Baldstones Guide

12m. Pull onto a ramp and follow it left then back right to the shady side of the tower. Climb this rightwards to a restricted stance and angle-iron belay. Abseil off carefully.

A spiralling ascent of the Pinnacle, starting up Perambulator Parade. Gain the break in the hanging slab and traverse it to join the arête. Step up, gain the higher break on the front face and traverse this to join Baldstones Arête.

Climb the centre of the slab (hard start) to a shallow groove (small wires) and an awkward leftward exit to the top.

Walk up the diagonal break rightwards to access the arete and finish up this in a fine position.

Start as for Baldstones Face. Cross the face diagonally to the arête. Step down onto the right wall and traverse off right.

The central groove is problematical until the first decent finger-jam is reached (a V2 problem). Teeter up the scoop above (no gear after the start) to an easier finish.

The start of the route is very awkward but not as hard as it looks. Traverse off left or jump off, or continue to the top - it's about HVS.

Climb the leaning wall on the right to ledges then balance out to the arete and climb this, first right then left. Superb.

Starting on the right wall of the Pinnacle, step up and traverse left to the arête, and further left to the start of Baldstones Face.

Traverse the north face of the Baldstone Pinnacle.

An impressive line but usually dirty and seldom climbed. Traverse out right to enter the inverted scoop in the overhangs and exit rapidly up a short crack. Unprotected and harrowing.

The compelling arse is approached steeply from the right and squirmed up with some trepidation.

From a low start (feet on the ramp) follow the flake and continue onto the ledge.

A classic dyno to the lip, from here continue onto the ledge.

Decent holds lead to flatties then a hard dyno.

A low traverse following a line of small holds just below the original. Finish up Baldy.

Sit-start on the left-hand side of the corner as for Baldstones Low, move up to the holds for Baldstones Traverse (good left hand) then yard for a jug marked by a minging green streak on the lip. From here if you're a fanatic about doing everything properly, mantel onto the lip, otherwise just match the jug, drop off and have an easy life, the good bit is over.

Traverse along the line of sloping holds, starting up the arete and finishing up Baldy. A hard alternative finish is up Throwball at f7B.

An alternative easier finish to Baldstones Traverse.

From the arete use poor holds to reach the top.

Climb the zigzag crack in the right-hand side of the face.

The chimney is a forking struggle, though worthwhile.

Climb the groove then make an awkward move rightwards towards a better finish up the wide crack.

The pleasantly technical wall on the far right.

The kinked fissure gives a couple of awkward moves.

Left of the big roof, start from the ledge and move up and right to finish just right of the small pinnacle.

The right-hand side of the wall utilises a useful pocket and a horizontal break though it is all over far too soon.

The three dimensional slug-trail on the wall round right.

The square arete on the left.

The low crack from a sit-start, down and right of Indirect Arête Right. Jam painfully up and out left to a cramped finish.

Horizontal offwidth crack.

The crack starting behind a block.

The wall and pockets left of the groove.

The groove above a nasty landing.

Climb the blank-looking wall using a sloping pocket - that's the only hold.

Start on the ear and reach out to the top pocket on the wall.

Up the splendid flake. The sit-start is f6C.

The sit-start to Elephant's Ear has a burly arm-busting start.

The sloping arete on its left side.

The sloping arete and wall with a skin-trashing hold.

From a poor pocket, mantel onto the left side of the boulder. The mantel on its own is f6A+.

From a sit-start on the bottom right, traverse the rising lip of the small scrittly boulder in front of The Elephant Boulder. Top-out once you reach the top left above another rock. Esoterica for the lovers of lip traverses.

The line of flakes and spikes just right of End Game.