Fluff

Almscliff I moved up to Leeds in May 2017. In large part, this was due to proximity to rock. I can’t say what a positive difference it has made to my life. Driving 20 minutes to the crag is infinitely better than driving an hour and a half like I did from Leicester, or 4+ hours from Suffolk. Quick hits after work in the summer, long weekend days, speculative ‘lets just have a look’ sessions on days of marginal weather; being nearby gives the freedom to fit climbing into your life whilst also having time for everything else, and I value that immensely. The best gritstone crag in Yorkshire is to my mind, unquestionably Almscliff. The Queen of Gritstone sits on top of a hill, surrounded my farmland and exposed to all the weather that Yorkshire can throw at it. 9 times out of 10 its windy there, meaning that the problems dry in minutes. Marginal days frequently become perfect, the crag acting as a bizarre divider of weather systems. Sitting up there you can often see bad weath...