Craig Buddon Routes

The crag is very compact, the most obvious feature being the black overhanging corner of Starco. On the left side of the crag there is a 5m slab which, although a little loose, gives some good traversing.

Don't belay to the small trees at the top below the wall. Their roots do not penetrate the rock and they come out surprisingly easily. Use the big ones over the wall at the top and a few long slings.

The extreme left-hand corner gives the first route (which is also a useful descent route).

1 Dandy 10m D

Up a grassy ramp to the foot of the groove. Follow the groove on the left to a grass ledge and finish on the left side of the wall above. Not much use except as a way down.

2 Cull 10m VD

Three feet to the right of Dandy. Climb up the shallow groove to the tree on good holds and finish up the wall above.

3 Straight and Narrow 20m HVS 5a * (Diagram)

Start below the left-hand arête. Up the steep wall to the bottom of the

arête. Follow the arête via an unusual mantelshelf and a small roof to a ledge. Continue up the right edge of the short, awkward wall above.

Ken Vickers and Dave Draper, 1961.

Two small enjoyable variations on Straight and Narrow exist. Blade ** (HVS 5a) moves right for 3m at the foot of the arête and climbs up the middle of the slab stepping out right round the arête from a ledge. Go Slow (VS 4b) (Diagram) is the obvious line and continues Blade's traverse right to a groove, up which the route finishes.

4 Starco 14m HVS 5a (Diagram)

This strenuous climb takes the obvious black overhanging corner via some big reaches to a ledge across the lip. Continue up the arête above. Unusually for Buddon, it is protectable. Harder if you're short.

Martyn Riley and Roger Withers, Nov. 1960.

5 Gamekeepers Refusal 14m E1 5b (Diagram)

A small amount of independent climbing. Start as for Starco but move up right across the overhanging wall past a peg runner. The peg further right is off Iine. Various claims for the first free ascent.

S. Gutteridge and P. Wells, 1978; J. Moulding, R. Conley and F. Stevenson, 1977/8.

6 Soft and Hard 17m VS 4b (Diagram)

A good route. Climb easily up the pleasant slab 3m left of Virago to the break (Friends). Traverse right and make hard moves up the slab to the right of the overhang.

7 Virago 17m E1 5a *** (Diagram)

The best route on the crag. Start at the foot of the right-hand side of the buttress. Up a clean cut groove, exiting right. Manoeuvre past the first bulge from the right and easily up to the overhang (Friends). Mantelshelf over the overhang (interesting) and wander to the top.

Ken Vickers and Dave Draper, May 1960.

8 Trepidatlon 17m HVS 5b *

To the right of Virago is a steep wall with a crack, the only one on the crag. Climb up to, and layback, the crack until big leaning holds on the right can be reached. A mantelshelf on the left thumb leads to the finishing holds. No bridging across the groove.

Ken Vickers and Stephen George, 1964.

9 Dusty Desire 10m HS 4b (Diagram)

Climb the deceptively easy-looking corner to the right of Trepidation. The right arête provides some relief. Once called Dusty Diedre.

10 Future Times 10m HVS 5a *

The right arête of Dusty Desire is started direct and climbed by laying away

to the right. Unprotected.

Steve Gutteridge, 1979ish.

11 Halcyon 12m D

Follow the shallow groove in the slab immediately to the right of Future Times.

12 Harpy 10m D

The crack to the right of the slab with blocks that need care. Requires cleaning with something similar to Harpic.

13 Girdle Traverse 30m HVS 5a *

Start on the right-hand side. Up Harpy for 6m and move left along the obvious line across Future Times to the break on Virago. Move down and left beneath Gamekeepers Refusal to the groove of Starco. Up this and traverse across the slab to finish up Straight and Narrow.

To the right of Harpy there is a blocky cliff with a jungle beneath and a wall of earth on top. This is best left alone although routes have been made there.

14 Woden 17m VD

Start to the right of the main face in the centre of the wall at a rib. Up the rib move right into a groove moving left at the top through doubtful rocks with one concealed tree root for aid.

Some scope for boulder problems exists in Buddon Wood on the ridge 400m to the north-north east behind the crag. These are on some of the best rock in Leicestershire (if you can find it).