High Sharpley

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 & Location Flake crag, Hilltop crag and reservoir crag grid references should all have Northings of 171 – not 161 as given in the guide. FLAKE CRAG (446161 ) This is the crag nearest Swannymote Road. It is 6m high and the climbs face north. There is a wonderful odd pinnacle with a perfect fist jamming crack up the side. From left to right: 1 VD The face to the left of the chimney crack with blocks in it is climbed direct. 2 S Climb on the right of the chimney crack to finish by a thin finger crack on to the right arête. 3 4b A sinuous crack to the right of the arête. Strenuous. Use of the corner makes it VD. The landing below is nasty: 4 D The crack in the corner. 5 VD The right-hand edge of the outcrop direct by a high pull up. HILL TOP CRAG (448161 ) On the top facing south towards the abbey. It's 6m high. This is the highest and most important outcrop and has an overhanging wall on which there is some strenuous and technical climbing. Be strict with yourself to get the best from the routes marked on the photo. The best landings at Sharpley. RESERVOIR CRAG (448161) On the north east of the summit facing the reservoir. 1 M Broken face left of the central crack. 2 4c The central crack with an overhang at its foot. 3 4c The two parallel cracks just left of the arête through the overhang. Bold. 4 4c Traverse on the right-hand arête (undercut base) and mantleshelf up. BLACK WALL Below the main summit is a distinctive short overhanging black wall. 1 5c Traverse from left to right using a sequence of bizarre wrinkles. Technical finger-tip lunges with nothing for the feet. Greg Lucas, 1985. 2 5b Straight up. OVERHANGING WALL On the north side of the hill well below the summit crags is a black overhang tucked into the hillside. About 5m high. There are no holds on the smooth wall above the overhang, only a rounded blind crack running up and over the roof. Not done yet. The right arête provides an exposed 4b mantleshelf. Centre Crack 5b With the aid of the obvious finger-crack climb the centre of the wall using neither the left or right arêtes. Delicate. Mark Goodwin 16 May 1993 Bluntley Arête 5c Using the diagonal break beneath the black overhang and the rounded arête, mantelshelf and layaway until it is possible to reach the obvious, small, blunt pinnacle. Mark Goodwin 16 May 1993 Both problems have poor landings ISOLATED CRAG (448168) This superb little buttress is south of High Sharpley and near to the road junction. It has recently been partly filled with white-coloured rock and only boulder problems remain. The front face is overhanging and is split at half height by an enormous horizontal break. 1 5b A desperate mantleshelf up to a pinch grip can be had taking you straight up the middle of the face. 2 5a Traverse left to right. GUN HILL Low down on the other side of the hill from the ruined house is a slab-buttress. It gives a long wandering route of 4a standard. DRYBROOK CRAG (452165) Half a mile from High Sharpley in the direction of the abbey and near the road. About 5m high. North west facing. This superb shaped outcrop is behind a large tree with a "PRIVATE" sign on it. 1 M The slab on the left side direct. 2 S The crack to the right of the slab by an interesting move to gain a high right foot hold using the crack and right arête only. 3 VD Crack just left of tree. 4 D The face right of the tree by the left edge. 5 D Girdle traverse at half height.