Location
Holmfirth Edge
(or "Cliff" to the locals)
Grid Reference SE 147085
Click here for the Problems Guide
Holmfirth Edge comprises a series of short quarried gritstone aretes and bays.
The left-hand and central sections have several lock-up garages nestling at their base. There are problems here plus some very impressive high-balls, mainly V0-E3, these are not described here yet. There are also a few smaller buttresses beyond the left hand end of Cliff with some worthwhile problems, an update to the guide is in the pipeline which will include the best of these.
The right-hand end of Cliff is lower in height, more varied and has a pleasant footpath below and above. The flat grassy/heathery base plus the view makes for a rather nice picnic spot.
The crag has a splendid and very open outlook over the small town below and towards the main Pennines.
The crag offers a little grafitti though it can't match nearby West Vale for cultural references. A recent BMC initiative led to the removal of the most unpleasant examples. The quarry's north-west outlook means that it is not at its best in wet spells when the left walls of the many aretes become very green. Dry sunny evenings in the mid-seasons are probably best.
The rock is solid gritstone with sandy patches in the lower half but has a flaggy top which can be loose. For the latter reason Cliff has gained literary notoriety, consequently, the quarry is best used for bouldering, using suitable escapes along midway breaks and platforms, although full-height routes are equally possible. Most of the bouldering described here is fairly low, however one feature of the quarry is a small jutting rock shelf at the base of some of the bouldering sections which can threaten ankles... be aware! Remember: climbing is a dangerous activity and you do it (even bouldering) at your own risk. Take care with that ground-level shelf (ankles), the high level flaggy finishes (potentially lethal) and keep an eye out for local youths who may jettison 'empties' from the footpath above the crag.
All in all, not a major venue but one which is very handy for the locals and worth an evening's intensive session from keen boulderers elsewhere in the region. The crag has been climbed on for at least 45 years (if not more) and is, as they say, steeped in history. As with Fontainbleau, more than one local has trained on Everest in preparation for their home venue.
Names of problems have been provided by Brian Cropper who kindly researched the minds and diaries of the ancients. Other names have been taken from Daimon Beail's notes in the Connoisseur section of the 1998 Yorkshire Gritstone guide.
ACCESS
Holmfirth Edge is the long low quarry which overlooks Holmfirth centre from the rim of the south-east skyline, it is quite obvious on approaches from the Manchester side of the Pennines but less obvious from elsewhere.
By car:
From 'the' traffic lights in Holmfirth, go down the short shopping drag (Victoria Street) and swing left over the bridge as if going towards New Mill. After 0.4 miles, slant off right up Town End Road. After another 0.4 miles, just as the road levels, turn hard right onto Cliff Road. After yet another 0.4 miles, a small track splits a cluster of terraced houses; the quarry is above and behind the houses, the described bouldering is at the right-hand end.
Following a recent meeting with the owners of the crag and the local residents, climbers were asked to be more careful when parking not to block drive ways or park in front of people houses.
When visiting Cliff please park away from the houses at the foot of the track as the residents there have problems parking.
There is plenty of parking back up Cliff Road towards its junction with Cliff Lane, which is better, away from any houses and also provides a little warm up walk in
By foot:
From the main bridge, near the bus station in the centre of Holmfirth, turn onto Dunford Road. Immediately, turn steeply left up the vertiginous South Lane. Halfway to exhaustion, turn off left onto New Laithe Lane. This eventually meets Cliff Road. Cross this onto the dirt road which runs along the top of the quarry. 15 minutes in total. There are even more direct, verging on vertical, approaches via classic, 'Hovis Advert' style ginnels for which Holmfirth is famous. Discover these at your pleasure and get fit using them!
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