Hen Cloud is one of the most impressive Gritstone crags in the entire Peak District, its magnificent fortress-like buttresses, perched atop a steep hillside, utterly dominating the surrounding landscape.
Here lie not only some of the longest routes on Peak Gritstone (including a number of genuine multi-pitch adventures) but also some of the very best, and for those who appreciate a little peace and quiet, while not exactly abandoned, Hen Cloud sees far fewer visitors than the nearby Roaches. This is slightly puzzling as classics exist throughout the grades here, on rock as good as anything in the area.
Conditions and Aspect: Facing generally west/southwest (though certain facets have a due-south aspect) this is a crag for afternoon and evening sunshine, but its high, exposed position means prospective visitors need to pay particular attention to wind direction and strength. In anything but very dry conditions certain sections of the crag often appear to be very green, suggesting copious quantities of lichen, but other than the lower tier of the Pinnacles Area, which suffers considerably from drainage, the lichen often looks far worse than it actually is.
Note: During spring Peregrine Falcons often use the crag as a nesting site, resulting in temporary access restrictions for part, or the whole of, the cliff. When this occurs signboards are placed on the approach paths and the information also appears on the BMC website (www.thebmc.co.uk/nesting-birds-advice-for-climbers). Please adhere rigidly to these restrictions if and when in place.
