Climbing
Picture this. You've reached the belay. Above you, another hundred metres of perfect rock. Below, past the immaculate pitch you've just climbed spreads a glorious green valley dotted with dark crags, rushing streams and the occasional grazing sheep. The peaceful sounds of a mountain summer rise in the air. In the distance, the silvery sheen of the sea. Tie on, sit back. Welcome to Lake District climbing.
Famous as the birthplace of modern rock climbing, the Lake District, Cumbria is the perfect place to begin your climbing career with easy-access roadside crags. Or maybe you're a mid-grade crag rat? Tick the classics on Dow Crag, Gimmer or Esk Buttress. Or perhaps you're pushing the upper grades? Lakeland rock has proved a forcing-ground of climbing standards for each generation and steep, modern test-pieces abound.
Climbing in Cumbria
Coniston
An area of great beauty and interest and home to a huge variety of contrasting climbs.
routes
Glenridding and Patterdale
Nestled in the eastern side of the Lakes and home to some hidden gems.
routes
Wasdale
The birthplace of rock climbing with the ascent of Napes Needle in 1886 by WP Haskett Smith.
routes
Useful links
Practical information
Get the most from your day on the fells.
practical information
The Lake District - home of climbing
Robin Ashcroft from the Kendal Mountain Festival looks at how the sport of climbing first developed on the Lake District crags.article
The Countryside Code
Helping everyone to respect, protect and enjoy our countryside.countryside code
Fix the Fells
A number of organisations are working to Fix the Fells. Check out the projects and see how you can help.
fix the fells
Find a provider
Using this search
Complete the fields below to find a rock climbing provider to help get you started or move onto the next level.leo climbs lake district
Leo Houlding shares his favourite Lake District climbs.Plan my visit
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