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Rock Climbing In Peak District

Read our guide for Rock Climbing In Peak District and Find and Book experiences, courses, activities and tours! Browse through the list of experiences, either instantly book onto your dates or enquire to book. All you have to do is turn up and enjoy! If you’ve got any questions about any specific experience, send a message and the providers will aim to get back to you as soon as possible. Have a specific experience in mind that we don’t have listed? No problem, drop us a message and we’ll send your quote around to hundreds of the best experience providers nationwide and come back with you the best quote, making it easy for you to make the most of your spare time!

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Peak District

Because of its central geographical location, the Peak District is one of the most accessible places to head to for an outdoor adventure in the UK. In the five hundred and fifty plus square miles it encompasses, there's no shortage of opportunities to practice all sorts of outdoor activities.Famous for its limestone crags like High Tor and Windgather Rocks, and Gritstone climbs, the Peak's attracts climbers, abseilers and boulderers of all levels to test their skills on the hundreds of climbing routes throughout the district. As beautiful below ground as it is above, the Peak District is also a popular spot for caving with Speedwell Caverns being a great starting place for novices to the sport. The River Derwent among others, is a magnet for watersports enthusiasts who want to participate in canoeing, kayaking or rafting and has several excellent spots for wild swimming.
Climbing in The Peak District, at the Roaches

Climbing in Peak District

The Peak District is one of the UK's premium climbing spots. Climbers are drawn to the Peak District by the erosive result of wind and water on the landscape, the end result being steep escarpments and ridges alongside weather-beaten boulders jutting from heather covered moorland. Both present some perfect climbing puzzles, and there are well over eight hundred different climbing routes in the Peak District to date. That means there's a multitude of amazing challenges just waiting to be conquered for every level of climber. Even if you climbed every day for a year, there'd still be more to scale. Once you've completed a few, you'll find yourself compiling a wish list of future Peak District climbs you just have to do!
Browse through the list of climbing activities in the Peak District, then either instantly book onto your dates or enquire to book. All you have to do is turn up and enjoy! If you’ve got any questions about any specific experience, send a message and the providers will aim to get back to you as soon as possible, so you can explore the best of the Peak District. Have a specific experience in mind that we don’t have listed? No problem, drop us a message and we’ll send your quote around to hundreds of the best experience providers nationwide and come back with you the best quote, making it easy for you to make the most of your spare time!
Peak District Climbing

What are the best places for bouldering in the Peak District?

With a wealth of places to climb, it's hard to pick the best as they're all slightly different, but the following three places are definitely worth a visit for bouldering.
  • Mother Cap Quarry – On the edge of the Peak District, near to Sheffield, the Mother Cap Quarry has fantastic gritstone crags which are ideal for beginners to hone their skills on.
  • The Roaches – Part of a gritstone escarpment, this rocky ridge known as The Roaches is near the town of Leek in Staffordshire. There's lots of different graded routes to try out, and if you're looking to take your bouldering skills up a notch, this is the ideal place.
  • Cratcliffe - This craggy tor is about a twenty minutes drive from the town of Matlock in Derbyshire. There are enough boulders and routes here to keep any climber occupied for a couple of years.

What are the best spots for Trad, Lead & Sport climbing in the Peak District?

We like three main places for rope rock climbing in the Peak District:
  • Windgather Rocks – The Windgather Rocks have a moderate height of just over four hundred metres. That combined with its crevice-covered, slab face has made it one of the most popular places in the Peak District for novice climbers. It's the best place to polish your skills before taking on more challenging climbs.
  • High Tor – This amazing limestone crag near the town of Matlock Bath, in Derbyshire, is one of the best in the UK. It has over eighty trad climbing routes as well as twenty sport climbing routes. So, even though it is more challenging than some other Peak District climbing spots, there's something there for everyone.
  • Kinder Downfall – The Kinder Downfall is a waterfall which flows over some of the most rugged crags in the Peak District. With eighty trad routes divided over several sections of gritstone rock face, it offers the most picturesque climbing in the Peak District.

Climbing in the Peak District

Why go Rock Climbing?

Rock Climbing is a great way to see some of the most stunning places, get fit and healthy in the process and have a great time. There’s a wealth of spots to climb, with over 1000 destinations, 150 climbing walls and hundreds of climbing clubs in the UK. See below for some of the best climbing courses in the UK. For some, climbing is the challenge of getting to the top, for others it's the puzzle of working out the route and how to approach the different hands and footholds. There's also the fitness side of course, being a fantastic total body workout, and particularly effective for those doing indoor bouldering on midweek evenings! Then there's the locations. Outdoor climbing locations are often in some of the most stunning locations in the country, and with the climbing itself you are able to get up close and personal with the landscape, and often able to access locations and views unavailable to anyone else! It’s also an incredibly social sport. When at an indoor climbing wall, it’s natural to talk to others about how to climb routes.
Rock Climbing Near Me

Who is Rock Climbing Suitable for?

There's a climb for everyone, and part of the beauty of climbing is that the challenge is relative for each individual. There are plenty of climbing clubs if you'd like to join others and do it more socially and learn from peers, and it can be a great family activity too for those with a bit more experience. For those less confident there are plenty of guides and instructors always happy to share their passion with new people to the sport. There are also plenty of great UK climbing forums for further advice and information.

Climbing Overview for Beginners

Climbing is a great activity for everyone, from individuals, groups, families, friends and corporates. Conquering a climbing route or your fear for heights in a group is a great bonding experience. Climbing doesn’t have to be a huge challenge. There are many ways to get involved with the sport that are more accessible than the crazy films like El Capitan where Alex Honnold climbs over 2km without ropes. Try a guided climbing session to take it easy and pick up the basics, or try bouldering at an indoor climbing wall.
There's different techniques and methods to climbing that make the sport that little bit more interesting and challenging.There’s also a wealth of kit and equipment needed for the different types of climbing. And there’s different ways to get involved with the sport. Don’t worry - it’s easy to pick up. We’ve put together a bunch of resources so that after reading them you’ll be clued up on your next rock climbing experience. Below are some useful rock climbing resources to learn more.
Rock Climbing In UK

Useful Rock Climbing Resources

  • A Beginners Guide to Rock Climbing We’ve created a resource for beginners to rock climbing to outline the different types of rock climbing from bouldering, sport climbing and trad climbing and more. What equipment you need and the various ways to get involved with the sport, whether that be joining a local club, going to an indoor climbing wall or booking an instructor.

  • A Beginners Guide to Rock Climbing. We’ve created a resource for beginners to rock climbing to outline the different types of rock climbing from bouldering, sport climbing and trad climbing and more. What equipment you need and the various ways to get involved with the sport, whether that be joining a local club, going to an indoor climbing wall or booking an instructor.

  • A Guide to Outdoor Rock Climbing in UK. We’ve pulled together a resource to outline what to expect when climbing outdoors in the UK, including the differences from indoor rock climbing and what kit to take.

Bouldering

Bouldering in the UK

Bouldering is the act of climbing, typically up to 20ft without ropes but with big soft matts beneath. As the height of the climb is not high enough to cause injuries (assuming you fall correctly of course), it’s a great way to get into the sport without having to get used to the technicalities of using ropes, belay devices and the other equipment associated with other types of climbing. To get involved with bouldering, look up your local climbing wall and ensure they mention they have bouldering on offer. Most climbing walls do offer bouldering nowadays. Also, you can find outdoor places to go bouldering. If you’re doing this as a beginner, make sure to organise an instructor who can ensure you’ve got the right equipment (including a bouldering mat to fall on), and show you the best routes and techniques. Peak District

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