Tintwistle Knarr Boulders - The time to reveal

Over a period of about a year i have been slowly re-developing the sadly long forgotten and neglected boulders to be found below Tintwistle Knarr quarry. I have had some truly special days up here with close friends who i have managed to convince that the long hard slog up would be worth it. During this time i have cleaned and climbed some truly great climbs. This has included Acopella 8a, Straight No Chaser 7c, and the Lone Ranger 7c+ and loads of other cool lines on fantastic boulders.

But there was one project that always eluded me, an obvious hard sit start up a mini arete to an old classic really cool porthole problem. I always told myself that this would be the final problem I wanted to do before making the boulders more public. You know by looking at it that if you can just get one hand good in porthole then holding any swing and toping will be fine. Only trouble is there are no real holds below it. I've tried this line almost every time I've been up, but never really seriously, always just being chilled out about it.

Recently i wondered up there with a friend after not trying the line for months and managed to send it. It's funny how sometimes it's just like that. It came down to good conditions and remembering to try something different. I'm going to call the line The Enigma and it's around the 7c+/8a mark. (It may be easier but then I never could grade.)

If your after something different and your up that way, then head to these boulders, the climbing really is quite good and theres a big circuit of all grades. To find them just walk directly down the scree slope from the quarry. Keep going until you nearly fall over the edge of the hidden boulders. The topo can be found below.

Photos- M Hyde.

Tintwistle Knarr Boulders - Topo

Tintwistle Knarr Boulder

Top Boulder

1. Nikita 7a – Start sitting in the pit from a specified starting position left on the undercut right on a gaston hold at the same level. From here cross over to the slopers and use these to get the left arête

2a. Nikita Righthand 7b - A harder variation finish. Instead of getting the left arête Cross over again to get established on the slopey layaway and get the top of the boulder on the right

2b. Leon 7b+ - Start with the left on the low sidepull and the right undercutting the right arête. Make a hard slap up to the crimp in the crease, then left to the good slopey sidepull.

3. La Femme Slab 5+ – Climb up the centre of the small slab using some great large pebbles

4. La Femme Fatale 7b+/7c From a sitting start climb the left side of the arête all the way to the lip to finish with a grim mantle. Has a very bad landing.

4b. Top Slab 5 - from the boulder underneath climb the line left of problem 4.

Pit Boulder

5a. Soul Deep 6b+ - From a standing start right in the bottom of the pit climb up the centre of the wall

5b. Soul Deep Sit Start 7b (soft) - From a sitting start in the pit bottom, left on the big pocket and right hand on the arête. Make some stiff locks to get established on the stand up

5c. Deep arête right 6b+ - From the standing start in the pit bottom, pull on and then move to the right arête. Can also be done from a sitting start at 7bish
6. Soul arête left 6c – Again from the pit standing start pull on and traverse to the left arête and finish up this. As before this can also be done form the sitting start at 7bish

7. Serial Thriller 6a – From the ledge step right and climb the front face of the boulder using only that boulder for hand and feet.

8. 5 – Climb up the left side of the right arête. Can also be done from sitting

9. 5+ - Climb up the centre of the face. This too has also been done from sitting.

10. 5 – climb up the left side of the face.

Bottom Boulder

12. Fire Fly 6c+ - Start from sitting on the low sloping crimp. Climb up the wall just to the left of the arête

13. Small Wall 4 – From a sit start climb up the short wall

14. Layaway wall 6b – From a sit start at the bottom of the arête pull on, more your right foot around the boulder and then climb up the undercut layaways to the top of the boulder.

15. Mr Brightside 7a – From the same sitting start this time follow the arête leftwards staying low to get the lip. Once here mantle the arête on the left side.

16. Underpass 6c – From the left hand block under the roof pull on with the hands and feet on this block only, undercut out to the lip and mantle.

Small Boulder

17. Small Wall 4 – Use the big holds to climb up the front face on the small boulder
18. Small Arête 6c – From a sit start make a tricky move to get established on the arête. Short but sweet.

Tree Boulder

20. Overhanging Arête 6c – From a sitting start follow the arête rightwards then up

21. Straight No Chaser 7c – From the specified sitting starting position of left hand on a low pinch and right in the big pocket. Slap directly straight out of the roof and finish up the arête

22. Dream Chaser 7b – From a sit start with the hand in the pocket and right at the bottom of the arête. Follow the arête left until it is possible to rock it. Do not traverse to the big holds on the left and use these to top out, doing so is easier.

23. The Groove 4 – Climb up the slanting groove

24. Thin Slab 7a – Climb up the thin slab direct staying off the groove footholds

25. Pocket slab 6c – Climb up the slab just left of the arête using the good small pockets. Keep off the big footholds to the right.

