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The Roaches Rock Climbing

Climbing Area Map

Areas in The Roaches

Five Clouds 2 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 2

Lower Tier 19 / 0 / 13 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 19

Skyline 4 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 4

Upper Tier 8 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 8

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Elevation:	1,291 ft	393 m
GPS:	53.15752, -1.99255 Google Map · Climbing Area Map
Page Views:	16,876 total · 81/month
Shared By:	Chris Owen on Nov 23, 2007
Admins:	Chris Owen, Euan Cameron Page Updates (admin only)

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Description

Ironically some of the best grit is nowhere near Sheffield.

This BIG gritstone crag runs for miles, with a shorter Lower Tier, and a much longer Upper Tier. This is where Joe and Don first met on the rock and boasts such classics as Black and Tans, Valkyrie, Saul's Crack, The Sloth, plus many more. There's much scary hardness here too.

The pro is natural, cams and wires are particularly useful, as are double ropes; a lot of the harder routes use cracks either side for pro.

The something for everybody here - jam cracks abound, roofs , steep walls, slabs - you name it - there's also some good boulders at the base.

Be an expert with natural pro, and natural belay anchors as there are no bolts here.

Getting There

The nearest town is Leek, from there go north-east on the A53 towards Buxton. Turn off left at Upper Hulme. Soon pass the right turnoff for "Ye Olde Rock" a recommended pub, then down past buildings to the open road which runs along the side of the moors, you'll first see Hen Cloud, and then the big long pull out for The Roaches.

The "Staffordshire Nose"

A brutal challenge, all in the name of fun of course, is to climb all 31 of the Brown & Whillans routes at the Roaches (plus Hen Cloud and Ramshaw), in a day. Many of the Routes are notorious sandbags, most are crack climbs, and none are to be taken lightly! If you think you're up to it, you can find the complete list of routes as a UKC ticklist

The speed record currently (July 2014) stands at 5 hours, 54 minutes, set on a rainy November day by Tom Randall and Pete Whittaker.

33 Total Climbs

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Classic Climbing Routes at The Roaches

Mountain Project's determination of the classic, most popular, highest rated climbing routes in this area.

5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c 7 ● Valkyrie Trad 2 pitches Lower Tier
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a 6 ● Saul's Crack Trad Upper Tier
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a PG13 6 ● The Sloth (HVS 5a) Trad Upper Tier