Access
This infamous bouldering venue lies at the southern end of Water-cum-Jolly and is gained by parking by Cressbrook Mill and following the path through the old mill (now flats) to the weir below the lake. Cross the small footbridge to reach the main area of sport climbing.
NB: please be careful and considerate with your language as this is a popular fishing and walking area and any inappropriate actions could cause access problems for the future.
Honeymoon Blues Buttress
The first buttress is the Honeymoon Blues Buttress which is at the left end of the crag and is just off the main path along the bottom.
1. Alimony (7b+) ★ short boulder problem bulge with a desperately fingery headwall.
2. The Honeymoon is Over (7c)the problematic lower bulge
Decree Nici (7b+) a direct finish to The Honeymoon is Over via the roof on the R
Second Honeymoon (7a+) The route R of The Honeymoon is Over via jug on Honeymoon Blues.
3. Honeymoon Blues (E5 6b) ★★ classic from the Eighties with desperate lower bulge and fingery finale. The thread seems to be getting longer!
4. Salar (8a / 8a+) ★ heinously fingery bulge, 8a on the left, 8a+ direct.
5. Slapin (7c) rightwards exit via the bulge. Desperately bouldery.
6. Slapdasher (7a) again fingery but more pleasant.
7. Welsh Rarebit (6c) tough if you stay on line but most don't.
8. The Brer Faced Cheek of It (6a+) short but worth it just for the name?
Dragonflight area
The main wall starts left of a large ivy patch and straight off of the main path.
1. Hare (E3 5c) wanders up the left-hand side of the face and needs cleaning
2. Changing Fortunes (E4 6b) a solitary peg to the right marks the line.
3. Chairs Missing (E3 6b) ★ the bouldery low bulge provides the meat of the route.
4. A Tall Story (E5 6c) ★ hideous climbing to the right requires a mega reach.
5. Dragonflight (E3 5c) ★★ a super pitch via the flake and thin slab to finish via a flake.
6. Jezebel (E5 6a) ★★ very thin climbing via the face to the right past a protruding bolt. Finish right via a faint flake.
7. Kingfisher (E5 6c) ★★ a desperately fingery experience to the right. Use the bolt on Jezebel for protection.
8. Jaws (E5 6b) ★★ a beautiful classic of its grade to the right via an obvious peg.
9. Plectrum Maxilla Direct (E7 6c) ★ highball to a bolt. Rumoured to be 8a. Unrepeated
10. Barracuda (8b) ★a rightwards line across the wall. (Font 7C+)
12. Caviar (8a+) ★★ a classic of its genre with a very bouldery sequence.
13. Beluga (8a+) ★ breaks out of Caviar at the first bolt to rejoin it for the finish.
14. Eugenics (8b/+) a desperate affair especially since the loss of a hold.
15. Let the Tribe Increase (8a+) ★ a short, hard and problematic route that's also suffered hold losses over the years.
Central Section
16. The Dangerous Brothers (8a) more 'crimp-nasty' climbing.
17. Too Old to be Bold (7c) very, very polished.
18. Cute (7b) just L of a tree stump a hard start gains the Coot jugs then straight up the wall above. new 2020
19. Coot Reboot (6c+) ★ start just R of a tree stump with hard moves to gain the big flake. (If the top is wet you can move into Cute from the first break and finish up that Too Coot to be Cute (6c+) ) new 2020
Too Cute for Coot (6c+) links the start of Coot Reboot then finishes up Cute.
20. Piranha (E6 6b) ★★ classic frightener wall climbing via a short, sharp left-facing flake.
21. Cora (E6 6c) the epitome of desperation, not repeated since the loss of a small flake.
22. White Bait (E5 6c) ★★ a classic boulder problem from the shot holes extended into a route. (not marked on topo)
Flake Out, Shake Out (E4 6c) the hard wall to the right.
23. The Miller's Tale (E5 6b) ★★ classic problem via the big hole.
24. Closing Tale (7b+) traverse R from the first bolt on Miller's Tale into Hot Fun and finish up that. One wire needed.
25. Hot Fun Closing (8a) ★★ a mean route extending the classic Kudos (7B) boulder problem.
26. A Bigger Tail (7b+) ★ a powerful and fingery boulder problem (V7) to gain the upper wall.
The Angler Section
The next 3 routes share the same start behind a tree:
The Terror of the Seven Seas (7c) the wall and bulge left of Professor Kirk
1. Professor Kirk (7b) hard locks to pass the bulge.
Maureen (6c) Follows Professor but heads right to pull over the bulge rightwards. Good moves and less reachy than the next route.
2. First and Foresmost (aka Point of No Return) (6c) hard moves through the final bulge. Award yourself an extra grade or two it you are short.
3. Last but not Least (7a) ★ a good problem with the hardest moves through/above the top bulge.
4. Trunk of Punk (7a+) a desperate rightwards exit.
5. Sperm Worm E5 6a a short bold sequence above a peg.
6. Dumb Animal E5 6a a series of layaways leading rightwards from the ledge, 3PRs. Serious
7. The Pinch Test (7c+) ★ very bouldery climbing leftwards from part way up the Angler
8. The Angler (7c) ★ one of the hardest moves on the wall finishing via flakes
9. The Wimp (7c) ★a leftwards exit from the Sissy to join the Angler
10. The Sissy (8a) ★★ desperately fingery climbing on 'knife-edge holds from just below mid-height
11. Zeke the Freak (8b) ★★ the leaning wall to the right provides a masterpiece of difficulty.
12. The Bastard (8c+/9a) ★★ the bulges to the right constitute the free version of the old aid route 'Free That You Bastards'.
Rubicon Section
Right of The Bastard is the prominent roof of Rubicion.
13. Truly Awesome (7a+) ★ the left-hand side of the roofs to the right with a definite crux sequence. Finish via the lip of Rubicon. A direct finish is possible though very eliminate (7b).
14. Rubicon (7a) ★★ the impressive roof via the obvious crack. Jugs and long pulls. Bring your muscles.
15. Zeitgeist (7b) ★ not quite so fine to the right and tough through the bulges
16. The Bomb is Coming (7a) ★ powerful moves up the hanging arete. Vegetated exit to a bolt belay.
Direct Hit (7b) ★ a better and harder version of The Bomb. Follow that route to the big hold then moves left to pull over the lip to the R of Rubicion.
17. Project the bulge to the right with a bit of 'yarding'
18. Small but Perfectly Formed (7a+) the micro route to the right with a hard move to reach the jug above the belay bolt.
Skippy the Bush Kangeroo Weird (E3 6c) is a very short route via a thin crack.
No Thug No Jug (7b) ★ starts from the Rubicon belay ledge and traverses the break left into Zeke. From there it climbs the slight groove above, a few feet R of Zeke's finish. NB. The first peg is unsafe and the route needs re-equipping.
Cruising the Seven Seas (7c) continues the traverse of No Thug all the way to the belay on Last But Not Least.