Gritstone Classic The Roaches Valkyrie

Valkyrie, a classic gritstone rock climb, is in the south of the Peak District, in Staffordshire. Unusually for a gritstone outcrop this route is a 2 pitch climb involving both a traverse and a down climb. First climbed in 1946 by Peter Harding with a tricky awkward second pitch, which Bowden Black would be obliged to follow. The route still lacks opportunities for modern protection and gives a mountain feel quite uncommon to grit. It’s a brilliant line on superb rock.