The Peak District

The Peak District is hallowed ground for climbers. Teeming with classic routes at all grades, the area is best known for its unique gritstone edges, where you can find historic routes first climbed in the 19th century. As well as the grit, there’s quality limestone here too, and with over 10,000 routes and dozens of crags, you’d be hard pushed to tick everything off in a lifetime.

Climbing types: Trad, Sport, Bouldering
Rock type: Gritstone, Limestone

Gritstone

This tightly-bonded sandstone is unique to the Peak District, and is a mecca for climbers world over, providing everything from easy slabs to cutting edge trad. With over 60 crags, routes here are predominantly single pitch, but there are multi pitch routes here also, as well as world-class bouldering.

Gritstone was traditionally used to make millstones to grind grain, and many still litter the base of crags across the area. A few places were once quarried, such as Millstone Edge and sections of Froggatt Edge, but mostly the gritstone edges are natural rock, heavily weathered over time into unique formations.

Our favourite crags

Stanage Edge - On the most famous crag in the Peak (if not the UK), you’re never more than a few feet away from a classic route. Six kilometres long, with an embarrassment of lines and great bouldering, you could climb all year round only at Stanage and never run out of routes.

The Roaches - Gritstone doesn’t get much more idyllic than this. Secluded climbs, paths and winding stairways hidden in a woodland dell, climbing at The Roaches is truly magical. There’s even a climbers’ hut built in to the rocks! With a variety of routes including some mega multi pitches as well as bouldering, there’s something for everyone here.

Froggatt Edge - Slabs are the name of the game here, and, like The Roaches, you climb them in a stunning setting. Poking out of the trees, Froggatt is full of easy classics, as well as some tough test pieces to push yourself.

Millstone Edge - One of several old gritstone quarries, Millstone routes are big, beefy and require a certain fondness for crack climbing. For intermediates and above, this area takes no prisoners, but is hugely rewarding once you crack it (haha).

Windgather - One of the more gentle crags in the area, Windgather houses a lovely set of easier lines, right next to the road. With a western aspect, this is a great place to be on a summer evening.

Burbage - Although the Burbage crags are on the small side for the Peak, routes here are nevertheless packed full of quality moves and make for a great place for first leads. There’s also more bouldering than you can shake a stick at!

Grade ranges

Trad: Beginner to Expert
Bouldering: Beginner to Expert

Limestone

Overshadowed a little by the neighbouring gritstone, Peak District limestone is however a must-visit destination in its own right. The climbing consists of a mixture of old quarries and natural lines, containing both trad and sport, single and multi pitch and even some adventurous aid. Although the routes can be quite challenging, it’s well worth the effort to bag some of the most visually spectacular lines the Peak District has to offer.

Our favourite crags

Dovedale - Nestled in an idyllic National Trust river valley, Dovedale houses pillars, arches, cliffs and caves, with truly unforgettable routes in a stunning setting. Shy climbers beware though - these crags are generally pretty public, and you’re rarely short of a crowd.

High Tor - Steep, clean, pocketed rock, High Tor is one of the largest expanses of limestone in the country. Multi pitch trad is the name of the game, although there are many excellent single pitch lines here also, as well as some newer sport.

Cheedale - An extensive area containing both sport and trad classics, Cheedale consists of several crags, with climbing predominantly in the upper grades.

Stoney Middleton - Suffering a little from polish, but still a cracking, year-round venue, Stoney is packed with a good mix of trad grades plus a handful of sport routes