Ridges of England, Wales and Ireland - Scrambles and Climbs

• Description
• Contents
• Introduction
• Sample Route
• Maps
• Reviews
• Further Reading

There is something special about ridges. When rock, sky and climber meet a sort of spell is woven, an experience that blends vastness with detail, mind-cleansing space with up-close climbing intricacy. Mountaineers with an eye for bold forms and beautiful backdrops are drawn to the edges, where some of the most rewarding routes in the British Isles are waiting. The strength of the pull is in the line. Seen from a distance the compelling simplicity of an arete unfailingly draws the attention. You can’t help scaling it in your mind’s eye before even leaving the valley, picturing yourself grappling with pinnacles and tiptoeing along knife edges. The irresistibility of mountain ridges was felt too by climbing’s pioneers; the most prominent of our ridges were explored in the sport’s infant days, and have a rich traditional heritage built over decades of ascents.

On such venerable classics old fashioned mountaineering challenges like route finding, exposure and weather – rather than technical prowess – come to the fore. In contrast to cragging or sport climbing the moves matter rather less than the overall feel, the sense that we’re having an adventure in a high, wild place. Since the scale and beauty of the surroundings are integral to the endeavour, climbing ridges is as much an aesthetic experience as a physical exercise. As we trace a skyline route it’s almost as if we are enacting a sort of topographical metaphor for determinism. The land’s twists and turns are laid out ahead. There’s no turning aside; we can only go on, following where our ridge leads. But that's not to say we’re not free to enjoy ourselves along the way – in fact, that’s the whole point! 

As did its sister volume, Scotland’s Mountain Ridges, this book aims to be a practical blow-by-blow guide but also a collection to browse at home, drawing inspiration for future trips or fondly reliving past exploits. Rejecting the arbitrary convention that divides climbing from scrambling has allowed route selection to rely purely on merit rather than difficulty. The featured ridges span the grade spectrum from the simplest of scrambles to mid-level rock climbs, aiming to please mountaineers of all stripes. The hope is that less hands-on hillwalkers will view the harder routes as goals to work towards, while even the most seasoned climber ought to recognise that the easier classics are hugely worthwhile. To reject routes of low technicality on the basis of grade alone would just be to deny oneself a fully rounded appreciation of the hills. 

Although many chapters incorporate a ridge into a longer day of hillwalking, the adventurous atmosphere of even the simplest scrambles puts them on a different level from everyday walking. The inclusive ethos only goes so far; this is definitely a book for mountaineers, both aspiring and accomplished. Because ridge climbing is a perennial pastime there’s a seasonal element too, with only a small number of graded winter climbs (I wish there were more). From gentle to gnarly, the common thread binding these routes is that they are all ridges – and all rewarding.

Scotland is the undisputed acme of British Isles mountain ridge climbing; but while there’s nothing further south to equal the Cuillin’s scale or the majesty of An Teallach, the routes detailed here have plenty of variety and quality. The rugged post-glacial ranges of Cumbria, Snowdonia and Kerry naturally offer most scope to ridge enthusiasts. But superb adventures can be found elsewhere too, even a few in surprisingly un-mountainous seaside locations – proof that there’s climbing gold beyond them thar hills. From the rolling Derbyshire dales to the sunkissed south coast of England the settings are as diverse as they are dispersed. Chalk, limestone, sandstone, gritstone, quartzite, rhyolite, granite and grass – the broad range of terrain featured here reflects both the geological richness of mountaineering in these islands and the wonderful variety of landscapes that we have at our disposal.

So what is a ridge anyway?

Some span the empty air between summits; others buttress the flanks of craggy cwms or sea cliffs. Wherever it may be, if it’s longer than it is wide, with a defined crest and steep sides, then it is unquestionably a ridge. So far, so unambiguous. But in order to accommodate some otherwise very worthwhile borderline cases this book has relaxed the selection criteria slightly. While they do incorporate sharp-edged sections into their length, a handful of the chosen routes could more honestly be described as hybrids – part ridge, part something else; the climbs on Dove Crag (route 5) and Grey Crag (route 16) are two such. Other non-rigorous grounds to cover a route include simply what it’s called. Cam Crag Ridge (route 15) is really more of a rambling buttress if we’re splitting hairs, but since it’s an excellent scramble then who cares? Arete my case. 

Geographical spread

Three nations feature in this book. It’s a slightly quirky grouping, but the reasoning is that no single country south of Scotland has enough ridge climbing scope to warrant a volume to itself. The ties that bind in this case are coils of rope, the common ground the routes themselves – and if climbing can’t unite us all for a while then what hope is there? Among the areas covered Northern Ireland is conspicuous by its absence. Taking a lead from Monty Python this book accepts the fact that Ulster has no decent ridges, which is no one’s fault – not even the English – but it does support Northern Ireland’s right to ridges.