Oaks Pinnacle

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OS ref. SK467160 (Sheet 129) SITUATION and CHARACTER Historically called the Hanging Stone. Unlike the Hangingstone Rocks at Woodhouse Eaves this one really is a hanging stone. A superb sight. One enormous block balanced on top of another. This is the only pinnacle of any height in Leicestershire. You can only wonder at how it came to be there as all the land surrounding it is flat (its called Flat Hill). APPROACH and ACCESS The Oaks Pinnacle is difficult to approach because it is so hard to park on the fast, but narrow, road that passes nearby. The nearest place is by the Lodge at the end of the drive into Charnwood Lodge. The approach is then down the drive past the "Bomb Rocks" (lumps included in an old lava flow, 463157) and across to the Pinnacle. The Charnwood Lodge estate was left to the Leicestershire and Rutland Trust for the Nature Conservation (instead of, as was hoped, the National Trust). The Leicestershire and Rutland Trust run the estate as a nature reserve and there is no official public access. THE CLIMBS There are five routes on superb rough rock. 1 Left Arête 6m VS 4c * Follow the left arête but keep your feet on the front face at all times. It is hard to get off the ground. Don't use the holds on the Central Route. 2 Central Route 6m VS 4c *** A superb route going direct up the middle of the front face. Sharp holds lead you to a horizontal fist-jamming break. You can see daylight through this break. Finish by laying away up the sharp crack. 3 Right Arête 6m VD ** The classic way up and down. Climb the right arête on large, but hidden, holds. A delightful route, most difficult at the top. 4 Left Face 6m VS 4c The steep slabby left-hand face of the Pinnacle. Taken direct it is quite technical after the mid-height break. 5 Black Back 4m VS 4c The short back face provides a reach from an undercut and a slap for the jugs on the summit. This route follows Right Arête but on the other side. Also two very good complete girdles - 4b with your hands in the break, 4c with the break at waist high. To the left of the front face of the Oaks Pinnacle is a small boulder field and tor. The most prominent feature here is FLAT ROCK. It is an enormous projecting, overhanging rock. Dangle from your fingertips, pull up and mantleshelf on to its flat summit (5b). Further towards Charnwood Lodge is a beautiful little pinnacle, ISOLATED PINNACLE (467159). Although much smaller than Oaks Pinnacle it gives two good problems - the Left Face (4b) and the Right Face (4b). The real pleasure is in the quality of the rock. To the north of Charnwood Lodge is COLLIER HILL (510610). At the south east end of a long rocky ridge amidst the trees is an overhanging wall to the right of a large ash tree. There are two strenuous cracks (4c) here. 50m west of this is an arête (4a). TIMBERWOOD HILL (around 472149) has several spectacular outcrops but none have yielded much climbing.