We descended from Dovestones Skyline along an alternative route after climbing there yesterday and thought it was a much better approach than the direct approach from the bottom which is in Western Grit Rockfax and Over the Moors guides. Only climbed around the temptation slab area but all the routes there are amazing, and thought that if people don't have to do the horrible approach from the tarmacked road (which is basically trekking up a steep slope, no path, boggy in places and then picking your way over boulders), then the crag could get a bit more traffic.
The route shown in the images above follows a decent track up to the main footpath at the top of the edge. It almost halves the time if you follow the path shown in the two image links below, brings you to the top of the crag and you can then ab down to the routes if you know where to make an anchor (then your belay is pre made too!), or scramble down to them. Obvs harder to find the climbing from above as you can't see the routes as you approach, but if you want to climb at temptation slab area, then go to these co-ords 53.521259, -1.960692 and you'll be above the routes. Google maps also has a location for 'charnel stones' so pretty easy to locate from the big path from above.
Hope this helps get some more people to a great Chew venue, south west facing, good cracks and an amazing E4 slab there that climbs so nice (on TR....)
Yeah that’s a good call. The skyline crags are worth a visit too (not all in OTM guide) and you can combine a few crags in a day either from the approach you describe or from Rob’s Rocks and working back along the skyline to Charnel and Duck Stones then down your route.
Nice, thanks for cleaning up the routes too. Suprised that The Witch's Hat (HVS 5a) is only HVS, looked like a E2 finger crack on the ab, but looks amazing, would like to go back and try it.
Press Release Arc'teryx Climb Academy returns to the Lake District: May 25th – 27th
News Lorraine McCall Starts Grahams Round
Lorraine McCall began her attempt today at a continuous, self-powered round of the Grahams, a four-month tour of upland Scotland combining walking and bikepacking. If successful, she'll be the first person that we know of to do it.
