I have made some landing improvements to the best buttress at Baines Crag and added a trio of decent additions to this buttress.
Baines Cragg and the adjacent Little Cragg are small esoteric gritstone escarpments just east of Lancaster. They offer a pleasant, elevated (and roadside) situation along with decent rock, however the formation of the crags has meant the lines and landings are generally quite poor. That said, a couple of hours fun can be had and the area can easily be tied in with visits to the nearby natural blocks of Windy Clough and Ottergear quarry.
The newer lines are situated on the obvious triangular buttress on the left side of the crag. While eliminate in nature, in that they don’t use the blocky shelf below the roof, they do offer some great movement and good rock, in a roadside yet picturesque situation.
- Tiger Pow (7B+/C) An obvious and decent eliminate, again avoiding blocks and holds below the lip. Start on the far left of the buttress, both hands on the arete. Pull on with a heel next to your hands and follow the lip holds rightwards (without using any of the blocks/holds below the lip or in the RH gully) to the crack of Hangman and finish up this problem. Video.
- Up and Atom (7A) A worthwhile eliminate. Start below Postcards of the Hanging. Climb the lip of the roof (sticking to lip holds) from right to left (starting both hands in the crack) then up the undercut arête. It eliminates any holds below the roof and the jammed blocks in the gully to the right. Video.
- Hangman (7A) An eliminate of Postcards of the Hanging. Climb this problem, but eliminate any holds below the roof and the jammed blocks in the gully to the right. Once pulled on use the crack and edges to head straight up to the ledge directly above.