UKH

Perusing all the new stuff in the app after the publication of the new Rockfax I noticed this sector. The description makes it sound pleasant enough and there are lots of lines at my sort of grades (yeah, easy ones! ), but all the lines get the loose rock symbol. Is scary loose and as a result a bit rubbish? Or is your standard slightly dodgy peak limestone quarry but nice enough if you are in to that sort of thing?

Darlton Quarry

I've climbed at the Balcony which I think is now a sector in Darlton, and while nothing special that didn't strike me as at all loose.

Yeah, but The Balcony is a natural outcrop next to Darlton, whereas Sunny Wall is well within its tottering confines...

The left hand wall has the easier routes and isn't too bad, the white stripes wall isn't as well bolted and is definitely looser, helmets recommended for leader and belayer.

Thanks Cragtyke - I noticed you had ticked a lot of the routes there. I was climbing with someone relatively new to climbing on Sunday, so decided to stick to Horseshoe that day. But we might go an investigate the easier routes in Darlton one evening. I was explaining to Sarah the concept of the "inveterate ticker", of which I have to admit to very much being. Climbing with a relative beginner was great because she was perfectly happy to come and belay and climb some of the 3 bolt 4s and 5s in the top quarry of Horseshoe that I haven't yet ticked. Most of my long-standing climbing partners, if I could even get them in to Horseshoe in the first place, probably would have been laughing at me too hard to belay me on those!

But anyway, in that light, a bunch of sport routes that I stand a good chance of being able to onsight in a session is attractive, even if the climbing really isn't that great!

As it happens I was there today, and did two routes on the sunny wall (before moving to the shady wall). They were both fine, though you may want to pick your routes.

If you’re an inveterate ticker, Toby, The Balcony could be just the ticket.  It’s possible to do the crag in an evening, if you get an efficient system going. Clip up 4 of the right hand routes at once - that sort of thing.

You’ll still have plenty of draws left from a standard rack...

I’ve not climbed on Sunny Wall, but the right hand buttress opposite is worthwhile, as is Si Cundy’s route - the left hand line on the walls opposite.

Have fun!

According to the BMC there's a seasonal restriction from March to the end of June for nesting birds, or is that out of date?

I have done a number of the routes at the Balcony, even in a hot dry summer a couple of years ago it was still a bit dank there! Being an inveterate ticker I would be happy to go back and try and do the rest of the ones at least that I can do do but I think my climbing partner was less keen and has expressed no interest in going back there! 😃

It's actually quite funny because he's the type of person who would much prefer to go and do HVSs at Stanage that he has done a number of times before, whilst I'm probably more enthused to go and do not very good 5+s in a hole in the ground just as long as I haven't done them before! Takes all types and all that!

Fair point, I hadn't checked the RAD yet. Will do if we do decide to check it out. Cheers.

Isn't the ban on the Sunshine wall area at Goddard's Quarry, not the Sunny Walls at Darlton?

Darlton doesn't appear to be listed on the RAD app?

If I click on the link above in the original post it has a BMC restriction shown.

Yes, I was using the Rad app, looks like it needs updating.