The Peak District isn't the first place that springs to mind when you think of scrambling, but among its most distinctive landforms are the gritstone gorges known as cloughs. These narrow slots have been cut by the peaty streams falling off the moors of the Dark Peak, and the tablelands of Kinder Scout, Bleaklow and Black Hill are ringed by them. The best known of them is the ravine that culminates in Kinder Downfall, but there are dozens of others, the majority of which provide scrambly routes up onto the tops. In a hard winter they freeze to provide easy ice climbs, although the conditions rarely last for more than a few days at a time, so you have to be on the spot to take advantage. Kinder Downfall itself is legendary for being more often talked about than climbed – "Is it in yet?" being a UK Climbing cliche. Actually it's climbable much more often than is generally supposed.
Crowden Clough in a dry period
At the other end of the scale, in dry summers nearly all the cloughs dry up and can provide quite long rock staircases, Wilderness Gully in the Chew Valley being the classic example. Most of the time they carry waterfalls, so an ascent is going to get you wet, but gritstone keeps its friction well even when underwater, and mostly the holds are big. They are ideal places to have a bad weather adventure as being cut into the hillside they tend to be sheltered from big winds. Kinder Downfall is an exception to this as the gorge below acts as a funnel and the waterfall is often more of a waterspout in strong westerlies. Most cloughs are very accessible, so If the weather is lousy you can have a quick scramble up Crowden Clough or Red Brook and be down in a snug pub before you've had the chance to get really cold or battered.
Definitely 'Type 2 Fun', Ed Austin in Wilderness Gully East on a wild day
Perhaps the best known clough scramble is Wilderness Gully East, which has around 150 metres of continuous rock. The first main pitch is worth Moderate and is usually a waterfall, although you can avoid the main flow of water on the left. The angle then eases off until a set of steeper steps at the top. These are the crux when it's frozen and in March 2013 they were lovely solid ice. We both had crampons but only had three rather ancient axes between us, so for the steeper pitches I climbed them then dropped one axe for Krystle. The pair behind us thought this hilarious and our gear antiquated, so once we'd all finished they lent us their modern Petzl Quarks to climb the top pitches again. It was so much easier! Given the limited amount of ice climbing I do I wasn't convinced I could justify the cost of new axes, but when I got into work the next day the first thing I was asked was "Can you put in an order to Petzl". I chalked it up to fate and negotiated a bargain deal on a pair of Quarks (thanks Pete!).
Krystle Morley in Wilderness Gully East
Just over the hill from Wilderness Gully is Oaken Clough, in Longdendale. This drains a fair-sized area so never dries out completely, and any ascent is going to involve getting wet. One particular step at about half height tends to involve a damp thrutch and grovel, always entertaining 😁. The higher flow level also means that it doesn't completely freeze either, although you get streaks of ice along the edges and can make a 'mixed' ascent.
Krystle demonstrating that laughing doesn't make Oaken Clough any easier
The north side of Bleaklow has half a dozen fun scrambles, plus a few minor ones. Wild Boar Clough is the best of these, with one vertical waterfall which is usually avoided by a chimney on the left. There are several other pitches, one of which feels quite exposed (although you would only land in the pool, so get wet rather than damaged). The fall faces north and in winter gets no sun so it's one of the most reliable falls to freeze, giving a hardish Grade II route. I once did it with a friend who had never done an ice climb before and on one pitch he complained "I can't find any holds". "So make one", was the obvious reply and I could virtually see the lightbulb light up above his head, "Oh yes, that works, doesn't it".
Below the main pitch in Wildboar Clough in ye olden times. Photo Rod Haynes
Nearby Torside Gully is also fun, both summer and winter, and fits in well after Wild Boar. Just follow the moor edge westwards then scramble easily down the top part of Torside Clough to reach the foot of the Gully. It rarely ices up but collects snow well and the turf freezes readily. Going the other way takes you past a scramble up the outcrop of Deer Knowl. I once climbed this on a very wet day, not having sussed that the reason for the "pale streak" mentioned in the guidebook was that it was a waterfall when it rained. Definitely 'Type 2 fun'.
