Corbies Fortress (Corbies Crag)

Grid Ref: NU087218   Aspect: W   Routes: 14   Max Length: 14   Average Length: 11

Altitude: 168 mtrs   Walk in: 30 mins   Route quality: *

Leave Eglingham heading north west towards Chatton on the B6346, after half mile turn right at a sign for Harehope farm. Park at the entrance to the quarry, being careful not to block the gate. DO NOT PARK NEAR THE FARM, Walk up the hill and past the farm to where the road ends. Follow the bridleway across the field and through a gate on the left, turn right and follow the path until a field opens out on your left. Cross the field and over the wooden footbridge to the burn on the far side, cross the burn at its junction with. Cross the fence on the left of the wall and head diagonally up and left across the moor towards the large isolated boulder. A path from the left hand side of this contours round to the top of the crag after a further two minutes.

General

A 30 foot sandstone buttress rising out of the Harehope Burn. There are some good lines giving some hard bold routes marred only by the unreliable nature of the rock. There is scope for some stuff on the more broken rocks on the opposite bank.

Rock

Fell Sandstone Carboniferous, Dinantian

Hard sandstone, but holds have an alarming tendency to snap off.

Routes/Bouldering

Routes:

Good lines, but very bold and more than a little dangerous.

No recorded problems.

History

The crag has been discovered on several occasions, notably Andy Birtwistle who did some routes on the nearby Harehope Canyon. Unaware of this, the crag was systematically developed by Tim Caterall, assisted by Malcolm Lowerson. Tim pushed the boat out during the drought of 2002 and he and Malcolm bagged the routes described. Some of these may have been done by previous visitors, notably Andy Birtwistle. Please contact the editor if you have any details.