Great Bank Bouldering, Miterdale

Pete Apps has opened up an excellent ‘new’ area in Miterdale. Pete provides the lowdown:

I’ve spent the last couple of years redeveloping the bouldering potential of Great Bank in Miterdale and have finally got round to sorting out a topo for it [Link below].

The area was originally developed by Pete Whillance in the early 1990s and is documented in the 1996 F&RCC guide to Scafell, Wasdale & Eskdale, although the line between bouldering and soloing was somewhat blurred. I have picked out the best bouldering areas from the early development, using the alphabetical designation of areas from the F&RCC guide, and added several more recently developed sectors. However, given the calibre of the original developer, I have not presumed that any of these are first ascents.

It’s a fabulous circuit and worth a visit for Lumberjack Wall and the Sharks Fin alone!

Problem 5 (6A) on Crystallography Wall (Photo: Chris Fisher)

Also, it looks like more logging activity is about to start around the Forest Boulders. Local signage says that the area of woods around the Forest Boulders is closed, but during previous works the foresters have been happy to maintain access as much as they can. If there’s forestry work going on, it’s worth going for a chat with them to find out if access is possible.

Great Bank Bouldering Guide (PDF)