LANCASHIRE ROCK

This site is a digital copy of the 1997 BMC guidebook to rock climbing in Lancashire

Long Back Wall

  • 31 - Dave`s Route

    Grade: 5b | First Ascent: -1982
    Rating: 0

    Climb the crack that splits the centre of the flaky, orange wall.

  • 32 - Hank

    Grade: 5b | First Ascent: -1977
    Rating: 0

    From a short pedestal at a higher level on the left side of the orange wall, climb the shallow groove and wall above.

  • 32a - P`s Pod

    Grade: | First Ascent:
    Rating: 0

    The groove a metre right.

  • 33 - Black Wall

    Grade: 5c | First Ascent: (1979-83)
    Rating: 1

    Start five metres farther left and climb a thin, overhanging, blocky crack.

  • 34 - Rusty Wall

    Grade: 6c | First Ascent: -1977
    Rating: 0

    Three metres farther left at a slightly higher level is a faint crack. Climb the wall at this point using shallow pockets.

  • 35 - Stop Butt

    Grade: 5c | First Ascent: (Pre-1969)
    Rating: 1

    Climb diverging cracks using two obvious jugs to start, then finish up a thin crack.

  • 36 - Butt End

    Grade: 6a | First Ascent: (1975-79)
    Rating: 0

    From a low overlap follow the line of two faint cracks that lead rightwards.

  • 37 - Knep

    Grade: 5c | First Ascent: (Pre-1969)
    Rating: 0

    From the same point, climb the block-filled crack.

  • 38 - Dave`s Other Route

    Grade: 5c | First Ascent: -1982
    Rating: 1

    The next crack, passing a small sentry-box.

  • 39 - The Slanter

    Grade: 5c | First Ascent: (1979-83)
    Rating: 2

    Start five metres farther left and climb the left-hand of a pair of cracks, passing a small overlap at half-height.

  • 40 - Thunder

    Grade: 6c | First Ascent: (1986-87)
    Rating: 1

    The faint crack in the wall two metres farther left. A small block is very helpful to start the route and it will be much harder if this disappears.

  • 41 - Faintline

    Grade: 5c | First Ascent: (1979-83)
    Rating: 0

    Start two metres farther left at a slightly higher level and climb the crack.

  • 42 - Heartline

    Grade: 5b | First Ascent: (1974-75)
    Rating: 0

    Climb the next crack and finish up a short groove.

  • 43 - Hardline

    Grade: 6a | First Ascent: (1979-83)
    Rating: 1

    The thin crack three metres to the left, that finishes up a slim groove.

  • 44 - Var

    Grade: 5c | First Ascent: (Pre-1969)
    Rating: 0

    Climb the wall via a large jug in a square hole at half-height.

  • 45 - Lifeline

    Grade: 6b | First Ascent: (1979-83)
    Rating: 0

    The faint crack one metre left.

  • 46 - Knah

    Grade: 5c | First Ascent: (Pre-1969)
    Rating: 0

    Climb the next thin crack and the small overlap above.

  • 46a - Cremulator

    Grade: 5c | First Ascent: -2000
    Rating: 0

    The wall about 1.5 metres left of Knah, with an interesting dyno near the top.

  • 46b - Lazarus

    Grade: 5c | First Ascent: -2000
    Rating: 1

    The Crack on right-hand side of overlap

  • 46c - Dylan

    Grade: 6a | First Ascent: -2000
    Rating: 0

    Start at the cracks at the left-hand-side of the overlap to undercuts from where a dyno allows a good jug on left to finish just right of Impo.

  • 47 - Impo

    Grade: 6a | First Ascent: (Pre-1969)
    Rating: 1

    Start at a lower level directly behind a large rectangular boulder on the floor. Climb the obvious right-slanting crack to an obvious triangular niche. An awkward move then gives access to the short corner above.

  • 48 - Norma

    Grade: 5c | First Ascent: -1998
    Rating: 0

    Climb the wall immediately left of Impo directly to a finish up twin cracks.

  • 49 - Crackle

    Grade: 4c | First Ascent: (Pre-1969)
    Rating: 0

    Start directly behind the left end of the rectangular boulder and climb blocky cracks to a deep square hole. Step left and finish uo the wall above.

  • 50 - Bill

    Grade: 4c | First Ascent: -1998
    Rating: 0

    Climb the crack two metres to the left, directly to the top via a dubious-looking block.

  • 51 - Traverse

    Grade: 6b | First Ascent: (1979-83)
    Rating: 0

    Start from the foot of The Young Pretender and traverse right to Var.

  • 52 - The Young Pretender

    Grade: 6b | First Ascent: (1974/1998)
    Rating: 2

    Climb the corner crack ‘with a variety of leverages that would flabbergast major bridge-building engineers’, to a wild, spreadeagled finish rightwards at the roof.

  • 52a - Hangover

    Grade: A1 | First Ascent:
    Rating: 0

    Finishes directly over the roof on pegs.

  • 53 - Groundhog

    Grade: 6c | First Ascent: -1993
    Rating: 2

    The arête and overlap on the immediate left.

  • 54 - The Key

    Grade: 5b | First Ascent: (Pre-1969)
    Rating: 1

    The hand-jam crack on the left.

  • 55 - The Lock

    Grade: 5c | First Ascent: (1979-83)
    Rating: 0

    The crack just to the left.

  • 56 - The Latch

    Grade: 6a | First Ascent: -1986
    Rating: 0

    The faint hairline crack just to the left.

  • 57 - Finger Crack

    Grade: 5b | First Ascent:
    Rating: 0

    Climb directly up the green corner that forms the far left angle of the wall.

  • 57a - Snatch

    Grade: 6a | First Ascent: -2002
    Rating: 1

    The blank wall just left of the corner.

  • 58 - Y Front

    Grade: 4a | First Ascent: (Pre-1969)
    Rating: 0

    The right end of the wall, via a large ledge, then finish rightwards.

  • 59 - Tom

    Grade: 5a | First Ascent: (Pre-1948)
    Rating: 0

    From a small overlap at the foot of the wall climb past a series of small ledges.

  • 60 - Jerry

    Grade: 5a | First Ascent: (Pre-1969)
    Rating: 0

    From the left side of the small overlap climb the wall and finish up a thin flake. Proves if you`re a man or a mouse.

  • 61 - Butch

    Grade: 6a | First Ascent: (1975-79)
    Rating: 0

    A short problem whose fall potential is quite unnerving; climb the wall just right of the arête, stepping in from the left.