UKH

Courtesy post - just to give you the heads up that we plan on taking a couple of groups of newbies to Yarncliff on Fri eve (12th) and Saturday daytime (13th).
My post is not to dictate anybody elses plans or to suggest going elsewhere but consider it good practice to inform this fine community that Yarncliffe will be busy on the above dates. Hope you all have a great weekend, wherever you end up. Kind regards.

Firstly thanks for posting here.

It's worth knowing Yarncliffe is sadly a less than ideal choice as the BMC Access information in RAD indicates (copied below): overcrowding from group use and parking are real issues. If others beat you too it on the day, you will definitely need a 'plan B'. I'd add belays on parts of the first main slab need care as some of the tops are unstable (familiarity with the venue really helps). Nearby, Lawrencefield is a much better venue.

Whatever you end up doing, have a great day.

https://www.thebmc.co.uk/modules/rad/view.aspx?id=251

Wait, what?!

I've never understood why Yarncliffe is so popular. It's a dirty hole, with crap parking, mediocre easy routes and is possibly the midgie-est place on Earth. If my first introduction to climbing was Yarncliffe, it would also quite likely be my last.

Have you gone and done the re-cleaned routes on the back wall since Graeme H put his heroic work ethic to task there? I really enjoyed them.

You say Yarncliffe and people either think 'Zapple' or 'sandy slab near the entrance where noobs are always top-roping'. If you look beyond that, on the walls between, it has 10 or more very worthwhile 20m quarried grit VS routes all deserving of at least one star. At that grade, I can't think of any better crags for quarried grit (certainly in terms of concentration). 

To the OP, I'd recommend parking up by Padley Gorge where the ice cream vans usually are and walking down. Since they painted the yellow lines outside the quarry, they've been pretty hot on ticketing people parked (even if fully off the road). You might be alright on an evening but on a weekend you're likely to be fined. 

Each to their own. It was one of the first places I climbed (first grit) and it didn't put me off.

Quiet with some nice slabby stuff at easier grades, some interesting harder stuff. Top ropes easily set up. I've been back a few times over the years and not been disappointed.

It needs doing pretty regularly... we did extensive cleaning work before the 2010 definitive was published and many others did before that. The recovered routes were very enjoyable for a while, especially Fall Pipe and STP.

I was up there playing on Zapple wall recently and the routes are wonderful when dry. If this thing the OP has posted gets a bit of traffic on those routes then happy days. The routes on Cardinal slab are also excellent. Ant wall is a bit whatever.

Have you been in the last year? I don't want to undersell just how much digging Graeme did. He took so much mud off at the top, it's flat rock to top out onto - hopefully it means in future much less muck will wash down the cliff.

It's really not that bad. Ok, it's not a crag to go to again and again but there are quality routes there. Sulu (VS 5a) and Cardinal's Crack (VS 4b) stand out in my mind.

I remember Fall Pipe (VS 4c) being a good route when I did it in 1977. Not sure what it like now.

Soil and leaf matter collects and washes down the ledges at Yarncliffe, this builds up over time but the ledges in the Zapple area had never been cleaned properly before. I know this as clearing the ledges required heavy work with a spade and the size of the rocks mixed in with the soil could not have been washed down, this was ex quarrying slag. Removing these hopefully will mean more pleasant top outs, less soil being washed down in future in the winter, keeping the routes cleaner so the routes will dry quicker and more likely to be climbed and therefore stay clean, finally removing the future build up of soil and leaf matter will as it won't require as heavy digging. The cleaning of the wall was started by members of the Peak Climbing Club in Feb 2023, i just got a bit carried away continuing the work. hopefully others will enjoy these routes again

Thanks to you and the Peak Climbing Club for all your hard work for doing this intensive clean up.

That’s awesome, well done. Looks really good.

I’ve got a patio that needs cleaning if you’re interested 😀.

CB.

Amazing job guys, well done,

Chris

I got on those cleaned routes and we are extremely grateful.

Solid effort!! 

Cheers Graham, yes I was fully aware of your work. I guess my point was however extensive a job is done things still regrow from cracks and soil returns to ledges, especially in woodland. Pre Froggatt guide I did some experimental work on Gardoms where I cleared a small area on top and near top ledges (that only had heather on soil) and now things are back much the same as before I cleaned them. It's always at least a slow never ending job. In some cases it's not even slow: the worse place I know being Turning Stone where Rhododendrons grow rapidly in every crack and niche. In other major regular work, I've also been one of many cleaning an unmeasurable total volume of rubbish (and the odd bramble) from Woodhouse Scar from at least a big bag on every visit to domestic electrical goods.