This site is a digital copy of the 1997 BMC guidebook to rock climbing in Lancashire
Grade: 5a,4c | First Ascent: -1966
Rating: 0
Start at the base of the arête just right of the sandy cave.
Grade: 4b | First Ascent: -1998
Rating: 0
Climb the right-hand arête of Red Wall using a flake crack.
Grade: 5a | First Ascent:
Rating:
Step left to the crack and follow it past the horizontal break and go over the overhang to a large ledge (care needed past loose blocks).
Grade: 4b | First Ascent: -1998
Rating: 0
Start one metre left of the arête and climb the obvious stepped groove to the second large ledge. Mantel on to the ledge on the left, then finish up the short crack in the top block.
Grade: 4c | First Ascent:
Rating:
Starting on the arête move up delicately until the groove on the right can be gained and followed to the top.
Grade: 4a | First Ascent:
Rating:
Swing left and finish up a wide crack.
Grade: 5b | First Ascent: -1982
Rating:
Climb the short crack in the back wall and continue up a vague groove above.
Grade: 5a | First Ascent: -1976
Rating: 0
Red Wall proper starts at a slightly lower level. Climb the blocky crack that forms a pillar on the right side of Red Wall, then finish up a short corner. Belays well back.
Grade: 6c | First Ascent: -1990
Rating: 2
An awesome effort forced a free ascent of Triffid Wall to create this marathon test of endurance. The crux moves are at the top of the route and despite an abundance of protection, they are not destined to become polished. From Knuckleduster pitch two, swing left round the arête then follow a steep left-slanting crack and finish up the groove on the left as for Adrenalin.
Grade: 5b | First Ascent: -1990
Rating: 1
Climb the obvious wide crack directly to the top.
Grade: 6a | First Ascent: -1970
Rating: 1
A bold pitch. Climb the smooth wall just right of the blunt arête to a peg. Pass this by a hard move to gain a short groove leading to the break and the belay ledge of Knuckleduster. A finish can then be made up Knuckleduster or Hot Air.
Grade: 6a | First Ascent: -1985
Rating: 2
Steep and sustained climbing gives a powerful route. Just before the ground level starts to rise, twin cracks lead to the right side of a ledge. Follow these to the ledge, then continue up the shallow groove and headwall above.
Grade: 6b | First Ascent: -1985
Rating: 1
A very bold top pitch to Thin Air. Leave the belay ledge of Thin Air/Knuckleduster by its right arête and attain a hold in the bottom of a shallow groove. Enter this groove by a desperate mantel and finish direct.
Grade: 6a | First Ascent: -1985
Rating: 1
Climb the wall at a thin crack, passing the left side of the ledge on Eleventh Hour. Good climbing.
Grade: 5c | First Ascent: -1969
Rating: 1
Four metres right of the blunt arête is a rightwards-curving crack. Follow this with an awkward move rightwards above a poor peg , then climb direct to the horizontal break and the large ledges of Blackout. Climb the thin crack above the ledge to finish.
Grade: 5c | First Ascent: -1985
Rating: 0
Starting at a slightly higher level climb the wider, but more indefinite, crack.
Grade: 4b,- | First Ascent: -1962
Rating: 2
Another classic Wilton route, which is not as difficult as it might seem, though there are many capable leaders who might disagree. At the north end of the quarry, just past the final rise in the quarry floor, is a pedestal which marks the start.
Grade: 4c | First Ascent: -1997
Rating: 0
The line of left-facing grooves just to the left.
Grade: 4b | First Ascent:
Rating:
Ascend the pedestal, then the groove behind for a little, until a traverse left can be made to a ledge. Left again is another ledge and a peg belay.
Grade: | First Ascent:
Rating:
Climb up behind the belay veering right.
Grade: 6b | First Ascent: -1981
Rating: 1
From the top of the initial groove on Blackout, surmount the overhang (poor peg) and struggle up the continuation crack above, then move left to finish and avoid loose rock.
Grade: 6a | First Ascent: -1970
Rating: 3
The original Master Spy, although not direct is very impressive and utilizes the undercut flake to reach the technical crux. Follow Clapped Out to the roof then launch out tentatively right along the undercut flake (easier than it looks) for four metres to a vertical crack and a rest. The crack above holds out to the end.
Grade: 6b | First Ascent: -1982
Rating: 3
The hardest of the espionage trio. A powerful start leads to a hard mantel finish, that is slightly easier to do as a rock-over ‘but which way to face? Two metres right of the start of Blackout, an impressive vertical crack leads to the right-hand end of the Master Spy roof. Climb the crack (peg) and pass the roof, then traverse leftwards to a nasty mantel and a crack to finish.
Grade: 6a | First Ascent: (1983-86)
Rating: 3
The obvious direct connection of the two previous routes. An excellent combination of the best climbing on the previous two routes.
