UKH

Looking for a list of super aesthetic sports lines in the UK spanning 7a-7c.  Crumbling, damp, scrotty quarries need not apply! 

Suggestions please (bonus points for routes that can be accessed in a day from the Peak)

Thanks!

Super aesthetic narrows it down to a pretty small handful of crags. Does raven tor even make the cut on that requirement?

I've never made it there but the diamond on the orme does sound like it fits the bill. And Goredale of course. 

Specific route wise, I:d say the best 7c I've been on in the UK (if we take looks into account) is probably dominatrix at Kilnsey.

Edit... Oh hold on the ashes is there too. Hmmm. Tough one. 

Anstey's Cove

Would be a pretty good contender (it’s always sunny in Costa Del Torquay)

Llandudno - LPT, Mayfair wall, The diamond, castell y gwynt etc 

Marlina (7c)

Omerta (7c)

Uncertain Emotions (7b) / Railway Children (7c)

Obsession

New Dawn

Dominatrix

Frankie comes to Kilnsey

Pierrepont

Indecent Exposure 

The Bandits

When Saturday comes

Extreme Ways 

All fantastic in the 7b+ to 7c range

Andy F

yosemite wall is a proper line at malham

Come again?

By far the most aesthetic I've laid eyes on is The Prow Direct (7c+).

I find that super aesthetic routes in UK are not necessarily the best, Thormens moth and Arch Enemies speacially. Eye of the Tiger I’d say fits the bill but it’s trad. The “good” ones are basically summarised by Andy Farnell above, but they are not super aesthetic just really good climbing lines. I was drawn to climb the 7a+ on Durdle door because of the line but again the climbing wasnt the best. I think I agree with Andy Moles that for the best features you gotta look at trad, like Old Man of Hoy and things like that. 

Arch Enemies (7c+)

Nearer 7 c I thought and fantastic.

That's a great list, at least for the Yorkshire ones I've done.  A suggestion is that the full length version of Pierrepoint is given 7c+, a good variant within the OP's <=7c remit is Last Man.  It has the same first part but finishes rightwards on a flying rib at the edge of the gorge that gets the late sun - very aesthetic.  That said, despite the given grades I found Last Man more sustained and trickier than the full Pierrepoint (though that might have been due to not taking enough qds and having to down climb to back-strip some and then being blinded by the sun for the last section!).

Do any of Chapel Head Scar's routes fit the bill?  I remember finding Phantom Zone extension and Super Duper Dupont very good - maybe not incredible lines but certainly not grotty - Chapel has lots of nice rock - tufas abound.

How about somewhere different?

Dreaming of Red Rocks (7a+)

Dreaming of Red Rocks (7a+)#photos

You could certainly add Wargames, the Duponts, Song for Europe, Phantom zone, the great wall routes and Mangustine Scatouflange to any list of great 7a - 7c routes in the county. 

Andy F 

"Super aesthetic" was slightly tongue in cheek as all the sports climbing I know in the UK (admittedly not much) falls short of this. I'd be happy to settle for "rather good" or "decent" (using a continental scale of quality rather than a "Peak District quarry" scale of quality!).

My last attempt to fall in love with UK sport involved a trip to A+E after the first warm up climb and two months with no climbing.

I agree, good list and the Chapel Head additions later are excellent..... I always thought Lost in thought and lost in time at Victoria Cave should get a mention in a list of top notch routes around that grade.

I'm sure not all the good sports climbs are up north, although you could be forgiven for thinking that from this thread (and UKC). There'll probably be a few great 7as-7cs at Portland. Ansteys has Empire, Just Revenge and Avenged. Torbryan has Thread Flintstone (Threadbare's not a great line). There might be a few at Cheddar which are three stars and great lines (on Spacehunter Wall or Sunset Buttress?).

Have fun. 

Paradise lost or bird of paradise strong contenders as far as cheddar lines goes 

They may well be great, but accessible from the Peak for a day? 

Andy F 

OP said in UK not north (it was only bonus points for accessibility for a day trip from The Peak).

Plus you can easily do a day trip from The Peak. My mate and I did it the other way round years ago. Left at 4.00am. At 8.30am we were tucking into a full English in Grindleford cafe. Then a full day at Stanage starting at Popular right end and moving leftwards to the Unconqerables. Left at 7pm. Got back to Exeter at 11.30ish. 

Exeter is very well placed at the end of the M5 and Torbaydos is just beyond on fast dual carriageway (particularly with the Kingskerswell bypass).

Body machine

I love Cheddar as much as the next person, but I think you'd be mad to set off on a long drive from the peak district, unless you really have done everything already. N Yorkshire surely?