Back Bowden Doors
| Back Bowden Doors | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Nearest city | Belford, Northumberland |
| Coordinates | 38°50′07″N 79°20′00″W / 38.83528°N 79.33333°W |
| Climbing type | traditional crag |
| Rock type | Sandstone |
| Quantity of rock | over 200 routes |
| Development | well developed |
| Cliff aspect | west |
| Classic climbs |
|
| 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+ | - |