RockSports

Rock Climbing

Throughout the Pennine region there are two main rock types - gritstone and limestone, and these have both long attracted climbers.

The gritstone outcrops are scattered throughout the Pennines with some the best known being Brimham Rocks, Almscliff, and the Cow and Calf at Ilkley. The main gritstone edges mostly have short traditional routes and boulder problems on a variety of buttresses. The grade range is wide with climbs suited to beginner and expert often located side by side.

Landscapes

The dominant rock type of the Yorkshire Dales is limestone. This underlying rock gives the place it characteristic look with white outcrops framing the valley sides, ribbons of walls across the landscape, and expanses of limestone pavement. There are many climbable cliffs here include the intimidating ‘big three’ of Kilnsey, Malham Cove and Gordale Scar. Most of the limestone cliffs are better suited to experienced climbers whilst beginners will generally find gritstone a more amenable medium on which to learn and practice.

The limestone cliffs have both traditional and modern sport climbing on crags which include some of the hardest climbs in the country. In recent years the addition of new bolted routes has increased the popularity of a number of venues including Trow Gill, Robin Proctor’s Scar and Giggleswick.

Many of the limestone cliffs in the Dales are south or west facing and dry quickly after rain meaning that climbing can take place for much of the year.

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Some sites, and in particular, Malham, Gordale and Trow Gill are very popular with walkers and other visitors and so need to be used with a sense of responsibility and care.

The North York Moors have some worthwhile crags to visit too.  There are sandstone outcrops such as Scugdale and the Wainstones, and the slightly strange oolitic limestone found at Whitestone Cliff and Peak Scar.

During the bird nesting season there are also a number of effective voluntary restrictions to protect breeding birds. These are advertised on the BMC website and some have on-site notices.  Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and RSPB also have reserves across the region if you are wanting to sample local wildlife as well as outdoor adventure.

Many people are introduced to climbing at a climbing wall, through a club, or by a qualified instructor.

Climbing walls
The best known climbing walls in the area are at Ingleton, Hull and Leeds and details for these can be found below. A full list of climbing walls in the area is available on the BMC website.

Hull
Rock City, 01482 223030.

Ingleton
Inglesport,  01524 241146.

Leeds
The Leeds Wall, 0113 2341554.

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There are a number of climbing and outdoor clubs based in the area, with Skipton, York and Richmond well served.  If you don’t live in one of those places it is worth remembering that the clubs hold their activities throughout the region and the rest of the UK.

Craven Mountaineering Club

York Alpine Club

Yorkshire Mountaineering Club

Swaledale Outdoor Club

Information about climbing clubs in other areas can be found by clicking here.  

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You don’t have to go far in the Yorkshire Dales before becoming aware that caves and potholes are important to the geology and landscape of the area.

Whether it is watching the water appear from small entrances at Ribblehead or the more obvious and dramatic entrances such as Hull Pot near Horton-in-Ribblesdale or Gaping Gill above Clapham, it is clear that there is a lot going on underground.

Caving landscapes

Caves are just one aspect of the limestone scenery, which also includes dry valleys, sink holes, gorges and cliffs. This landscape is known as karst and the Yorkshire Dales National Park is the finest and most extensive example in Britain. The predominant limestone of the National Park is the Great Scar Limestone which formed in the Carboniferous period some 330 million years ago on the floor of a shallow tropical sea.

The caves of the Yorkshire Dales have formed in limestone rock over a period of many thousands of years. Limestone is a strong rock but has many joints and cracks, and is also soluble in rainwater, although extremely slowly. In cave systems other processes are also involved in their formation. Abrasion by sand and cobbles is very important and near underground waterfalls spray erosion occurs, and in larger chambers wall and roof collapse can speed these processes.

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Cave Systems

In the Dales the cave systems are some of the most dramatic and extensive in the country with over 2,000 caves and potholes (vertical shafts) in the area and more than 400km of surveyed passage. The Ease Gill system alone is a complex series of passages over 70km in length and Gaping Gill main chamber is big enough to contain St. Paul’s Cathedral.

With their beautiful passages and shafts and calcite formations such as stalactites, stalagmites, curtains and flowstone, they can be places of great beauty and peace.

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Alternatively you can gain a taste of the experience by visiting one of the show caves in the Dales; these are White Scar Cave near Ingleton, Ingleborough Cave near Clapham and Stump Cross Caverns near Greenhow.

For details see:
• White Scar Cave
• Ingleborough Cave
• Stump Cross Caverns  

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Caving Clubs and Instructors

Exploring caves takes knowledge, the right equipment and experience and it is best to gain these either through a course run be a qualified guide, or by joining a local club.

Have a look for a local instructor in the ‘Activity centres and guides’ section via the link. To find  local club click here. At the last count there were 11 clubs around the Yorkshire Dales area so there are pleny to chose from! 
 
Many AMI mountaineering instructors work on a freelance/self-employed basis and are available for hire by the day or for longer periods. Although based in a particular geographical area, instructors are normally able to work in locations all over the UK to meet client needs.

In addition to mountaineering instruction members may offer other services such as gorge scrambling, sea level traversing and general adventurous activities. Many are also qualified in other activities such as sailing, canoeing, caving and orienteering to name but a few. These activities can be tailored to groups of different sizes, backgrounds, ages and abilities. You can obtain more information by contacting AMI members directly.

Visit the Association of Mountain Instructors website.

Association of Caving Instructors (ACI)
Some Instructors are available for 'hire' on a freelance or self-employed basis, and offer a wide range of caving activities. This can vary from single day introductory educational and adventure trips in a cave or abandoned mine suitable for beginners, (schools, families, scouts, corporate teams, etc), through to one to one guiding over several days, or a programme of technical instruction in personal skills, rigging, and rescue delivered over a period of months. Whatever your interests or ability, ACI members will be able to tailor their instruction to meet your needs.

Although often specialising in particular caving areas, most will work throughout the UK and abroad. Many are also qualified in other activities and are able to provide instruction in rock climbing, gorge scrambling, mountaineering, canoeing, orienteering and so on.

Visit the Association of Caving Instructors website.

Also worth noting is that there is an opportunity each year for members of the public to be lowered into Gaping Gill by a winch and see the dramatic main chamber from underground. The winch meets are organised by Craven and Bradford Pothole Clubs and occur every year centred around the bank holidays at the end of May and end of August.

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