Climbs 535
Rocktype Gritstone
Altitude 350m a.s.l
Faces SW
Sunset soloing on the grit. Ali on Hovis (E1 5c) at Crookrise, Yorkshire. © Jamie Moss
Crag features
One of Yorkshire's premier venues and a long-time evening favourite despite the flog up to the cliff. The cliff consists of some fine steep buttresses separated by more broken areas, so a bit of moving around is needed to get the best out of the place. The path along the base of the cliff is a bit scrambly in places.
The crag faces southwest and so is in the sun from midday onwards. It is exposed to the vagaries of the weather but dries quickly and suffers little from greenery or drainage. The place is often worth a visit on a sunny winter's afternoon if the wind isn't too strong.
Approach notes
The crag is located north of the centre of Skipton and is clearly visible from the Skipton bypass. From this road, follow signs for Embsay, then in the centre of the village, turn left onto Pasture Road following the narrow lane for 600m before zig-zagging up to the parking place by the reservoir.
Continue on foot around the reservoir to where signs point to the moor. Head up the slope, following the best track, to meet the wall and follow this to where it levels out on the crest of the moor. The cliff lies on the other side of the wall and is accessed by one of a pair of stiles.
Approach time: 20 mins
No Access Issues
The BMC purchased the crag and the strip of land immediately around it in 2017 for the benefit of climbers, walkers and public enjoyment on foot. The area owned by the BMC roughly translates on the ground to land from the wall above the crag to the tree line below it. This means that to reach BMC owned land, visitors will approach across Barden Moor - land owned by Bolton Abbey Estate, but subject to an access agreement which allows open access in a very similar way to the CRoW Act. (This agreement finishes in 2018, at which point Barden Moor will become official Open Access land under CRoW.) There is no public right of way leading from the access point at Embsay Moor Reservoir to BMC owned land, but given the open access rights to Barden Moor this is not a problem. However, the landowner has a right to temporarily close access to their land for up to 28 days per year (usually during the shooting season) and there is a permenant dog ban which applies to Barden Moor. See access and parking section below for details.
Seasonal Restrictions
Reason: Nesting Birds
In 2023 an owl nest was reported in the wide diagonal crack which is on Route 1 and Route 4 on End Slab. Please approach carefully (and avoid these routes if it comes back) and any others passing close to this feature if the birds are nesting - which could be up until the end of June.
| Scoop buttress has recently had a clean and is well worth a visit. petellis - 22/Mar/09 |
Climbs at this crag
| Name | Grade | Stars | Type | Logs | Partner Ascents |
|---|
These climbs you have climbed by seconding or top-roping.
These climbs you have Dogged.
These climbs you Did not Finish.
Climbs are waiting to be checked by a crag moderator, and may not be accurate. Climbs can't be verified by a crag moderator, and they need more information to confirm it. Climbs are no longer climbable.
Moderators Updates to this page are checked by UKC volunteers NickBradley and Paul Clarke