A great little crag in a delightful setting, Birchen Edge is a firm favourite among low-to-middle grade climbers seeking high numbers of quality routes in a non-intimidating environment. That said, the rounded and polished starts of many routes ensure that, occasionally, only the determined amongst these will actually succeed in getting off the ground!
Birchen is also home to numerous boulder problems and we have included a small selection of the more notable ones in this topo.
For roped climbing, a certain degree of technical competence is required, as cliff-top belays are not always quite as abundant here as on some other ‘beginners’ crags’ in the area, often needing considerable care and attention to properly rig.
Note: For some years Birchen has been very popular with organised groups and this has inevitably led to a certain degree of wear and tear on many of the easier climbs. Group leaders should do their utmost to ensure that appropriate (or at the very least clean!) footwear is always used by all members of the group.
Conditions and Aspect: The orientation is west/southwest, which means sun from early afternoon onwards and shelter from northerly winds, although the latter aspect, while welcome enough in winter, invariably leads to problems with midges on still summer evenings. The rock is extremely clean and rapid to dry out after rain.
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