Classic Rock Summer Challenge - Borrowdale

Climbing Troutdale Pinnacle. Credit Paul Casey

To celebrate the 55th Anniversary of the Joe Brown Shops in Snowdonia, The International School of Mountaineering (ISM), The Climbers Shop, The Joe Brown Shops and UKC have teamed up to offer you a fantastic summer rock climbing challenge right here in the UK.

This rock-climbing challenge has been born out of thumbing through the late Ken Wilson’s iconic coffee table book ‘Classic Rock’ during Covid restrictions and lockdown! If you’re not familiar with the book; ‘Classic Rock’ has received iconic and legendary status over the years, detailing Ken’s collection of some of the best easy to moderate rock climbing routes here in the UK. You can read more HERE or buy your own copy HERE.

Throughout the summer, we will focus on some of the key routes and crags in the challenge but climbing is not just about ticking the classics - we are blessed with thousands of world class routes both in Snowdonia and The Lake District so while you’re out enjoying the Challenge don’t forget to explore those too!

Borrowdale Valley, nr Keswick – Lake District

 Shepherds Crag

Shepherds Crag sits in an idyllic, and very picturesque spot above ‘High Ladore Farm’ overlooking the southern end of Derwentwater, and across to ‘Cat Bells’ and surrounding mountains. Keswick is the closet town. As you enter Borrowdale heading south, following the eastern edge of Derwentwater, and not far after the point where on a windy day the lake water almost laps over onto the road, the crag comes into view in the trees high on the left-hand side of the road. In the other direction travelling north from maybe Honister or Seathwaite, the crag really stands out above Ladore Farm, with a steep and what looks like undercut and obvious overhanging buttress. This great looking feature is the classic 5*** ‘Little Chamonix’. It’s also popular crag and for good reason….it boasts a good number of great quality low to medium grade single and multi-pitch routes, on fantastic rock, with generally very good leader placed protection, with the added bonus of both its picturesque position and rock that is quick drying.

Little Chamonix*** (VD) – Shepherds Crag (UKClimbing)

 First Ascent – B Beetham in May 1946

 Extract from Classic Rock – ‘Once upon a time, we learned of Lakeland climbing from a postcard. I have it here, showing Abraham’s photographs of Napes Needle, Scafell Pinnacle, Amen Corner and…..a route on Shepherds Crag. We hitched to the Lakes for autumn half term……My head was in the way and hands and feet wouldn’t both reach the slab. The foot holds were small and shallow for floppy toed pumps and the finger holds sharp and tiny. This won’t do!’ – Angela Faller

 © Rockfax - One of the UK's most popular multi-pitch climbs - a true classic - long, varied and with a much photographed top pitch. Start below a short right-facing corner/crack 5m right of the pinnacle.

Pitch 1) 28m. Climb the short right-facing corner/crack then move right to a corner and ramp that leads to a grassy bay with trees. Scramble up right to a large tree belay.
Pitch 2) 10m. Scramble up past trees to a belay below twin grooves.
Pitch 3) 23m. Climb the left-hand groove and, at its end, gain the top of a block. Sidle right along it and get established in a slabby corner. Follow the arete to a stance and belays.
Pitch 4) 11m. Head up the wall to a small pinnacle and, from its top, climb the short steep exposed wall to the top (or the crack right of the pinnacle).

 Gillercombe

Further on up the winding Borrowdale Valley, you get to the pretty little village of Seathwaite. From Seathwaite you can approach Gillercombe by following Sourmilk Ghyll up onto the open fellside beyond. This beautiful mountain stream beckons you on, and up towards a large broken crag high on the SE Face of Grey Knotts. This high crag, towering above this hanging Gillercombe Valley, weathered by glaciation is Gillercombe Buttress. A slightly quicker approach although less scenic, is to continue up the main Borrowdale valley to the top of Honister Pass, where from here you can park, and a path leftwards to a ‘col’ in the skyline ridge leads directly to Gillercombe Buttress. Either way, once climbing Gillercombe Buttress, you’ll enjoy and immerse yourself in the experience and ambience of being in the heart of the Lakes and having a great adventure on this high mountain great.

Gillercombe Buttress*** (S 4a) – Gillercombe (UKClimbing)

 First Ascent – H.B Lyon & W.A Woodsend in May 1912

 Extract from Classic Rock – ‘The van squiggles through the Borrowdale narrows, up through the Jaws and round down the hill, bringing into view the several combes which hem in the valley head…….The rock is damp in patches, with the odd jug hiding a finger-numbing pool. Blow and suck the fingers  - a strong taste of sheep! My lead now, up steep steps to a deceptively neat slab. An undercut hold and a ‘soft-shoe-shuffle’ across to the ledge….’ – Joann Greenhow.