Shining Clough top pitch
Beyond this is a bigger gorge, Shining Clough. In summer the bottom pitch is a vertical slimefest, and in winter it's just fragile icicles unless there's a heavy snow build up or a very prolonged frost. To avoid this people usually traverse in above this, both in summer and winter. The rest is lovely; clean water-washed rock with a couple of juggy steep sections, both out of the main flow. This section ices up fairly frequently and is excelllent fun. Further east again are the three Black Cloughs, not particularly great scrambling but all beautiful places.
Ed Austin in Crowden Clough in the rain
The Kinder Scout plateau has scrambly cloughs on all three of its flanks. Probably the best, and certainly the most popular, is Crowden Clough on the south. This does dry out occasionally, and freezes two or three times most winters, but drains enough of the plateau to be a waterfall the vast bulk of the time. It's entertaining in pretty much any conditions. A bouldery section gradually increases in angle until you reach the main pitch. You can avoid it by a set of steps just left, but it's very juggy so even with water coming down it isn't too unpleasant. It does get quite exposed by the top, where you are faced by the choice of sloping slabs on the left, usually with less water, or steeper but more positive holds on the right, often more in the main flow. An easier rock section takes you to the southern edges path, where most stop. True enthusiasts carry on, however, to where the stream issues from a cave in the cliff ahead. There you can either thrutch up a chimney on the right or crawl into a tunnel on the left to emerge via a strenuous crack. Unusually this is easier in winter because an ice axe gives you enough extra reach to hook the pick behind the top of a boulder, as opposed to the jam and bridge manouevre of the summer version.
Crowden Clough in perfect winter conditions
Kinder Downfall itself is of course famous as an ice climb, III to IV depending on which way you go. Once word gets around that it's well frozen there's generally a queue. Most of the time it carries too much water to be safely scrambled, but on the rare occasions it almost dries out it's a thoroughly enjoyable Moderate. A group of us once spent a Whit bank holiday weekend bivvying above it selling tea , coffee and Mars Bars in aid of the mountain rescue team, and it was dry enough for us to use it as our regular way up and down.
Kinder Downfall
When the Downfall isn't climbable for whatever reason there are several good alternatives nearby. Arpeggio Gully at the right-hand end of the Great Buttress has a fine top section, quite steep and exposed if you tackle it direct. It has been graded Diff for the last move, but personally I think that's a bit high and I would give it toughish Grade 3. There's a much easier version just left. One winter it turned into a bank of very steep but perfect neve with rock spikes sticking out of it. I initially climbed it in boots, moving from spike to spike, then went back down and did it again with crampons and an axe. Winter and 'summer' ascents a few minutes apart 🙂. It faces north so ices up quite often, but can be quite hard if lean.
Arpeggio Gully in quite tricky conditions
Just opposite is Square Chimney Exit, a trio of steps, quite hard in places, finishing with a Moderate chimney. The middle section sometimes becomes a small icefall in winter but it doesn't tend to last long. A little further south is Red Brook, a very pleasant Grade 1 scramble, continuously rocky in its top half. This has the most reliable ice on Kinder, in condition quite often. If snow comes from the east the clough can trap huge amounts of it and bank out into a snowslope. I've done it when the snow depth must have been over 20 metres.
Red Brook in a snowstorm, still fairly sheltered
The third side of the Kinder triangle, the Northern Edges, has a large number of small streams coming off it, nearly all of which make scrambles. Only Fair Brook and Blackden Brook carry much water so they are doable in most weather. Most of them are fairly easy, but tricky variations can be found if you want to be stretched a little more. As they face north they are almost aways damp and the rock is quite mossy, but they have an enjoyably remote feel. Ice is infrequent but snow lingers on them for a while after a heavy fall, and in winter you often find yourself clambering up big blocky sections between snowy ledges. If doing Upper Red Brook with axe and crampons it's worth the diversion to include Botanist's Slab, a winter Grade II on big blobs of frozen turf (you hope!). It was first recorded as a summer Diff, but must be truly awful then.
Few of these clough scrambles match up to the well-known Lake District gills, but they definitely have character. You wouldn't plan a trip from distance to do them, but for locals then they provide a great dose of accessible excitement. They make ideal starts to a longer day on the moors or alternatively a quick thrill on a day of bad weather. I'm not sure whether it's a reversion to childhood or going back even further to some animal instinct but I've always really enjoyed them.
Crowden Clough
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