Grade: 5b | First Ascent: -1966
Rating: 2
The awesome hanging groove three metres to the right of Blackout. Superb and unrelentingly steep, but with well protected climbing. A classic jamming and bridging problem that builds to a fine crescendo.
Grade: 6b | First Ascent: -1982
Rating: 2
Brilliant, technical and it can be well protected. Start in the centre of the steep wall right of Wipe Out, and climb slots to a sloping ledge and peg. Move up to gain a standing position on this ledge (bolt), then make a particularly venomous move up and left to gain the base of an easy groove. Finish up this.
Grade: 6b | First Ascent: -1983
Rating: 2
Break out right from the bolt of Black Mamba, and make desperate moves to gain good holds on Shaggy Dog. Finish as for that route.
Grade: 6b | First Ascent: -1985
Rating: 0
Climb Black Mamba to the peg and either lurch/jump or make a l..o..ng reach up and right for a ledge and continue up the cleaned groove above (peg).
Grade: 5c | First Ascent: -1982
Rating: 2
A serious proposition that has seen some near-ground falls. From six metres up Kettle Crack, swing left on to a ledge on the face (peg ). Move left and climb straight up the wall to a somewhat ‘out there’ finish.
Grade: 5c | First Ascent: -1971
Rating: 0
The crack to the left of a huge block supported by an iron bar.
Grade: 4a | First Ascent: (Pre-1967)
Rating: 0
The ugly chimney on the right; do not touch it, especially with a bargepole!
Grade: 6b | First Ascent: -1985
Rating: 1
The thin crack in the arête to the right is climbed (crux) to a long reach rightwards which gains ledges on Overtaker`s Buttress. Join and finish up that route.
Grade: 5c | First Ascent: -1978
Rating: 0
Start round the right-hand side of the narrow buttress on the right, then step round the right arête to reach the central groove via a large ledge. Hand traverse the sloping ledge to a mantelshelf and finish up the arête.
Grade: 5c | First Ascent: -2001
Rating:
The right arête of Overtaker’s Buttress. Start on the right-hand side for the first three metres, then take the left-hand side to the top.
Grade: 4c | First Ascent: -1975
Rating: 0
Farther right is a deep bay. Start in the left corner of this and climb up to a large block which forms an overhang. Move left and go up the shallow groove which bounds the block on its left, to a small ledge on an arête on the left. Finish direct.
Grade: 4c | First Ascent: -1964
Rating: 0
As for Twazack Left-hand to the block, then climb the corner/groove which bounds the block on its right.
Grade: 5b | First Ascent: -1969
Rating: 0
The crack on the right-hand side of the bay, (gained from the grass ledge on the left) moving right at the overhang to the subsidiary corner.
Grade: 5b | First Ascent: -1976
Rating: 0
Just right is a clean-cut S-shaped crack at the top of the crag. From the grassy ledge on the left, swing round the arête and climb the steep crack above.
Grade: 4c,4b | First Ascent: -1969
Rating: 0
A long neck and a small brain are essential for pitch 1.
Grade: 4c | First Ascent:
Rating:
3 metres to the right is a corner with a wide, block-filled crack in it. Climb this to a swing right on to the belay ledge.
Grade: 4c | First Ascent:
Rating:
Climb the corner for three metres to a niche, then move up and right to a good hold which enables a swing right to be made to join Great Slab. Follow this to the belay.
Grade: 4b | First Ascent:
Rating:
The crack which forms a continuation to the corner.
Grade: 6a | First Ascent: -1992
Rating: 0
The sharp, left-slanting crack and arête right of Dinosaur, leads past a peg to a ledge. Finish up Knock Out.
Grade: 4c | First Ascent: -1966
Rating: 1
From the belay of Great Slab, climb the crack on the right of Dinosaur.
Grade: 4b,4c | First Ascent: -1966
Rating: 1
Start beneath the centre of the impressive slab at the north end of the quarry.
Grade: 4b | First Ascent:
Rating:
Mantel on to the slab, and climb via a rust flower, to a large grass ledge on the left of the slab.
Grade: 4c | First Ascent:
Rating:
Cross the slab at its sandy weakness, then climb the groove to a small overhang. Traverse right along a small ledge to the arête. Finish up this on its left.
Grade: 5a | First Ascent: -1967
Rating: 2
A bold problem; not quite so common nowadays! Start just left of the large corner groove of 999, move up on to the slab and climb to the rust flower. Step right and climb the slab above directly, passing a peg to enter a shallow chimney.
Grade: 4c | First Ascent: -1963
Rating: 3
The open groove on the right gives a good well-protected route, with its crux at the top.
Grade: 4c | First Ascent: -1964
Rating: 2
From the grassy ledge in the corner at a higher level, climb the left arête and finish as for Great Slab. Good, bold climbing.