UKC

Climbs 119
Rocktype Gritstone
Altitude 466m a.s.l
Faces N

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Big exposure on East Rib! © Alex the Alex

Crag features

Shining Clough is the finest of the cliffs that fall under the banner of the Bleaklow area; it is a tall, sombre and very remote edge that is at its best on warm summer days when the cotton grass is high, the curlews mew over the plateau and the moors shimmer in the heat haze. Many of the climbs follow steep cracks, and therefore require a fair degree of proficiency in jamming. They tend to be green and gritty at the start of the season or after wet weather; in such conditions there are many better destinations.

Approach notes

There have been problems using the approach described in the old BMC guidebook. The approach described in Western Grit is correct.

Go through the 5 bar gate, turn left and follow the tarmaced track for about a mile until a sign points rightwards to open country. Follow the path up the hill round to the right of a pool and leading down into the wood and the stream. Go through a gate in the fence and cross the stream onto its eastern bank, the path then goes under several large oak trees and steeply up the bank toward the crag. The path is vague in places through the wood but is well defined through the heather up to the crag.

 

No Access Issues

Access restrictions under CRoW  sometimes apply, these vary each year - see signing at access points, or check the PDNP website for closure dates.

2023 published closure dates are: - August 14th - 18th ,21st - 25th, 29th 31st; September 1st, 4th-8th, 11th - 15th, 18th - 21st 

At time of writing, no guidebook approach description from the main (west) parking appears to be usable. A local suggested that private land overship around the house in the trees has changed, and the owner no longer permits access via their land. Regardless, a good way to approach from the western parking is as follows: Follow the road for about 1km as per the guidebooks. Break off on a farm track up the hill just before the wall and sign marking private land. After a few minutes you'll get to the corner of the field with some trees behind the fence. The trees obscure a sort of pond. Do not cross any gate or fence here. Go left down the hill for 50m to a small stream and cross it. The track disappears at this point. Continue roughly on the same direction, though bracken and small bushes, hopping across another stream or two over the next 100m. You'll emerge on the other side and should be able to locate a very rough track that contours the hillside. Follow this for maybe 10 mins until you hit a proper vehicle track that goes up the hill to the crag. Just before the crag there's a turn off to the right, a clearing, and a small path to the base.
cdpuk - 12/Jun/23
Bushwhacking approach through fern and moorland for 40 minutes didn't float my boat. Next time I will head East over grassland to the track that almost reaches the crag or use the eastern parking. Approach notes need more detail... from the dam 1km up track to gravel area on right before the house in the trees. Follow the fence posts (either side) right perpendicular to the track for about 400m to a stand of trees. Pass the trees on the right entering another field, immediately bear left through bracken to cross a brook and follow a path right. After 100m cross a fence at an open country sign and follow a hunters path right, then left and down to the clough. The hunters path goes up the stream bed for at least 500m, so maybe best to stay in the stream bed until high in the moor if approaching this way (I haven't tried it but maybe you can get to the crest this way?) To head to the track instead when you reach the clough immediately cross then go downstream through a gap in the fence and immediately follow a path heading East away from the clough, over grassland to eventually reach the track. In any case, takes a lot longer than 45 minutes Rockfax x-(
simoncov - 26/Aug/19
Great crag on a hot summer evening. In June the top of the main wall catches the sun from about 5pm then it covers the rest of the wall by late evening. The approach to the crag is one of the more beautiful routes if a little overgrown and adventurous.
samnbuk - 05/Jun/16
This crag catches the late evening sun in summer and Friends are very useful!
Tom, UKC News Editor - 21/Jun/02
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