26. The Arete 5 – Climb the arête on its left hand side.

27. Deforestation 7a – Climb the arête on it’s solely on its righthand side being strict (Only using the arête and not the good holds on the left side).

27b. Deforestation Sit Start 7b – This time form a sitting start.

28. The Porthole 6c+ Starting with both hands in the porthole climb directly upwards.

29. The Enigma 7c+/8a – From sitting start with left hand on the arête head up and around to the porthole probably morpho.

30. The Porthole Traverse 7a – Starting with both hands in the porthole traverse right an finish up the mini prow

31. The Rib 6b+ - Climb up the vague rib, Can be done from a similar sitting start as for 29 at 7b Finishing up problem 30 instead is 7b+

32. Easy Wall 5 – The wall above the deep pocket can be done from sitting at 6a+ish?

33. Pocket Wall 6a - Climb the wall up to the deep shot hole

34. The Hanging Arete 6a? – Just to the right from a sit start climb up the hanging arête

35. Way Down 3 – Any way up the slabby wall to the right of the arête. Also the way down.

Slab Boulder

36. Easy Slabs 3+ - Various ways up the easy slab

37. Left Slab 6a – Starting at the bottom of the slab head up the left side to get the left arête.

38. Right Slab 5+ - Starting at the bottom this time head directly up the right side staying off the right arête. Using this is a grade easier.

39. Back Side Arête 6c+ - From a sitting start climb up the right side of the arête. A grade easier form standing.

40. Back Side Slab 6a+ - Climb up the slab just right of the arête.

Big Boulder

41. Overhanging Arete 6a – From a sitting start climb the left arête.

42. Left Wall 6c – Climb the wall just right of the arête directly

43. Seam Wall 6c+ - Climb the centre of the wall using the seams

44. Two Pocket Wall 6b – Climb up the righthand side of the wall staying left of the arête and using the pockets

45a. Right Arete 5 – Climb the left hand side of the arête

45b Debstar 7a – Start at the right arête and traverse left staying low to finish up problem 41.

46. The Big Slab 3+ - Climb up the high slab anywhere it all feels high and scary. A direct sit start mantle can be done at about 6b+

47. Whispa Loudly 7a+/7a – Climb up the right hand side of the left arête, highball

48. The Ramp 6c+7a – From a sit start on the shelf climb up and rock onto the slab. Can also be linked into problem 47 at 7b?

49. The Dark Side 7a/7a+ - From a sit start at the right hand side of the overhang, climb up to the good holds and head for the good flat hold on the arête. Can also be linked into problem 47 at 7b?

50. Midnight Monster 7b - Start as for problem 49 but climb the wall staying right of the arête on the wall to the top of the boulder. Highball and a very bad landing awaits. The standing start reduces the grade to 7a.

51. Broken Moon 7a – From a standing start climb up the series of layaways passing a broken flake

52. Hard Moon 7cish – From a sitting start at the right hand vague arête (Left on a layaway, right good edge) move up to thin holds then move left to the broken flake and finish up. Avoiding the issue.

53. Acopella 8a – The true line finishing directly instead of moving left, using a great conditions dependent slopey slot hold. (The top has been cleaned since the photo was taken)

Satalight Boulder

About 100 meters right of the big boulder are two boulders leaning against each other forming a pit below them.

54. Lone Ranger 7c+ - From a sit start with right hand on a good sidepull, slap up slopey holds to get a good jug and an easier finish. Use only the block for the feet. hard Up the face to the right has not been climbed.

Angry Love at the Weasel Stones

This Saturday 3 strange things happened:

1. O let himself be convinced that climbing on moorland grit instead of limestone would be a good idea. On a hot summers day. He was not alone bringing a bunch of the Liverpool climbers with him.

We decided to check out the bouldering at Black tor, heading to the weasel stones to warm up before getting to the good stuff.

2. We spent most of the day in that one area.

3. Si who had been un-intentionally tricked into coming along didn't moan!

This was all strange because i had dismissed them as being a bit rubbish. Turns out i was wrong.

What resulted was a very chilled out and enjoyable thorougher going over of the weasel boulders. Everything was repeated (accept Playing with Fire) and a lot of good new stuff was unearthed by the eagle eyed boys. Nothing earth shatteringly hard but just what was needed on a hot day. The result is a bunch of nice mid grade problems which are really quite pleasant and really add to the circuit of problems now found in the area.

Here is now the updated list of problems found in this area.

1. Playing With Fire 8a
From a sitting start on two crimpy layaways make a stiff pull off the floor to slap to the okay crimp and use this to get the top. Gritstones answer to Sway On!!!!

