ROCK SPORTS:
Rock Climbing  |  Caving

AIR SPORTS:
Hang Gliding & Paragliding  |  Gliding & Microlighting  |  Ballooning & Parascending

WATER SPORTS:
Waterways  |  Canoeing & Kayaking  |  Sailing  |  Surfing  |  Fishing  |  Watersports Centres

ON FOOT:
Distance Walking  |  Festivals  |  Geocaching  |  Orienteering  |  Fell Running  |  Activity Centres  |  Safety Information

ON WHEELS:
Beginners Cycle Routes  |  Longer Cycling Adventures  |  Mountain Biking

HORSE RIDING:
Trails  |  Riding Centres

EASY ACCESS:
Routes & Experiences

Week 50 - Rock Sports

Level of Fitness
Blue (intermediate) - suitable for anyone who already has some climbing experience under their belt.

The Experience
Bouldering is about climbing on boulders and short sections of cliff (usually under 4m high) without using ropes or other usual climbing safety equipment. Many people regard it as the purest form of climbing for this reason, and it also means that it is the most accessible, and cheapest, way to get off the ground.  You can head off to your local boulders on your own, but for many it is social activity to be done with friends, encouraging each other to take on problems, and 'spotting' people to reduce the risk.

Everyone knows that Yorkshire has the best bouldering in the world (maybe), and there are many fantastic locations to go to.  Most attention is focussed on the gritstone outcrops such as Almscliff, Crookrise and Earl Crag, but there are many others. There is even bouldering on the eastern side of the county with Scugdale an ideal place to start.  It's a small sandstone outcrop that rarely gets more than 10 metres high, and is home to dozens of boulder problems at the easier end of the spectrum.

What's more the crag is situated in a quiet, beautiful valley and being south-facing gets the benefit of all the sun that's going. You can spend the day climbing until your arms won't take any more, then head down to Swainby for a well-deserved pint.

Have a go
Doing bouldering rather than roped climbing means that you can stay active and warm even through the winter.

Take along: rock boots, a bouldering mat, some old rags to clean your boots and some mates to spot you (i.e. watch your back while you are climbing). If you haven't come across them before, bouldering mats are big foam mattresses - they can give you some cushioning if you jump off and also help reduce erosion at the bottom of the crag.

Find out more
The UK Climbing database has an online list of crags across the country. Click here for information. or you can buy the Yorkshire Grit Bouldering guidebook.

Click here for an idea of what the area has to offer.

If you're looking for people to boulder or climb with, try the British Mountaineering Council for a list of climbing clubs in your area.