PEAK LIMESTONE

Scattered tors, towers and edges, often hidden in deep wooded dales, the limestone cliffs have both trad and sport climbing on cliffs that are taller than is the norm for gritstone. The fine grained rock tends to polish relatively easy so the most popular climbs have become harder over the years. High Tor is doubtless the areas premier crag though Wildcat, Stoney Middleton, the Manifold valley and Cheedale have plenty to delight the climber. Limestone has been quarried for centuries and the whole area is peppered with abandoned holes in the ground. In recent years many of these have been developed to provide sport climbs across the grade spectrum, Horseshoe and Harpur Hill are well established and recently other venues such as Intake and Hall Dale quarries in the Matlock area have been added to the list

Routes

1330 trad routes (M...A2)
1648 sport routes (3...9a)
6 boulder problems (V3...V9)
50 of the Best Routes top50
Graded List of Routes
List of First Ascents


Crag (click for details) No. of Routes Grade Range Route Type Sunshine
or shade		 Approach walk Other Page
Stoney Middleton
Stoney, as it is more popularly known, is a crag which most climbers will...		 158
-^^^
Trad
Lots of sun!
Up and Down

8 mins
Windy
 44
Horseshoe Quarry
Horseshoe Quarry is now the most extensive sport climbing area in the Peak with...		 280
^^^-
Sport
Lots of sun!
Uphill

8 mins

   70
Peter Dale
It comes as something of a surprise to discover that the cliffs in Peter Dale...		 25
-^--
Trad and Sport
Afternoon sun
Level

10 mins

   -
Harpur Hill
Clearly visible from large areas of the central peak is the quarried plateau of...		 323
-^^-
Sport
Evening sun
Uphill

8 mins
Windy
 104
Lovers' Leap
An esoteric crag with 10 sporty routes in a very secluded setting, have no...		 10
_---
Sport
No sun
Roadside

0 mins
Seepage
 133
Deep Dale
This selcuded and peaceful dale contains four small buttresses at various...		 86
-^^^
Sport
Afternoon sun
Up and Down

15 mins
Abseil
Seepage
 -
Staden Quarry
Staden is the Peak quarry that manages to break the well-known golden rule of...		 61
_-^^
Trad and Sport
No sun
Uphill

1 min
Seepage
 138
Beerhouse Buttress
This is another of those peak venues which was probably dismissed by earlier...		 18
_-^-
Sport
Lots of sun!
Uphill

5 mins

   135
Smalldale
The location of Smalldale Quarry leaves something to be desired, especially...		 52
_-^-
Sport
Sun and shade
Level

5 mins
Windy
 98
Chee Dale Upper
The area Chee Dale Upper covers all the Chee Dale crags that would usually be...		 472
-^^^
Trad and Sport
Evening sun
Up and Down

20 mins
Windy
 148
Chee Dale Lower
Chee Dale Lower refers to the crags in Chee Dale which are generally approach...		 214
_^^^
Trad and Sport
No sun
Up and Down

18 mins
Seepage
Dry in the Rain
 188
Blackwell Dale
A short steep crag also known as Beginner's Wall.		 12
__-^
Sport
Evening sun
Roadside

0 mins
Seepage
Dry in the Rain
 212
Raven Tor
The most famous Tor in the Peak, even the French have heard of this one. The...		 73
__-^
Sport
Lots of sun!
Roadside

0 mins
Seepage
Dry in the Rain
 216
Water-cum-Jolly
The River Wye continues from Chee Dale to cut another less-imposing dale...		 260
-^^^
Trad and Sport
Evening sun
Up and Down

20 mins
Seepage
 228
Ravensdale
Looking west out over the attractive wooded valley of Cressbrook Dale,...		 42
-^^-
Trad
Afternoon sun
Uphill

15 mins
Windy
 256
Taddington
Taddington, or Crag 'X' as it was generally known while being developed, is a...		 22
_-^-
Sport
No sun
Uphill

