Huncote Quarry ex Routes

 

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Index

 

 

 

 

Introduction & Location     The Routes

 

In January 1993, just as this guide was going to press, it was discovered that all of the following routes had been quarried away. They are listed here as a testament to their discoverers.

 

21 Zapata 45m HS 4b  *

A connecting of the two grooves in the corner of the quarry. Start right of Locomotor Ataxia. Step left and ascend the rightward‑slanting groove until a blank slab interrupts progress. The moves to gain the grass ledge can prove mystifying. From the left‑hand end of the grass ledge follow the groove system above, stepping right to finish.

 

22 Swastika 57m S

Start just right of the Zapata groove. Take the easiest line until just below the overhangs. Traverse right to gain a horizontal weakness leading all the way to below a massive roof. Dodge the roof on its right and continue right to a tongue of grass. Bridge the bulge above and continue right to an easy exit up a broken groove.

 

23 Lupus VS

Start a metre or so right of Zapata groove. Climb the crack and overhang above direct to a grassy ledge.

1. Walk right and up loose rock to belay on a ledge.

2. Climb up and right behind the belay on slabby rock.

 

24 Zebedee VS

1. Climb a groove just right of Lupus crack and step right onto a slab. Go up this to a ledge. Belay as for Lupus.

2. Continue up the slab behind then follow a layback crack on the left.

 

25 Leprosy Wall 54m VS

Start beneath and right of a huge overhang in the middle of the north wall of the quarry, at the foot of a short crack.

1. 24m. Climb the crack to an OH, move left onto a small foot ledge and move up to the right round some overhanging blocks. Go up to an overlap. Step right and surmount the overlap to a large ledge.

2. 30m. Move right for 5m and then climb direct to the top via slabs and a huge flake on easy ground.

 

26 Mayday Rib 57m S

Start at an obvious shallow groove right of Leprosy Wall, just right of an earth mound.

1. 27m. Climb the groove and move right under an undercut rib. Move up and left round the rib. Move onto the rib and then up to a grass ledge beneath a overhang.

2. 30m. Move slightly left and then back above the overhang. Finish straight up trending slightly left.

 

27 Tummy Rumble Groove 48m HS   *

Start beneath an arête 15m right of the huge overhang and 3m right of Mayday Rib.

1. 12m. Climb the arête and trend right to a steep groove.

2. 12m. Go up the groove to a ledge and move rightwards into another one. Climb this to a ledge.

3. 24m. Climb the wall, avoiding a projecting block until it is possible to traverse rightwards across a slab and into a corner. Take this to the top.

A. Edmonds and R. Singleton, May 1968.

 

28 Cod Liver Oil 42m VS  *

Start as for Tummy Rumble Groove.

1. 24m. Climb the arête and cross the grass ledge on the right to a groove. Go up the slabby right wall to a ledge. Climb the groove to a good ledge. (Junction with Tummy Rumble Groove).

2. 18m. Climb the wall above to a ledge and then go up the slab to a corner. Nice pitch.

 

RACK WALL is the large clean area of walls and slabs with overhangs at half height at the north‑east corner of the quarry. It offers some of the finest climbing in Leicestershire and the routes have very pleasant finishes. (Surprise, surprise).

 

The first route follows a corner with blocks on the left and Rack Wall on the right.

 

29 Bella Donna 45m VS  *

Mantleshelf up the wall just right of a blocky corner. Continue up a groove to a flat ledge. Step left round a bulge to a groove. Follow this to the top.

 

30 Ballistics 30m HVS 5a

Abseil down Bella Donna to a bolt belay. Traverse right above the roofs on Rack Direct, then up the first groove.

 

31 The Ripper 45m E2 6b

The left arête of the obvious groove of The Stretcher. Climb up to the cave beneath the roofs (just below the stretch of The Stretcher). Pull over the roofs on the left and directly up the wall to a bolt. Using the arête move up the wall to make a precarious reach for small holds. Proceed directly. D.J. Slater, Mar. 1986.

