The crag has been a well-known traditional climbing venue since the 1890s, and features in the early 1913 guidebook, Some Gritstone Climbs.[1][5] Black Rocks has some easier traditional climbing routes of grades Diff to VS 4c, and a selection of short bouldering problems of grades V0 (4) to V9 (7C), however, it is most noted for its historic extreme traditional climbing routes put up in the mid-1980s to the early 2000s.[1][5] Its northerly aspect means that it is frequently in damp condition (and even covered in green algae), however, the sandstone-like gritstone rock dries reasonably quickly.[1][5]
Important names in British climbing history have left their mark at Black Rocks such as James W. Puttrel (Stonnis Crack HVS 4b, 1900), Fred Pigott (Sand Buttress VS 4c, 1920), and Peter Harding (Demon Rib E4 5c, 1949, and Promontory Traverse E1 5b, 1945).[5][1]
The two best-known Black Rocks climbs are Gaia (E8 6c, 5.13a X), whose first free ascent was by Johnny Dawes in 1986),[6][7][8] and Meshuga (E9 6c, 5.13a X), whose first free ascent was by Seb Grieve in 1997), which are located on the main overhanging promontory section.[9] Both climbs are featured in several climbing films including Stone Monkey (1988) capturing Dawes first ascent of Gaia,[6]Hard Grit (1998) in which French climber Jean-Minh Trin-Thieu takes a large fall on Gaia,[10] and Dosage Volume 4 (2006), in which American climber Lisa Rands made the first female ascent of Gaia.[11][12] In 2008, American climbers Kevin Jorgeson and Alex Honnold, both completed free solos of Meshuga,[13] while Honnold also completed the first-ever flash of Gaia.[6][14]
In November 2000, Charlie Woodburn completed a direct finish to Gaia called Harder, Faster, and graded it E9 7a; a fall from the crux near the top would likely be fatal, and it is thus considered one of the most dangerous climbs in Britain,[15] and rarely repeated,[16] with only its third ascent in December 2020.[17]
Filmographyedit
Rands on Gaia: Josh Lowell (director) (2006). Dosage Volume IV (Motion picture). Big UP Productions. ASIN B000JQK8BG. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
Hardest Peak District: Heap, Richard (director) (1998). Hard Grit (Motion picture). Slackjaw Film. ASIN B000VY46PU. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
Dawes' FFA of Gaia: Williams, Huw (director) (1988). Stone monkey: Portrait of a rock climber (Motion picture). Hughes Film. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
^ abc"Alex Honnold flashes Gaia E8 6c". PlanetMountain. 13 November 2008. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
^"Video: Sean McColl climbing Gaia at Black Rocks". PlanetMountain.com. 17 March 2016. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
^"Watch Sean McColl on Classic Grit Route Gaia E8 6c". Gripped.com. 6 June 2021. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
^"Weekend Whipper: Neil Mawson Craters on Meshuga (E9)". Rock & Ice. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
^"Weekend Whipper: Hard Grit! The Iconic Fall from Gaia". Rock & Ice. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
^"Lisa Rands climbs Gaia E8 6c!". PlanetMountain. 26 April 2006. Retrieved 4 February 2022.
^McDonald, Douglad (18 April 2006). "Rands Headpoints Gaia". Climbing. Retrieved 4 February 2022.
^"Kevin Jorgeson Decks From And Then Sends Gaia (E8), Solos Meshuga (E9)". ClimbingArc. 20 November 2008. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
^Beaumont, Peter (1 January 2012). "Johnny Dawes: 'It's about doing something that's fun… and impossible'". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
^"Charlie Woodburn's gritstone masterpiece Harder, Faster at Black Rocks". PlanetMountain.com. 11 May 2019. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
^"James Pearson Sends Bold E9 Harder, Faster". Gripped.com. 28 December 2020. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
^"James Pearson & Caroline Ciavaldini: the Black Rocks Hard Grit interview". PlanetMountain. 29 December 2020. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
External linksedit
Alex Honnold onsighting "Gaia" (E8 6c) at Black Rocks, England PlanetMountain (November 2008)
Neil Mawson huge fall on “Meshuga” (E9/5.12D, RX) Rock & Ice (April 2021)
James Pearson huge fall on "Harder, Faster" (E9 7a) PlanetMountain (December 2020)
April 10, 2024
black, rocks, derbyshire, confused, with, black, rocks, south, georgia, black, rocks, stonnis, rocks, small, outcrop, ashover, gritstone, between, cromford, wirksworth, derbyshire, peak, district, england, important, crag, history, british, rock, climbing, som. Not to be confused with Black Rocks South Georgia Black Rocks or Stonnis Rocks 2 is a small outcrop of ashover gritstone between Cromford and Wirksworth in Derbyshire the Peak District England 3 4 It is an important crag in the history of British rock climbing and has some of the most extreme climbing routes in Britain including Gaia E8 6c 5 Black RocksStonnis RocksGaia E8 6c 5 13a X follows the groove on the outcrop at the left of the pictureLocation in DerbyshireLocationPeak District DerbyshireNearest cityCromfordCoordinates53 05 54 N 1 33 49 W 53 0982 N 1 5637 W 53 0982 1 5637Climbing typeTraditional climbing BoulderingHeight5 35 metres 16 115 ft 1 PitchesMostly single pitchRatingsRock grades of Diff to E9 most are above E1 Bouldering