Regional Access Database

Advice Gordale Scar

Major crag with highly atmospheric trad. and sport routes - get psyched for those big 'character building' challenges of the inner sanctum...
BMC Area Yorkshire Rock Type Limestone
Climbing Area Yorkshire Limestone Access Status Advice
County North Yorkshire CRoW Land Yes
Importance National SSSI Yes
Ownership Private No. of Routes 200
Within National Park Yes Year Developed 1954



IMPORTANT NOTE - A well-used public footpath passes directly through the gorge and beneath many of the routes. The gorge does contain some loose rock and climbers must exercise extreme caution when the general public are around.

Please ensure the following common sense guidance (taken from the Yorkshire Mountaineering Club 2005 guide) is practised;

- Be extra careful with route preparation, when drilling bolts, or when setting belays/topping-out.

- Belayers should ensure the public are directed away from the area below a lead climber.

- Bolting practises are noisy and echo through the gorge - try and restrict it to early morning/late evening, pref. mid-week.

- Do not block the steps on Backwater Buttress with 'sacks or when belaying.

- The farmer has requested only small groups visit the upper wings.



The magnificent landscape of the Yorkshire Dales was shaped by melting glacial ice 300 million years ago to produce the towering crags, shadowy peaks, rock-pavements, and picturesque valleys found today.
The area was designated as a National Park in 1954, and covers approximately 1,769 km/683 square miles with many nationally significant climbing venues and a rich diversity of wildlife.

Most of the crags in this region lie within Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI’s), a designation with a high level of legal protection for wildlife and geology.

Responsibility for identifying and protecting SSSIs in the Dales lies with Natural England – the statutory governmental advisor on conservation issues and contributor towards the Yorkshire Dales Green Climbing Guide.
The guide is intended to help climbers or walkers identify the protected flora, fauna, and geology found in the Dales and contribute towards their conservation.

Click this link to see the guide;

http://www.thebmc.co.uk/Download.aspx?id=154

The guide is also available free from the BMC office or at various tourist offices in the region.


Last updated: 18/06/2010