Bardon Hill Routes

Local Links Leicestershire Climbs Leicestershire Intro & History NEW ROUTES Anchor Church Caves Bardon Hill Beacon Hill Blackbrook Reservoir Bradgate Park The Brand Cademan Woods & Broad Hill Carver's Rocks Cliffe Hill Quarry Craig Buddon Enderby Quarry Finedon Slabs Forest Rock Grace Dieu Viaduct and Craglets Granitethorpe Quarry Groby Industrial Estate Hangingstone Quarry Hangingstone Rocks High Sharpley Huncote Quarry Markfield Quarry Minor Outcrops and Boulders Morley Quarry Mountsorrel Crags Nunckley Quarry Oaks Pinnacle Outwoods Crag Pocketgate Quarry Slawston Bridge Whitwick Quarry Whitwick Rocks Climbing Walls Index

Introduction and Location THE CLIMBS The climbs are taken from the old guide book with little revision. First ascents date back to Biven and Peck in the forties and early fifties. The routes are described from left to right. All but one start on the top terrace. 1 Funky Dudes 42m VD Above the centre of the left-hand terrace is an obvious corner crack. 1 . 24m. Climb the crack to a large grass ledge and belay well back on a tree below another crack. 2. 18m. Up the crack past two smaller trees and a grass ledge to regain rock at the summit. B. McGaw, D. Morgan and A. Crofts, Oct 1978. 2 Silava Slabs 30m D From the middle of the left-hand terrace an obvious pavement of slabs can be seen leading up to the right. Follow it. 3 The Flake 30m VD Start at the far right of the left-hand terrace. 1. 6m. Up over a short wall to a large ledge. 2. 18m. From the centre of the ledge climb a short steep wall mantle-shelfing into a groove which leads to The Flake. Climb it to a large stance and belay. 3. 12m. Make off to the left over easier ground to the top. 4 Zig-Zag 45m VS Start from the left end of the right-hand terrace. 1. 9m. Traverse horizontally left to make an interesting step into a large grassy corner. 2. 6m. Ascend the finger crack until an awkward move left can be made to another corner. 3. 21 m. Climb the corner crack to terrace. Ascend the flake crack to a large stance and belay. 4. 9m. Take the small overhang behind the block belay by a few trying moves and get on to easy slabs. 5 Underhand 39m VS 1. 15m. Start from the right-hand terrace below the centre of the large overhang. Move left up under the overhang and to the top of a pyramid shaped block. Climb up on to a large ledge. 2. 15m. Ascend the second overhang by the slight but obvious break. 3. 9m. Up over easy ground to the top. 6 Pigeon Cleft 39m VD 1. 9m. Start to the right of the large overhang. Scramble up rightwards into the large grassy rake. Block belay. 2. 15m. Make a move left over straightforward ground to a stance and flake belay. 3. 15m. Move up and left into the Cleft. Follow it and easier ground to the top. 7 Black Cleft 37m S 1. 7m. Start from the terrace below a stunted birch. Climb up to the left; a little loose at the top. Belay to a block in the rake. 2. 15m. Ascend easy rocks to narrow terrace. Make an interesting move right from the top of a block on to a large ledge below the prominent Black Cleft. 3. 15m. Climb the groove, awkward to enter, and belay a little back from the edge. Possibly the best route at Bardon. HS variant. From the left of a large ledge below the Cleft climb a groove to the base of the wall then move out left and over the wall by good holds. 8 Primo Crack 34m D 1. 7m. As for Black Cleft 2. 27m. Walk up the rake for 7m to below the obvious crack leading to the top. Climb directly up. A belay can be arranged half way. 9 Birch Tree Rib 27m VD Start from the terrace. Climb a prominent rib with large birch tree half way up. It can be very greasy and some of the holds are not too sound. 10 Girdle Traverse 100m VS On the whole an interesting climb. Nearly all is climbing done on fresh ground. Start as far left as possible by the large grassy bank on the first tier level (Peg belay). 1. 21 m. Traverse along the obvious foot ledge onto the left-hand terrace. Walk to the end. Peg belay. (Loose). 2. 11 m. Move across the wall and make an awkward move into an overleaning corner peg runner by the feet. Make another very awkward step around onto the large grassy stance and peg belay of Zig-Zag. 3. 9m. Up the finger crack of Zig-Zag, keeping straight on - nut belays. 4. 20m. Traverse right along the broken wall by a large grassy slab to the block belay of Pigeon Cleft. 5. 15m. Move across the slab. Step down onto the wall to a small sapling (runner). Step down again onto the slab and move across to belay on the smaller and higher of the two trees on Birch Tree Rib. Good pitch. 6. 24m. Step down and round the corner onto the steep wall on good holds and traverse across with interest on gradually deteriorating rock. From here one can move up and aim for one of the belays on the top. On the next tier down and beneath The Flake a large slab slopes up to the right at about 60'. This gives: 11 Friction Grip 37m S 4a Start in the middle of the slab and climb straight up to the grassy terrace at the top. The slab bulges slightly at about 25m. Positive holds are few and protection non-existent. J. Cooil and M. Williams, 12 July 1975. BARDON HILL BOULDERS On the top of the hill to the south of the ridge between the trig point and the radio mast are a number of small outcrops on which problems can be found. They face south and lie in the relatively clear area above the trees. Nice on a summer afternoon.