of V0 to V9 1 Rock typegritstone 1 Quantity of rock 224 routes 1 Cliff aspectNorthwestElevation278 metres 912 ft a s l 1 Classic climbsMeshuga E9 6c 5 13a X Gaia E8 6c 5 13a X Curving Arete E5 6b Lean Man s Climb VS 5a Birch Tree Wall VS 4c Sand Buttress VS 4c Angel s Share 7C V9 King Edward 7C V9 Velvet Silence 7A V7 1 Contents 1 Climbing history 2 Filmography 3 Bibliography 4 Gallery 5 See also 6 References 7 External linksClimbing history editThe crag has been a well known traditional climbing venue since the 1890s and features in the early 1913 guidebook Some Gritstone Climbs 1 5 Black Rocks has some easier traditional climbing routes of grades Diff to VS 4c and a selection of short bouldering problems of grades V0 4 to V9 7C however it is most noted for its historic extreme traditional climbing routes put up in the mid 1980s to the early 2000s 1 5 Its northerly aspect means that it is frequently in damp condition and even covered in green algae however the sandstone like gritstone rock dries reasonably quickly 1 5 Important names in British climbing history have left their mark at Black Rocks such as James W Puttrel Stonnis Crack HVS 4b 1900 Fred Pigott Sand Buttress VS 4c 1920 and Peter Harding Demon Rib E4 5c 1949 and Promontory Traverse E1 5b 1945 5 1 The two best known Black Rocks climbs are Gaia E8 6c 5 13a X whose first free ascent was by Johnny Dawes in 1986 6 7 8 and Meshuga E9 6c 5 13a X whose first free ascent was by Seb Grieve in 1997 which are located on the main overhanging promontory section 9 Both climbs are featured in several climbing films including Stone Monkey 1988 capturing Dawes first ascent of Gaia 6 Hard Grit 1998 in which French climber Jean Minh Trin Thieu takes a large fall on Gaia 10 and Dosage Volume 4 2006 in which American climber Lisa Rands made the first female ascent of Gaia 11 12 In 2008 American climbers Kevin Jorgeson and Alex Honnold both completed free solos of Meshuga 13 while Honnold also completed the first ever flash of Gaia 6 14 In November 2000 Charlie Woodburn completed a direct finish to Gaia called Harder Faster and graded it E9 7a a fall from the crux near the top would likely be fatal and it is thus considered one of the most dangerous climbs in Britain 15 and rarely repeated 16 with only its third ascent in December 2020 17 Filmography editRands on Gaia Josh Lowell director 2006 Dosage Volume IV Motion picture Big UP Productions ASIN B000JQK8BG Retrieved 10 February 2022 Hardest Peak District Heap Richard director 1998 Hard Grit Motion picture Slackjaw Film ASIN B000VY46PU Retrieved 10 February 2022 Dawes FFA of Gaia Williams Huw director 1988 Stone monkey Portrait of a rock climber Motion picture Hughes Film Retrieved 10 February 2022 Bibliography editFroggatt to Black Rocks Dave Westlake June 2010 British Mountaineering Council ISBN 978 0903908092 Eastern Grit 3rd Edition Chris Craggs April 2015 RockFax ISBN 978 1873341087 Gallery edit nbsp Approaching crag Gaia on left nbsp View from the top 2021 nbsp Black Rocks 1890s See also edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Black Rocks Derbyshire Rock climbing in the Peak DistrictReferences edit a b c d e f g h i j Black Rocks Derbyshire UKClimbing com Retrieved 8 February 2022 Laycock John 1913 Some Gritstone Climbs Some shorter climbs on Derbyshire and elsewhere 1st ed Manchester Refuge Printing Department Black Rocks Derbyshire County Council Retrieved 10 February 2022 Ordnance Survey Landranger map sheet 119Buxton amp Matlock Chesterfield Bakewell amp Dove Dale Map Ordnance Survey 2012 ISBN 9780319231890 a b c d e Westlake Dave June 2010 Froggatt to Black Rocks British Mountaineering Council ISBN 978 0903908092 a b c Alex Honnold flashes Gaia E8 6c PlanetMountain 13 November 2008 Retrieved 10 February 2022 Video Sean McColl climbing Gaia at Black Rocks PlanetMountain com 17 March 2016 Retrieved 9 January 2022 Watch Sean McColl on Classic Grit Route Gaia E8 6c Gripped com 6 June 2021 Retrieved 9 January 2022 Weekend Whipper Neil Mawson Craters on Meshuga E9 Rock amp Ice Retrieved 10 February 2022 Weekend Whipper Hard Grit The Iconic Fall from Gaia Rock amp Ice Retrieved 10 February 2022 Lisa Rands climbs Gaia E8 6c PlanetMountain 26 April 2006 Retrieved 4 February 2022 McDonald Douglad 18 April 2006 Rands Headpoints Gaia Climbing Retrieved 4 February 2022 Kevin Jorgeson Decks From And Then Sends Gaia E8 Solos Meshuga E9 ClimbingArc 20 November 2008 Retrieved 10 February 2022 Beaumont Peter 1 January 2012 Johnny Dawes It s about doing something that s fun and impossible The Guardian Retrieved 10 February 2022 Charlie Woodburn s gritstone masterpiece Harder Faster at Black Rocks PlanetMountain com 11 May 2019 Retrieved 10 February 2022 James Pearson Sends Bold E9 Harder Faster Gripped com 28 December 2020 Retrieved 10 February 2022 James Pearson amp Caroline Ciavaldini the Black Rocks Hard Grit interview PlanetMountain 29 December 2020 Retrieved 10 February 2022 External links editAlex Honnold onsighting Gaia E8 6c at Black Rocks England PlanetMountain November 2008 Neil Mawson huge fall on Meshuga E9 5 12D RX Rock amp Ice April 2021 James Pearson huge fall on Harder Faster E9 7a PlanetMountain December 2020 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Black Rocks Derbyshire amp oldid 1179587840 Climbing history, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
