Frosty Bouldering at Almscliff
I woke up on Saturday morning to clear skies and a crisp frost. The perfect, and long-awaited, combination of perfect gritstone bouldering conditions, and the opportunity to take advantage of them. I got myself ready as quickly as possible and set off for Almscliff to climb some problems I had been hankering after. Continue reading Frosty Bouldering at Almscliff
A Quiet Sunday Morning at Brimham Rocks
I think every rock climber knows that strong urge to get outside and climb. It’s a compulsion that gets stronger the longer you’ve been away. It intensifies on those days when the weather is good, and you can’t take advantage of the opportunities that it provides. It bothers you when you think about that route or problem that you’ve been wanting to get up for some time. Last weekend it was an urge that was sufficiently strong for me to ignore the tail-end of a cold and head to Brimham Rocks. Continue reading A Quiet Sunday Morning at Brimham Rocks
Never Had I Ever…Walked Up Cat Bells
In none of my many visits to the Lake District had I ever walked up Cat Bells. I don’t think I ever consciously decided to not set foot on this fell. It’s more likely that an underlying desire to avoid crowded mountains meant that walking up the incredibly popular Cat Bells never occurred to me. Yet, it’s the very things that make Cat Bells well-liked that are the reasons I chose it as the first Lake District fell for my son to climb. Continue reading Never Had I Ever…Walked Up Cat Bells
A Quiet Sunday Morning at Little Almscliff
A few months ago, I walked around the small crag of Little Almscliff. I’d climbed a lot at Almscliff and wanted to see what bouldering on its diminutive namesake offered. It was clear that Little Almscliff has a lot of interesting and easier climbing, as well as great views and a short walk-in. However, I’d not been back because I had been focused on my walking project, and a rainy summer had limited my opportunities to get out. Last Sunday, my wife, son and I wanted some quiet climbing and time in the countryside, and so decided to head to Little Almscliff. Continue reading A Quiet Sunday Morning at Little Almscliff
Nidderdale Way – Stage 6: Shaw Mills to Pateley Bridge
This last stage of the Nidderdale Way had old mills, the fantastic rock formations of Brimham Rocks, a moor, a beautiful, wooded valley, and brilliant views over the lovely Nidderdale. It was a great end to a wonderful walk. Continue reading Nidderdale Way – Stage 6: Shaw Mills to Pateley Bridge
Nidderdale Way – Stage 5: Birstwith to Shaw Mills
The Nidderdale Way has many fascinating historical sites along its route, but this stage seemed to have more than the other stages I’ve walked. There was a castle, lovely villages, stocks, crosses, churches, and disused fishponds. All of this in a beautiful dale. Continue reading Nidderdale Way – Stage 5: Birstwith to Shaw Mills
Nidderdale Way – Stage 4: Bewerley to Birstwith
My fourth day on the Nidderdale Way had a folly, a close encounter with running deer, and a beautiful old packhorse bridge. All of this on a walk that took me over moors, along riverbanks, through woods, and across meadows. It was a walk with variety, great views, and fascinating historical sights. Unfortunately, this walk also involved a horrible path that has been my low point on the Nidderdale Way. Continue reading Nidderdale Way – Stage 4: Bewerley to Birstwith
Nidderdale Way – Stage 3: Middlesmoor to Bewerley
The third stage of the Nidderdale Way started with what must be one of the best views in the Yorkshire Dales, and took in hay meadows, rolling pastures, a pretty reservoir, a lovely valley, and the ruins of a lead mine. It was a gorgeous walk that an encounter with some irate cows couldn’t spoil. Continue reading Nidderdale Way – Stage 3: Middlesmoor to Bewerley
Nidderdale Way – Stage 2: Lofthouse to Middlesmoor
Walking the second stage of the Nidderdale Way was a day of green fields, lush woods, caves, a disappearing river, moors, a castellated dam, and an abandoned village. It was brilliant. Even if you are not going to walk the whole Nidderdale Way, this loop through the upper part of the dale makes for a grand day. Continue reading Nidderdale Way – Stage 2: Lofthouse to Middlesmoor
Nidderdale Way – Stage 1: Pateley Bridge to Lofthouse
It was an inauspicious start to an amazing walk. Within the first few minutes of starting on the 54-mile (87km) Nidderdale Way, I was a bit lost. My guidebook had directed me to walk down Mill Lane in Pateley Bridge before passing “between houses to reach a footpath that signs you up a narrow alley along the backs of houses.” I was now wandering around the cul-de-sac of Mill Lane wondering where the Nidderdale Way had disappeared to. The large number of signs on houses and gates proclaiming “private”, “no right of way” and “no footpath” suggested that I was not the first person to get confused about where to go, and that the people who had come before me had decided the way to go was through someone’s garden. Luckily, I spotted a small footpath sign pointing to an inconspicuous, narrow alley partly obscured by greenery. Continue reading Nidderdale Way – Stage 1: Pateley Bridge to Lofthouse
A Walk for a Wet and Windy Day?
I have sometimes wondered if I should write a guidebook of walks to do on days with poor weather. Walks without exposed summits and ridges that you might be blown off by high winds or on which you battle gusts that make it impossible to go in a straight line. Walks without paths that turn into quagmires in heavy rain. Walks that have points of interest within a few metres for when low level cloud means there is no chance of a stirring view across a valley. Although I have not put a single word on paper for this imagined guidebook, I have got a mental list of walks I can do on wet and windy days. Last week I tried out a new walk that I was thinking would be a good addition to this list. Continue reading A Walk for a Wet and Windy Day?
A Lesson in Checking the Guidebook
On the hottest day of the day 2022 heatwave, we escaped to the Yorkshire moors to go bouldering. I thought that there was sure to be a breeze, maybe even a cool one, on high, open ground. I was right and we did get relief from the smothering heat. However, I also got a lesson in why in pays to check how old your guidebook is before setting out. Continue reading A Lesson in Checking the Guidebook
Somewhere New
It’s been a while since I last wrote a blog post. The main reasons for this were that the pandemic, and actually getting Covid-19, made it hard or impossible to do the activities I normally write about here. Then there was moving house, and all the changes and work that brings. Thankfully, that move has brought many opportunities for climbing and walking as I’ve left London for the wonders of Yorkshire. I therefore have more to blog about, and so I’m returning to posting on The Severe Climber. Continue reading Somewhere New
Back to Climbing (Concrete)
It was really good to get back to climbing after so long. My weekends away climbing, and weekend visits to the climbing wall all stopped with the pandemic lockdown. I’ve missed it in so many ways. Over the long weekend I took the chance to go climbing on the concrete boulders at Fairlop Waters Boulder Park, and it was brilliant. The best bit was taking my son climbing again, and seeing him climb really well. Continue reading Back to Climbing (Concrete)
the Severe climber 