Froggatt Edge

Froggatt Edge is a gritstone escarpment in the Dark Peak area of the Peak District national park, in Derbyshire, England and situated in close proximity to the villages of Calver, Curbar and Baslow. The edge, like many in this area, is also easily accessible from Sheffield.

Characteristics

At the top of the escarpment is a part-managed heather moor, which is purple in summer, and is periodically set alight to alter the characteristics of the heather. Below the escarpment is a forest of birch trees which is purple in winter. The edge is a place of outstanding natural beauty and offers excellent views across both moorland and valley. On the paths that run along both the top and bottom of the escarpment, the underlying gritstone is often exposed and subsequently worn by the passage of many feet, creating a warm-coloured sand that is characteristic of this part of the Peak District.

Walking & Climbing

Froggatt Edge is frequented by rock climbers and hillwalkers throughout the year.

One of the most well-known climbs at Froggatt Edge is "Downhill Racer", a smooth and near-vertical 17 m (50 ft) slab of gritstone. It was first climbed in 1977 by Pete Livesey and represented a breakthrough in that it combined difficulty with real danger: there is no suitable crack in the rock in which to place protection (to anchor a rope), so a climber who slips from the small finger holds will hit the ground. It is now graded E4 6a.

Trivia

*As with many of the gritstone edges in the Peak District, Froggatt was used as a source of millstones;
*A number of half-completed mill stones can still be found at the bottom of this and other edges in Derbyshire;

External links

* [http://www.climbingcrags.co.uk/ViewCrag.aspx?id=587 BMC information on access and routes]