 © Rockfax - A fine buttress climb that wends its way up the centre of the crag. The climbing is interesting although there are easy passages between the harder sections. Start just right of the toe of the buttress, 5m right of the large gully.

Pitch 1) 30m. Climb the wall and move left to a square recess. From the top of the recess, head right up a ramp to a small spike and transfer to the ramp above it. Now move rightwards to the end of the ramp and a small stance and belay.
Pitch 2) 40m. Make some cramped traverse moves left to reach easy ground after 7m. Follow easy-angled ground up ledges and a wide corner to below a vertical wall. Traverse left on ledges to a good stance under a steep corner.
Pitch 3) 16m. Climb the steep corner and move right to a good stance at its top.
Pitch 4) 30m. On the right is a short, steep, open corner. Climb this boldly to a ledge above it. Now take a long easy corner to a ledge and belay at a flake that leans against the wall.
Pitch 5) 4a, 45m. A long pitch. From the top of the flake, step up left and climb a difficult groove that eventually gains easier ground.
Climb up to a narrow corner and take this to its end and a stance and belay.
Pitch 6) 20m. Scramble up easy ground to the top of the crag.

Black Crag

Black Crag dominates the small valley of Troutdale and is one of the best, and most impressive crags in the Borrowdale Valley. Easily visible from the road having just passed Shepherds Crag heading south, Black Crag is the huge dark crag looming deep in the fellside above the Troutdale Valley. On a hot summer’s day, approaching Black Crag always reminds me more of being in a tropical rain forest than here in the Lake District! The humidity is intensified as you first walk up a faint path waist deep in long ferns and thick bracken to where you cross a small stream at the edge of a dense woodland. The steep path then winds its way up through the dense wood, stepping over fallen trees and brushing against heavily mossed tree trunks that are still damp after weeks of no rain. Then the dense wood just finishes, and the path stops as you do at the base of this impressive steep and intimidating black crag. You stain your head looking up as the crag seems to get steeper and steeper, but the line you’re looking at is probably the feature that you’ve come to climb – Troutdale Pinnacle.

Troutdale Pinnacle*** (S) – Black Crag (UKClimbing)

 First Ascent – F Mallinson & R Mayson in May 1914

 Extract from Classic Rock – ‘There follows 50ft. of easy wall. Only this is a shocker, and few realize it until – wow! They finally chin-up on what is actually the lip of Troutdale Pinnacle itself, to see Derwentwater straight ahead, total space below down the far side, no stance other than this leg-over wafer, and jogging their right shoulder, a 50ft final pitch which also looks amazing’ – Anthony Greenbank

 © Rockfax - An all-time classic with a memorable final pitch and varied climbing to reach it. Start at a wide crack on the left of a pinnacle at the base of the crag.

Pitch 1) 23m. Climb the crack to a ledge and walk right to a tree. Move up the wall above it to another ledge. A short corner gains a stance at a block. An alternative start takes the vertical off-width crack on the right of the pinnacle.
Pitch 2) 30m. Take the corner above to gain some slabs that lead rightwards to a stance under a corner.
Pitch 3) 10m. Climb the corner then make some difficult moves left to gain a stance on a slab.
Pitch 4) 20m. Traverse left and down the slab to a wall. Steep moves up and across the wall on good holds gain ledges and a belay.
Pitch 5) 13m. Move up to the shoulder of the pinnacle and a very exposed belay.
Pitch 6) 15m. Follow the corner up the prow and make a final pull left to gain easier territory and the top. © Rockfax

UKC Logbook Description
Walk up through trees.
Pitch 1) Where you find the base of the crag, climb short corner on left - traverse along big ledge - climb up groove/crack on right until large block belay is found (trending left).
Pitch 2) Climb straight then trending right to drop into a shattered corner.
Pitch 3) Climb up the broken corner (not that easy) until a step left brings you onto a big slab (known locally as the church roof) - good belay.
Pitch 4) traverse left and down whilst partner takes classic photos - climb a broken groove and wander up easy ground to belay on the pinnacle (breath taking view) - not a brilliant belay but good enough.
Pitch 5) From the base of the pinnacle, queue up for hours to climb the short, steep ribbed wall to the top.

I've done this route in 40 mins (when we had the crag to ourselves) and also in 6 hours when it was jam-packed. Be warned, bring some food and drink.

 Descriptions compiled by British Mountain Guide Adrian Nelhams