Rocktype UNKNOWN
Altitude 694m a.s.l
Faces N

Pen-y-ghent in late afternoon light © chris_j_s

Summit of this hill

This summit is listed in Marilyns, Nuttalls, Hewitts, England's Furth Munros, Corbetts & Grahams., England's 2000ers, Pennine Peaks, The Complete Yorkshire 2000ers, England 40 most prominent peaks hill lists.

This summit has been climbed in 742 logbooks.

Hill features

Pen-y-ghent is a fell in the Yorkshire Dales, England. It is the smallest of the Yorkshire Three Peaks at 2,277 feet (694m); the other two being Ingleborough and Whernside.

There has been a major rockfall at the crag and a significant lower proportion of the route 'Brass Monkey' HVS 5a has disintegrated. The routes either side have also been destabilised and the BMC advise caution if climbing on this remote and exposed crag.

Pen-y-ghent East is the big limestone crag facing south-east on the opposite flank of the mountain, first climbed by Pete Livesey in 1971 and then apparently ignored by the mainstream until a major clean up was started by Mark Radtke and friends in 2019. There are now four bolted lines but the cliff still has a big mountain feel to it and despite the bolts it is still a serious place with plenty of potential for rockfall. Helmets are strongly advised. The crag is in the sun until early afternoon..

Approach notes

Approach from Horton in Ribblesdale via Bracken Bottom or Dale Head, along the Pennine way.

For Pen-y-ghent East follow the Penine Way track from Dale Head to the start of the steep climb up to the summit of the mountain then contour rightwards on a vague sheep track for about 1 mile. The approach takes around 45 minutes.

If going up there, Gladiator is far far better than either of the Red Pencil routes.
J1234 - 20/Sep/14
Red Pencil Direct has NOT fallen down! Climbed it 31 may 2005 - all there, good condition. Some rubble nearby, but not from this route. Classic Rock ticking can continue!!
rob foster - 04/Jun/05
did red pencil direct on 02/04/05. not as loose as it's made out to be but is very green at the moment. watch out for a hollow flake in the first groove, dave
Dave Ayris - 03/Apr/05
climbed red pencil direct 15/8/04. lots of fallen rock near by. not sure how the top 30 foot of the climb are holding on.great route great location. do it soon.
steve - 19/Aug/04
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Summits, Scrambles, and Easy Climbs on this hill

Name Grade Stars Type Logs Partner Ascents
These routes you have climbed clean.
These routes you have climbed by seconding or top-roping.
These routes you have Dogged.
These routes you Did not Finish.
Routes are waiting to be checked by a crag moderator, and may not be accurate. Routes can't be verified by a crag moderator, and they need more information to confirm it. Routes are no longer climbable.
Moderator Updates to this page are checked by UKH volunteer jbrom

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