 

32 The Stretcher 45m HVS 5b  **

The elegant and pleasant groove above the left‑hand end of the overhangs. Start up a small groove 6m right of the blocky corner. Step left and continue up past small overhangs to a large ledge (possible stance). From its right‑hand end make interesting moves up then stretch back left into the base of the groove. Up this finishing rightwards on the wall above.

 

33 The Rack 45m HVS 5a  *

Takes the centre of the overhangs and then traverses right to finish up grooves on the right of the headwall.

Follow the wall 6m right of the shallow groove to the base of a rickety flake. Follow this and go over blocks above to a narrow ledge under the overhangs. Traverse right under these past pegs (crux) to the base of a groove. Step back left and finish up this.

 

34 Heat Treatment 45m E2 5b/c ***

Also known as Rack Direct. Superb climbing straight through the centre of the overhangs. A brilliant solution to the roofs. Follow The Rack up the flake, through the blocks to the pegs (or start at a loose weathered scoop and go straight up a very shallow groove, D. Slater and J. Thomas, Apt 1985). Bridge through the overhangs above the pegs. Unusual moves enable holds to be reached above a second smaller overhang. The slab above proves problematical.

FFA J. Moulding, P Wells, R. Conley and F Stevenson, 1979.

 

35 Intensive Scare 45m E4 6a  ***

The counter‑diagonal to The Rack is a modern eliminate with some hard and necky climbing although not in the same places.

Start at the right‑hand end of the buttress. Climb up leftwards on ledges until a step right can be made to a knifeblade in a slab. Make worrying moves up and left to start then back right to better holds. Trend leftwards to blocks. Go over these to a small ledge on The Rack. Climb the overhang a few feet left, where a crack splits it. Trend diagonally leftwards on a steep slab to the base of a shallow scoop/groove. Make very thin moves in this scoop to easier ground. (Potential monster from here). Finish above. Excellent route.

S. Allen and J. Codling.

 

36 Steeleye Span 45m E4 6b/c  **

An alternative to the upper section of Intensive Scare giving the hardest climbing in Leicestershire. Telescopic reaches on minute holds add to the excitement of being 40m out and above the overhangs.

Climb as for The Rack to the overhangs. Move up to the crack that goes through the overhang on the left (Intensive Scare). Trend rightwards until balancing on small footholds. Stretch up on imagination until a small hold high on the left is reached. Pull up on this (long reach) to a foothold and respite.

S. Allen and J. Codling.

 

To the right of RACK WALL there is a larger and more broken grassy face with a prominent ridge of tottering blocks on the right (Alleluia Road). This is ALLELUIA WALL.

 

37 Necrotic 48m S

Start 15m left of Alleluia Road at an obvious easy groove starting left.

1. 24m. Up the groove for a few feet, then move right over a cleft block to a grass ledge and belay.

2. 15m. Move up and left through the roofs then up a short groove with a tree at its head to a grass ledge.

3. 9m. From the right of the ledge move up rightwards to the top.

 

38 Deception 51m VS

Take the second groove line at the top.

1. 24m. Start as for Necrotic to the grass ledge and belay.

2. 27m. Climb the groove on the left until it peters out beneath a wall. Swing right to another groove and follow this to the top, moving left or right at the final roof.

 

39 The Un‑original Route 51m VS

Take the third groove left. This is the central one, with a bush in it about 9m from the top.

1. 24m. As for Necrotic to the grass ledge and belay.

2. 27m. Climb the groove above and right past two small bushes. The loose final section is turned using the groove immediately right.

 

40 Bee‑bop‑alula 45m HVS 5a, 5a.

1. 24m. Start up the overhanging recess 9m left of the Alleluia Road crack. Continue up broken ground to under a roof crack. Traverse right beneath this to gain more broken ground and a flat stance beneath the grooves.

2. 21m. Layback and bridge the groove above. After an awkward mantleshelf traverse 6m right for an easier finish.

 

41 Chicken Run 45m HVS 5a, 4c.

1. 24m. As for Be‑bop‑alula to the flat stance.

2. 21m. Climb the wall right of the right‑hand groove. Continue direct.

J. Harwood, May 1969.

 

42 Puckoon 48m VS

Start 4m left of Alleluia Road at a thin crack.

