Open Ascents is a climbing and mountaineering company in the Lake District. With well over a decade of experience in the outdoor industry, we have a vast amount of local knowledge when it comes to all these mountains! We specialise in bespoke and private bookings aiming to inspire, motivate and encourage independence in the mountains. Find out more at www.openascents.com. You might also enjoy: Boasting the tallest indoor climbing wall in England, loads of routes, excellent bouldering, and additional indoor attractions, KendalWall in Kendal has plenty to draw you in. Family and child-friendly taster sessions require absolutely no experience, while accessible CrazyClimbs and a thrilling Sky Jump will really test your mettle! More experienced climbers can try roped climbing (with walls up to 25 metres), the dedicated Training Room, The Tool Box for dry tooling, or one of two bouldering rooms (new adult climbers can also enjoy these after watching an induction video). There are also opportunities to learn with friendly and helpful courses, drop-in sessions, and private tuition. A brilliant solid limestone crag but may be getting a bit polished. Located near Farleton village which can be found near Milnthorpe in the South Lakeland district . There are several scenic walks around Farleton Knott, making your approach just as enjoyable! There are 6 documented routes in this area up to V1/f5 grades In the heart of the South Lakes, Ambleside Climbing Wall is perfectly located if you’re staying in one of our holiday cottages in Ambleside or nearby. Friendly and welcoming, this is a wall where you can just as easily start learning the basics, build up your experience, or really challenge yourself as an experienced climber. The instructors are patient and happy to offer advice covering everything from climbing skills to recommended equipment. The bouldering room, though small, has a surprisingly large number of routes that will challenge even the most experienced boulderers. Approach via Styhead Pass after parking at Wasdale Head. Follow Climber’s Traverse below the crags until you’re below Napes Needle, then ascend Needle Gully to reach the start of the climbs.wasd

After the hours-long rescue, O’Keeffe was taken to the intensive care unit at Cumberland infirmary in Carlisle with “crush injuries”. Approach via Gategarth farm (parking charges apply) and make your way below Low Crag before climbing into the Combe. Once below Eagle Crag, strike right up the screes to the base of the crag. Approach time: 1hr 30mins. Coniston. The major crag of this area is Dow crag, which is the largest in the southern Lakes. Dow offers many excellent quality multi-pitch routes, ranging from Diff through to E6. There are also several slate quarries around Coniston, with some of these routes bolted. LakesBloc have created this amazing map, which details most of the key bouldering areas in the Lake District. The stars are colour coded: Whether you are a family group wanting a day out climbing, or if you want to try bolted sport climbing, The Lakes Mountaineer can help you get the experience you want. Learn to lead under the expert eye of a Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor, or move even further into the mountains to try multi-pitch classics across the Lake District. Find out more at www.TheLakesMountaineer.co.uk/climbingBouldering in the UKBouldering is the act of climbing, typically up to 20ft without ropes but with big soft matts beneath. As the height of the climb is not high enough to cause injuries (assuming you fall correctly of course), it’s a great way to get into the sport without having to get used to the technicalities of using ropes, belay devices and the other equipment associated with other types of climbing. To get involved with bouldering, look up your local climbing wall and ensure they mention they have bouldering on offer. Most climbing walls do offer bouldering nowadays. Also, you can find outdoor places to go bouldering. If you’re doing this as a beginner, make sure to organise an instructor who can ensure you’ve got the right equipment (including a bouldering mat to fall on), and show you the best routes and techniques. Lake District Other searches Perfect for working on your technique, The Wall in Ulverston is a small but mighty bouldering gym with a whole host of routes to help you work on your footwork and positioning. As an experienced climber, you’ll be able to focus on fine-tuning your technique, while beginners will get a great start by immediately learning the important basics of climbing and bouldering. If you need an energy boost, the coffee comes very highly recommended. Approach from the roadside parking at on the Wasdale Head road. Ascend steeply for 20 minutes on a broken path to the Witch buttress, which is visible from the road.

Gouther also hosts an excellent selection of boulder problems at the base of the crag. Enough for a varied day of climbing!

Bouldering in the UK

The unmanned wall at Penrith Leisure Centre in Penrith is suitable for experienced climbers with their own kit, including ropes. Perfect for lead climbing, you have 120 square metres of wall to choose from, including a couple of overhangs that provide a decent challenge. If you’re heading to the wall on your own, there are a couple of auto belays to make use of too. Bouldering In Lake District About BoulderingBouldering is the act of climbing, typically up to 20ft without ropes but with big soft matts beneath. As the height of the climb is not high enough to cause injuries (assuming you fall correctly of course), it’s a great way to get into the sport without having to get used to the technicalities of using ropes, belay devices and the other equipment associated with other types of climbing. To get involved with bouldering, look up your local climbing wall and ensure they mention they have bouldering on offer. Most climbing walls do offer bouldering nowadays. Also, you can find outdoor places to go bouldering. If you’re doing this as a beginner, make sure to organise an instructor who can ensure you’ve got the right equipment (including a bouldering mat to fall on), show you the best routes and techniques. Hutton Roof: these fine limestone crags near the village of the same name offer a fantastic training ground, and are very popular with beginners and groups. For mixed ability groups there are still plenty of options for more experienced climbers too. Now we know that for the more advanced climbers, there are a plethora of guides available for the best spots and routes. So instead, we wanted to create a guide specifically for those of you who might be at the more beginner or intermediate level.

Silverdale. This area situated south of the Lake District national park receives much drier weather than the central Lakes area. Here there are some excellent limestone crags, particularly at Trowbarrow. The area is easily accessed from Coniston village which is about 20 minutes from Ambleside on the A593. Take the first turn right up the hill after the main road crosses the river in the centre of the village and follow this up the very steep fell road until the tarmac ends. On a technical note, the guide features an index, which may sound obvious, but other publications have appeared to have missed this somewhat integral feature, which allows you to find problems you know the name of, but not the location of. It's a basic but highly necessary feature, and I'm glad they've included it. Another firm favourite is the graded list, which - even if the author hasn't intended it - will provide endless discussion long into the night (for those who have the time, will, or inclination). Summary The best approach is to park at the head of Ennerdale at Bowness Knott then mountain bike the forests to below the crag before making your way through the woods and up the fell on foot. You can also approach on foot from Buttermere in approximately 2 hours. Climbing in Lake DistrictWhat makes the Lake District so appealing to climbers is the region's unique topography. Blessed with some of the country's craggiest landscapes, the Lake District is a climbing nirvana. Irrespective of your preferred type of climbing, the Lake District offers not only some of the best lead and trad climbing routes in the UK, but some fantastic bouldering as well.This quintessential crag is known for its peaceful views, hidden feel and brilliant routes. Wallowbarrow hosts one of the best spreads of mid-grade routes outside of the popular central crags. Staff tried to help the man and followed all emergency procedures but it became apparent that outside assistance was needed. Dow Crag: The formidable looking Dow Crag is part of the Coniston Fells and overlooks the mountain lake known as Goat's Water. With almost one hundred and fifty different routes, named everything from Holocaust to Pandora's Box, it offers exciting climbing for intermediate level climbers and above.