2. One Move 5+
From the good edge in the centre of the boulder pop to the top and pull over.

3. 3
Step off and climb up the big slab not using either arete

4. Angry Love 6c+
Sit start with both hands matched on the big layaway on the face of the boulder. Using this and a heel hook lock to the arete and finish up this.
(Picture right of Smooth Pete catching the arete)

5. Technical Love 7b
Sit start again matched on the big layaway on the face of the boulder. This time traverse rightwards not using any of the big holds on the ill defined lip of the boulder. Use only the low holds to finish on a flat jug over on the right arete of the boulder. Quit technical.

6. Magic Love 6c
Start from sitting with specified starting holds. Left hand on a small side pull in the cave, right on a low crimp pinch on the face right of the arete. Move up to the shoulder hold then go for the top. (Picture right)

7. 4
Smear up the left arete of the slab

8. The Left Slab 5+
Smear up the slab just left of centre

9. The Right Slab 6a
Smearing up the slab just right of centre is a bit harder

10. 3
Smear up the right arete of the slab

11. Don’t Dab Arete 6b
Start from sitting with specified starting holds. Right hand on a small sidepull in the cave, left on the arete. From here climb the arete staying on the right side all the way. Good moves which are spoilt by the closeness of the boulder behind but still worth doing.

12. The Mantle 6a+
On the boulder just behind and left of problem 1. Start from sitting and climb the right arete using the big ledge on the right to a tricky mantle.

13. Atari 7a+
From a sit start slab up the two arêtes until you get to a sloper on the left. Use this to swing around the left side and finish up the heathery top out.

14. The Weasel 6b
Start from sitting in the pit with the left on a low undercut pinch and the right on a higher edge. Pull on then using an intermediate go for the good ledge.

15. Manchester March 5+
Start from sitting at the right arete and follow this leftwards, then continue traversing left along the good ledge to finish at the left side of the boulder.

16. Loves Stroll 5+
From a sit start at the left arete follow the lip rightwards around the prow to rock out on the right side.

17. The Groove 6a+
Climb the attractive looking grove from a sit start. Start with both hands on low holds below the lip

The next two problems can be found in a pit slightly higher up.

18. Si’s Problem 6a
From a sit start on a boulder jammed underneath lock out and around the small roof.

19. Friend of Ours 7b+
Climb the attractive looking wall and arete from a sit start (Left hand arete, right hand low undercut/layaway). A hard pull on is followed by a very tricky dynamic move to catch a high diagonal edge just below the top, which is probably English tech 7a. An easier move follows and then top out.

Sprotbrough Days

Sprotbrough, Sprotbrough? What the flippin heck is that all about i hear ypu say! Well Mo Owfield was rumored to have climbed a 7c+ here for a start. One evening the boys decided to go take a look and we were pleasantly surprised by what we found. A classy looking buttress which was obviously neglected but showing signs of previous clawings. A hard evenings cleaning later and this beauty was re-released from the undergrowth. Its like Gypsy Buttress on acid! A couple of sessions later and this is what we found.





1. High and Dry 7b+
At the very left hand side of the crag, climb up the highball wall with the undercut start which leads to some crimps on the face.

2. Shelf life 7a+/7b
Use an obvious pinch to get into a position to slap for the left end of the good shelf and a finish using the tree roots. (Left hand finish possible going left of the tree?)

2a. Half Life 7b+
This is a left hand variation finish on Shelf life. Only use the right hand on the left edge of the shelf, and climb up the wall finishing just left of the tree.

2b. Shelf Life Direct Start 7b+/7c
Climb direct up to the middle of the shelf. Not using the good pinch/undercut on problem 2, or the good layaways on problem 4.

3. Shelf Life Indirect 7b/7b+
Use an obvious pair of layaways to get some sloppy holds just right of the right end of the shelf. Then slap left wards to the shelf and finish as before.

3a. Shelf Less 7b+/7c
Start as for the above problem but instead of slapping to the shelf. Slap a flake just right again and finish directly using a heel hook on the shelf.

4. Mo’s Undercut 7c+ (Soft)
Use the obvious pockets to gain an undercut and make awkward moves to gain the top.

There is potential for another problem just right revolving around a diagonal edge and a crimp which are close together somewhere in the 8’s

5. All Strung Out 7c+
Just left of problem 7, use a big undercut and make a big span to small edge with the right hand. Use this to gain a layaway as a gaston, then lock to the top.

6. The Upstart 6b
From a low start gain the good holds and then the top.

7. 5+/6a
Just right of the last problem the wall can be climbed via a side pull pocket from a low start.



8. Further right is an okay wall with some good warm ups on it (about 5+) and a trickier line on the right just before the ivy at about 7a+