepped Flake	f3	1
Smooth Wall	f7A	-
Hazelrigg Wall Left-Hand	E3 6b	1
Hazelrigg Wall	E1 5c	1
Hazelrigg Wall Direct	f6A	-
Pinup	E2 6a	-
Risk and Hope	E1 6a	-
Hazelrigg Wall Traverse	f7B	-
Original Route	VD	1
Original Wall Traverse	f5 4b	-
Highland Fling	E1 5c	-
Final Wall	VD	2
Bullet	E1 5c	-
Four Mats RH	f7A	2
Tree-way	V7	2
Chiroptera	f6A	-
Big Aerial Dynamite	E5 7a	1
Dwarfs Nightmare	E2 6b	1
Vespertilion	f7B+	3
Barbastelle	f7A	-
Brokeback Bowden	f7C	2
Bechstein	f6C	-
Brandt	f6B+	-
Serotine	f6A+	-
Pippistrellotine	f6B+	1
Pipistrelle	f6B+	-
A Short Sharp Shock	E3 6a	-
Griffon	HVS 5b	-
Rays Roof	VS 4c	-
Footless Fulmar	VS 4c	1
Ra's al Ghul	f7C	1
Sharp Arete	f6A+	-
Sharp Arete SS	f6C	-
The Bitch	f8A+	-
Potty Mouth	f8B	-
Undercut Arete	f5+	-
Little Arete	f6A+	-
Crimp Slab Eliminate	f6B+	-
Crimp Slab	f6B	-
Warm Up Arete	f3	-
South Wall	f6A+	-
The Stud	f7C+	2
Mini mouth	f7A	1
Mantel Miser	f6A+	-
Mantel Misery	f6A	-
Mantel Underclass	f6B	-
Mantel Masterclass	f6C	2
Ripples	f4	-
The Runnel	f4	-
Slab Eliminate	f6A	-
Super Slab	f4+	-
No Hands	f7A	-
Shallow Groove	f3	-
The Craic	f3	-
Smooth Wall One	f5	-
Smooth Wall Two	f5	-
Fickle Flakes	f4+	-
Other Eliminate	f5	-
Eliminate	f6A+	-
South Arete	f6A+	-
Upper Traverse (Boulder 3)	f6A	-
Low Traverse	f6A+	-
Reverse Traverse	f6A	-
B4 Traverse	f6C	3
Springer's Mantel	f7B+	1
Overlooked	f6A+	-
Upper Traverse	f6A+	-
Lower Traverse	f7A	-
Rawhide/Gate Traverse	f7A	-
Final Traverse	f7A+	-
Lip Traverse	f5+	-
Final Mantel!	f6B+	-
Not the final traverse	f6C	-
The Long Run	f7A	-
Old Money For Old Rope	f6C	-
No Time For Caution	f7A+	-
Slab Problem	f6B	-
The Heathen	f7A	-
The Argonaut	f6C	-
Bob's	f6B+	-