Typical Style Rockfax Northern Limestone

This guide covers some of the best limestone crags in the UK including the big three of Malham, Kilnsey and Gordale. Alongside these titans are numerous other destinations that offer both sport and trad climbing throughout the grades, ranging from the intimidating walls of Blue Scar and Trow Gill to the long lines of newly-developed low to mid-grade sport crags such as Moughton Nab and Giggleswick South. Trad climbing is also well catered for on the walls and escarpments at the likes of Trowbarrow Quarry, Twistleton Scar, Attermire Scar and Witches Quarry.

The bulk of this edition of Northern Limestone is made up of the Yorkshire crags that were documented in the very first Rockfax (Yorkshire Limestone) by Mick Ryan in 1990. Nearly a quarter of a century on, many things have changed in the guidebook production world with full-colour topos, GPS and top-notch crag and action photography being standard – and things are about to progress further with the increasing availability of smartphone apps and links to online route information. Technology has conquered many obstacles but trees are proving a stubborn foe, and there are still a small number of crags that have required a hand-drawn topo. As with the previous edition of the book, this one covers almost all of the sport climbing developed in the area and a selection of the best traditional routes.