1. 12m. Climb the wall to a tree belay.

2. 15m. Climb to a ledge and bush then up the short, smooth wall using a faint crack‑line to an obvious cleft block protruding from the ledge.

3. 21m. The slabby wall above is divided by a broad overlap in the shape of inverted V. Climb up to near the apex from the left, then move directly up until it eases. Traverse right to exit, or more difficultly, climb trending to the right, then make directly for the top.

M. Warburton, R. Withers and K.S. Vickers, April 1968.

 

43 Alleluia Road 51m VS 4a, 4c, -  *

A landmark climb. Find this one and it will help locate the others. From the descent in the quarry an obvious shattered arête appears on the right, with a steep wall split by a crack at the bottom.

1. 12m. 5a. Climb the crack to a stance on a prominent block on the right. Abseil off a tree or continue with:‑

2. 9m. Climb the front of the arête through large blocks.

3. 30m. Climb the ridge to the top.

S. Vickers and R. Withers, 1965.

Direct start ‑ Hail Mary, 15m, E2, 5c, A. Blowers, May 1992.

 

44 Green Meat Grooves 48m S   *

Start 6m right of Alleluia Road at a series of obvious grooves running up a rib.

1. 21m. Climb easily to a large grass ledge and then up the obvious groove to a small ledge.

2. 27m. Go up the groove moving left at the top to a short V corner. Go up this to grass. Easy scrambling to the top.

M. Warburton and R. Hudson, Feb. 1967.

 

45 Girdle Traverse 310m HVS

A tremendous excursion traversing the entire crag from left to right.

Start on the terrace on the left:

1. 30m. Traverse from the terrace across to belay on Little Nightmare.

 

2. 15m. Move right and up. Step down and round to an overhanging niche and make an awkward move right to belay by a large bush.

 

3. 12m. Continue round to below a conspicuous crack. Move down, and round the nose. Traverse the short bulging wall and belay on Fusillade.

 

4. 45m. Move down 3m and step off the lowest ledge on to the wall. Peg. Move across and up to a runner on Stroller. Step down and traverse the grass terrace to a steep diagonal ramp. Climb the ramp and traverse right to belay on Malaise. A serious pitch.

 

5. 12m. Descend Malaise for a few feet then climb round to belay through a shot hole on a large comfortable ledge.

 

6. 18m. Move right and climb the short wall by a shallow groove on the right to a constricted niche. Move up and climb the short grooves above to an exposed belay below a very clean groove. A superb pitch.

 

7. 9m Move right round the arête to a peg above an overhanging wall. Use this to place a good channel peg and pull across to a system of ledges. Traverse these to belay on the edge of The Ramp.

 

8. 24m. Abseil down The Ramp then traverse round to a belay below the large overhanging wall.

 

9. 18m. Move across to the wall. Move up (as on Locomotor Ataxia) to reach a small ledge. Hand traverse this and then up to a good handhold. Go up to belay on Zapata.

 

10. 48m. Move up and along the line of weakness to a large ledge. Descend to a small stance. This pitch traverses across above the large overhangs about 15m from the top of the quarry.

 

11. 27m. Move up and along good ledges to the vegetation. Pass this precariously. On to belay on The Stretcher. A poor pitch.

 

12. 18m. Traverse across beneath the overhangs. Cross the overhangs as for Rack Direct and continue round past an old railway line to a good stance and thread belay.

 

13. 30m. Step right and climb up the short wall to a ledge. Go along this to a hawthorn bush and then follow the arête of Alleluia Road to the top.

 

Beneath the buttress which the wooden ramp leans against there are a few short routes. This small buttress forms a promontory. The routes described are on the small steep wall facing Croft Hill trig‑point.

 

46 Dringle 9m VS 4c  *

Climb the wall just right of the left arête.

 

47 Dangleberry 9m VS 4c  *

Climb the obvious thin crack in the middle of the wall, stepping off the large ledge to start. Good.

 

48 Raspberry 9m E1 5b

The small problem corner to the right of Dangleberry and the descent route.

D. Slater, Mar. 1985.