Groby Industrial Estate |
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Grace Dieu Viaduct and
Craglets Groby Industrial Estate |
OS ref. SK521076 (Sheet 140) SITUATION
and CHARACTER Groby
Industrial Estate has been built in a granite quarry that has been mostly
filled in. The climbs are situated on the small amount of rock that remains
above the infill. The rock is in amongst the industrial buildings. Altogether
an unusual place. The routes face north and are green in the winter. This is
compensated by the wooden staircase that leads from the top (its a car park)
to the bottom making a very easy and unusual way back down. Past a huge steel
gate there is a higher, as yet unclimbed, section of a crag. The routes
listed are on the "accessible" crag. The name for the old quarry
was Groby Village Quarry. It was there in 1835 and it was still working in
1910. APPROACH
and ACCESS Groby is
situated beside the A50 between Leicester and the M1 . From the centre of the
village take the Ratby road. After a short distance turn right following the
signs to the Industrial Estate. You can see the crag straight ahead between
the sheds. Access has always been a problem as the routes rise
directly off of the service road. However, it didn't seem to be anybody's
function to tell you to
leave. Currently (April 1992) the whole estate has been taken over by Druck
and they are building a gatehouse and barrier. This may mean the end of yet
another climbing area, but an access agreement might be possible because
climbing has little effect on the estate. THE CLIMBS Starting
from the left as you enter the quarry: 1 Ants Nest
5m VD 5c Climb up
the left-hand side of the first slab on small holds. 2 The
Path 5m D Climb the
centre of the slab. 3 I
Spy 5m VD Climb up
1m right of The Path. Further
to the right: 4
Buffalo Bill 5m VD Climb the
left end of the overhang on large holds. 5
Zigger-Zagger 5m VS 4c Climb the
centre of the overhang, also on large holds. 6 Overhaul
7m VD The edge
of the slab 1 m right of Zigger-Zagger. 7
Vegetation 7m VD The slab
1 m right of Overhaul. 8 Groovy 7m D The
groove 1 m right of Vegetation. 9
Backsnapper 5m S Climb the
left end of the wall on small holds only. 10
Torch 5m VD Climb the
centre of the wall 1 m right of Backsnapper. 11
Under The Steps 5m VD The short
wall under the steps. 12
Pins and Needles 5m VD The
obvious prominent groove under the steps. 13 The
Entertainer 5m VS 4c Climb the
centre of the slab near the steps. A long reach helps 14
African Road 5m VD The right
side of the slab behind a bush. 15
William 5m S 1 m right
of African Road. On to the slab and up. Seven
metres to the right is 16 The
Looser 5m VD Climb up
the middle of the block on large holds. 17
Bramble 5m S 1 m right
of The Looser up the side of the block. 18
Trlcky Dlcky 5m S 1 m right
of Bramble, up the wall. 19
Gardener's Crack 5m VD The
"crack" half a metre right of Tricky Dicky. 20 M
and B Traverse 30m VS 4c Start 7m
right of Gardener's Crack underneath the overhanging soil bank. Traverse to
the end of the crag at low level. Difficulty decreases to S after the orange
pegs. Further
to the right, by the orange pegs: 21
Extra Delight 9m HS 4a The left
end of the "white" slab on small holds to a six inch footledge at
two thirds height. Transfer to White Delight. 22
White Delight 9m VD Climb the
centre of the "white" slab, 5m right of the orange pegs, to the V
at the top. You have
now reached the gate and can look through at the juicy plums waiting to be
climbed...... |