5 mins
Seepage
Dry in the Rain
 273
Rheinstor
A lovely little cliff set in a peaceful sunny setting, by the River Bradford,...		 15
----
Trad
Afternoon sun
Level

2 mins

   276
Aldery Cliff
A pleasant slabby crag, east facing and well sheltered. The base can be a bit...		 46
-^-_
Trad
Morning sun
Roadside

0 mins

   174
Wolfscote Dale
Tucked away in Wolfscote Dale in the Southern Peak are a couple of rocky towers...		 15
----
Trad
Sun from mid-morning
Level

5 mins
Windy
 280
Manifold Valley
The imposing orifice of Thor's Cave overlooks the upper Manifold Valley and is...		 21
---^
Trad and Sport
No sun
Level

15 mins
Seepage
Dry in the Rain
 284
Beeston Tor
One of the jewels of Peak limestone, a fine imposing south-facing wall with a...		 37
-^^^
Trad and Sport
Lots of sun!
Level

12 mins

   290
Dovedale
The meandering and deeply-incised valley of the River Dove is one of the most...		 125
-^^^
Trad
Sun and shade
Level

35 mins
Seepage
 299
Brassington
The climbing area of Brassington (also known as Rainster Rocks) is a diminutive...		 45
^^__
Trad
Lots of sun!
Uphill

10 mins
Windy
 395
Hipley Hill
A minor south Peak cliff that sees very little attention. The addition of a...		 4
_---
Trad
No sun
Level

2 mins

   398
Intake Quarry
Intake Quarry is now banned.		 24
_-^-
Sport
Morning sun
Level

5 mins

   206
Slaley Brook
This huge quarry is hidden just off the Cromford to Buxton road, in the depths...		 39
_-^-
Sport
Sun to mid-afternoon
Uphill

5 mins
Seepage
Restricted Access
 17
Halldale Quarry
Halldale Quarry is a huge open hole in the ground which, until recently, was...		 17
_-^-
Sport
Evening sun
Level

10 mins

   210
Cawdor Quarry
This long-abandoned quarry is clearly visible, rising above the trees behind...		 65
-^^-
Sport
No sun
Downhill

4 mins
Seepage
 12
Lorry Park Quarry
This neglected quarry to the south of Matlock features a fine vertical wall of...		 21
__-^
Trad and Sport
Early morning sun
Level

2 mins

   341
Turkey Dip Rocks
A hidden and secluded crag, with a small selection of hard and harder routes....		 11
_-_-
Sport
No sun
Level

10 mins
Seepage
Dry in the Rain
 327
Masson Lees
The Peak District is riddled with old quarries, many provide climbers with...		 75
-^^^
Sport
No sun
Up and Down

10 mins
Seepage
 330
Pic Tor
A small compact sheet of rock within the confines of Matlock. Only a few...		 13
_---
Trad
No sun
Level

5 mins

   339
High Tor
High Tor can justifiably claim to be the finest limestone crag in the Peak....		 106
-^^^
Trad
Afternoon sun
Uphill

12 mins
Windy
 345
Long Tor Quarry
A steep and shady wall hidden just metres from the busy A6, a short distance...		 18
__-^
Sport
Morning sun
Level

5 mins

   362
Wildcat
This oft underrated crag contains a good concentration of VS and HVS limestone...		 40
-^--
Trad
Afternoon sun
Uphill

15 mins

   365
Willersley
On first acquaintance this north-facing crag on the banks of the river Derwent...		 55
_^^^
Trad
No sun
Level

5 mins
Restricted Access
 374
Colehill Quarry
Colehill Quarry is one of many holes in the ground that pepper the...		 33
_^^-
Sport
Lots of sun!
Level

2 mins
Restricted Access
 386
Harborough Rocks
The most popular of a pair of dolomitic limestone outcrops tucked away in the...		 51
^^_-
Trad
Sun from mid-morning
Uphill

