The Yorkshire climbing scene has a long and interesting history. Offering large amounts of both Gritstone and Limestone climbing, Yorkshire plays host to some of the UK’s most active climbers. Harrogate Climbing Centre’s very own Managing Director, John Dunne, boasts some of the most impressive first ascents in the county, including New Statesman at Ilkley Cow & Calf and Breach of the Peace, Magnetic Fields & Total Eclipse at Malham Cove; but these were not the first ground breaking events to happen in the Yorkshire Climbing scene, nor the last.
Routes like The Diedre at Kilnsey, first climbed by Pete Livesey, were ground breaking in the day. Livesey, alongside other climbers such as Embsay-born climber Ron Fawcett, established routes of a difficulty level previously thought imposable. Although these routes remain test-pieces for the average modern climber, Yorkshire maintains it’s position as the most challenging climbing destination in the UK, with routes such as Steve McClure’s Overshadow, again at Malham Cove, ranking amongst the most difficult in the country.
It’s not all about super-hard climbing though. a quick flick through the two main Yorkshire climbing guidebooks, Yorkshire Gritstone or Yorkshire Limestone will highlight the sheer volume of climbable rock in the Yorkshire area. Only ten minutes drive from Harrogate Climbing Centre is the outcrop of Almscliffe, considered by many to be the centre of Gritstone climbing in the county, but an extra ten to fifteen minutes will reward you with a choice of more than twenty other excellent venues all with climbing grades to suit any climber, from novice to seasoned expert.
So, whether you are rained off on a climbing trip, or would like to be introduced to the excellent outdoor rock climbing on offer in Yorkshire, Harrogate Climbing Centre can help you out! For more information on our outdoor climbing courses in Yorkshire (and the Peak District) please see our courses page and let us take you climbing outdoors!
We hope you enjoy the best Yorkshire climbing has to offer as much as we do!
