UKH

Hi folks,

Just moved to Manchester from Sheffield. Just wondering what are the local spots people hit after work midweek.

I popped to Hobson moor quarry a couple of times last week for a boulder then some trad.

Anywhere else that is worth the effort? Got a car 👍

Cheers

Chew valley is great.

Which part of Manchester? makes a difference.

Brownstones has some charm, until the midges come out.

Very true!

When I lived in Manchester I enjoyed many summer evenings in Wilton 1 (other Wiltons are available).

Took me about 40 minutes from Media City to the crag

I did too. But I also had some days afterwards when the midge bits ringing my ankles were so bad I thought I was going to lose my feet.

God, that's true.

My glasses might have got a little rose tinted as time has passed. It's still got some bloody good routes, and, if you're going alone easy access to the top if you want to top rope solo. 

You've clearly never been to Anglezarke

Used to pop up to Cadshaw after work for some low grade grit on a pocket size crag.  Just up the road towards Darwen.

Also a quarry nearby for something further up the grades.

Midges are a nuisance on a calm day though.

Cadshaw Rocks

Wormstones has a certain charm to it. Study the forecast though, it can be midgey.

Otherwise as said, it depends where in Manchester you are. It’ll mostly be quarries if you’re not after walking far for an evening jaunt, but there are a considerable number of them. Over The Moors and the Lancashire guidebooks will do you proud.

Standedge, West Nab, Wimberry, Buckstones, Blackstone, Windgather, Black Rocks (the other one) for some other ideas. Depends where from of course.

West Side of city is Pex Hill & towards the NE is Den Lane, both great for a mid-week evening. Around midsummer we often drove over to Stoney or Stanage/Millstone. The latter venues are fab in the evening sunshine, so far removed from a cold, wet, windy Sunday in January!

Forgot to mention Castle Naze and the train is nearby too.

Welcome to Manchester! The epicentre of British climbing (only added that to wind up the Sheffield and Llanberis crews, but if you want to be able to access all the sweet spots you could do a lot worse!)

Why not get in touch with a local Club? - they'll know the best crags and conditions, and you'll have a ready supply of climbing partners. The Rucksack Club https://rucksackclub.org/ is a national club with its roots in Manchester and has an evening meet at a local crag every Wednesday as well as a gathering further afield every weekend. Activities will hopefully be back up an running soon, in line with the Roadmap (fingers crossed!) so PM me if you fancy "Getting Out There!"

Cheers, Dom 

2nd this, chew valley has loads of great climbing crags, great scrambles and beautiful surroundings! 

Work on oxford rd and live in gatley/cheadle.

Cheers for the suggestions 👍

New Mills will be close then, bouldering, trad, and some sport climbing on the bridge.

Depends what time you can knock off work as to what's reachable.

Get the Over the Moors guide, most of that is fair game for evenings and the Lancashire guide, everthing as far as Trowbarrow is reachable for an evening. The Roaches area is also very doable.

I used to live in (Greater) Manchester and my regular evening partner still lives near the centre and we often get out to Clwyd Limestone,  Peak Limestone (Buxton area) and the Eastern Grit edges but then we often get off by 3pm.

That's why Pigs on the Wing (E5 6b) got its name.

I learned something new today, thanks Mark. I had always assumed it was something along the lines of "pigs will fly if so-and-so climbs this route"

From Gatley/Cheadle you can get to Helsby/Frodsham in about half and hour if the m56 is clear (highly unlikely at rush hour though unless lots of people continue working from home...) Good for some sandstone fun. Can be lovely on a summers evening with the sun setting over the Mersey. Also tend to find it is less midgy than the Lancashire quarries in the summer. 

Just to add to my post, you want to be on the road and out of the city by 4pm at the latest to avoid getting snarled up in traffic.

Excellent choice, you're on the right side of Manchester 😜 I grew up and started climbing close to where you now live so have fond memories of the areas near by - there are some really great crags that are often empty! 

The Over the Moors guidebook is going to be excellent for you as it has all the local spots.  New Mills Torrs is a great option with a nice collection of long pumpy pitches, bouldering and even some sport climbing on the bridge legs. It's 25 mins from Gatley so perfect for the after work hit. 

Windgather Rocks and  Castle Naze are 30 mins and outcrop grit 😌👌🏻 In Hayfield (30 mins) you'll find the underappreciated Oldpits quarry, or if you park up on the Snake and walk along the Pennine way for 15-20 minutes you'll land on top of the Kinder North outcrops which are perfectly undisturbed, unpolished and untamed moorland grit with every grade. 

Enjoy dude! And get those early finishes sorted so you can get out before the traffic hits 😎👍🏻

It's a few months since I was last up on that side, but it has got to be more than 15 or 20 minutes even if you are running hasn't it?

Only if you can't do 3 minute K's. 

So for me it's about an hour's wander. 

Yes, a lot more and it's faster to walk in from the Snake Inn anyway!

If you're interested in a club, then you check out www.mynydd.org.uk (as well as the website there is an active Facebook group) 

And that's a decent walk as well, in fact I've bivvied halfway between the pub and the crag (it was intentional - and I did leave my car at about 2300).

Blackstone Edge in Littleborough. Primo gritstone bouldering! There are routes too... Also the aforementioned grit quarries: Wiltons, Brownstones, and don't forget Troy in Haslingden (keeps saying it's closed but it's not). 

I'll grant you I haven't been there for a while so the rosy tint is probably firmly in place. As a teenager I used to use a mountain bike but not sure of the legality there. 

Just had a look and it's about 3.5 - 4 miles in along the path to the crag top so I must have been thinking of the bike time. 

Hey Lankybeta

I'm new to Manchester so looking for belay buddies.

I'll be at MCC tue eve if you fancied joining but also keen for sport.

I'm afraid I don't have a car atm, but have rope, draws and clipstick and I finish work at 4 at the MRI.

Pm me if you ever need a sport belay.

Cheers

Nicky