10 mins
Windy
 391

  • Access Issues for PEAK LIMESTONE

  • Latest Comments

    For PEAK LIMESTONE

    Climacteric (Wildcat)
    "I think RW is wrong about the grade in both respects (although not about the foo..." 22/May

    Toilet Humour (Horseshoe Quarry)
    "And worth a flutter symbol as it's not exactly well bolted!" 05/May

    Galening Crack (Horseshoe Quarry)
    "Seemed perfectly reasonable grade and gear wise when I did it in May 2011" 29/Apr

    Like Ice, Like Fire (Horseshoe Quarry)
    "Fully bolted now at about 5+" 29/Apr

    Gabriel and the Pearly Gates (Stoney Middleton)
    "Returning to Pearly Gates after a few years confirmed my impression that it was ..." 24/Apr top50

    Horizon (Stoney Middleton)
    "Worthwhile route, though not worth a star." 22/Apr

    Olive Oil (Horseshoe Quarry)
    "Harder and not as good as He Seems so Sumo with somne strange bolt placements." 17/Apr

    Spectophotometry (Horseshoe Quarry)
    "Isnt it spelt Spectrophotometry ('r' after first 't')" 03/Jan

    Evasor (Stoney Middleton)
    "The length given for p1 here (and in the new Peak Limestone Rockfax for which I ..." 17/Oct top50

    Pygmies Walk Tall (Stoney Middleton)
    "Was really impressed with this route though it would benefit from more traffic t..." 24/Sep

    Lime Street Direct (Willersley)
    "There is now a peg just below the groove which does help somewhat though you do ..." 10/Sep

    Coot (Water-cum-Jolly)
    "Looks like a lot of the routes on this wall could do with some TLC and maybe so..." 04/Sep

    Dies Irae (Stoney Middleton)
    "Very little wear on this, compared to many routes at Stoney. Rock still felt gri..." 28/Aug

    Still Searching (High Tor)
    "Appears that some rock has come off just below the small sapling making it a bit..." 24/Aug

    No Hiding Plaice (Chee Dale Upper)
    "Great climbing all the way" 21/Aug

    Anti-Digestant (Aldery Cliff)
    "Yes, Micros needed at the start, then the rest is easier." 15/Aug

    White Room (Wildcat)
    "The first pitch can be climbed more or less following the line shown in the new ..." 08/Aug

    Apollo Creed (Harpur Hill)
    "Great moves & rock. Starting up Rocky Variations for two bolts is worthwhile..." 28/Jul

    West Window Groove (Manifold Valley)
    "Should have read these comments before setting off yesterday! In the end we clim..." 25/Jul

    Solitaire (Ravensdale)
    "DO NOT TRY AND SCRAMBLE OFF LEFT! Don't know when the route was last checked bu..." 23/Jul

    50 Bolts to the Gallon (Horseshoe Quarry)
    "It's a poor route and it is, quite rightly, not popular." 20/Jul

    Spiteful Rain (Horseshoe Quarry)
    "Presumably this is the route formerly known as "First Prize". It's eas..." 09/Jul

    Lost Horizon (Stoney Middleton)
    "S 3c or HS 4a gives a better idea of the bold nature of the route. Some interest..." 02/Jul

    Mine Anarchy (Harpur Hill)
    "Definitely 6a - tricky!" 28/Jun

    Dutch Moon (High Tor)
    "Good rock + moves if you stay on line" 27/Jun

    Nine Lives Wall (Wildcat)
    "Worth two stars of anyone's money!" 26/Jun

    Prejudice (High Tor)
    "This is a great little trad route. I agree care is needed with protection - whic..." 20/Jun

    Compositae Groove (Stoney Middleton)
    "Pity about the first pitch but the second is probably the best of it's grade at ..." 16/Jun

    Lightweight (Chee Dale Upper)
    "The traverse at the top is the hard part and very good, hard to know what sequen..." 30/May

    Search for comments or
    get the RSS feed RSS feed