Climbing Forecast › Northumberland — Northumberland Grit › Shaftoe Crags

NORTHUMBERLAND — NORTHUMBERLAND GRIT · SANDSTONE

Shaftoe Crags climbing conditions

Good — dry and climbable

Right now

Temp18°C
Wind14.8 km/h
Gusts22 km/h
Humidity84.7%
Rain 48h0mm
Last rainNone recent

Assessment

No recent rain

7-day forecast

Scroll through each day — hourly detail is shown inline.

Today Friday 14 August
Good
Temp24°C
Rain0mm
Wind23 km/h
Gusts22 km/h
Humidity61%
No recent rain
  • Hard sandstone climbs well when dry
  • Breezy — helps drying
Time °C Rain Wind Gust Hum
06:00 18° 0mm 15 0 84.7%
07:00 20° 0mm 14 0 78.8%
08:00 22° 0mm 18 0 70.5%
09:00 23° 0mm 21 0 67.4%
10:00 23° 0mm 23 0 66.5%
11:00 23° 0mm 23 0 68%
12:00 24° 0mm 23 0 63.7%
13:00 24° 0mm 23 0 60.2%
14:00 24° 0mm 23 0 58.2%
15:00 24° 0mm 23 0 54.4%
16:00 23° 0mm 23 0 52.7%
17:00 22° 0mm 21 0 55.2%
18:00 21° 0mm 18 0 58%
19:00 19° 0mm 17 0 61.1%
20:00 17° 0mm 16 0 63.7%
21:00 16° 0mm 14 0 68.6%
Sat Saturday 15 August
Good
Temp19°C
Rain0mm
Wind17 km/h
Gusts—
Humidity46%
No recent rain
  • Hard sandstone climbs well when dry
Time °C Rain Wind Gust Hum
06:00 13° 0mm 18 0 83.6%
07:00 14° 0mm 18 0 74.5%
08:00 15° 0mm 19 0 64.7%
09:00 16° 0mm 18 0 58.5%
10:00 17° 0mm 17 0 53.4%
11:00 18° 0mm 15 0 49.6%
12:00 19° 0mm 14 0 46.5%
13:00 20° 0mm 16 0 43.1%
14:00 20° 0mm 18 0 41.5%
15:00 20° 0mm 18 0 42.8%
16:00 20° 0mm 18 0 42.7%
17:00 19° 0mm 19 0 43%
18:00 19° 0mm 20 0 45.1%
19:00 17° 0mm 17 0 51.3%
20:00 16° 0mm 12 0 56.8%
21:00 15° 0mm 12 0 61.2%
Sun Sunday 16 August
Poor
Temp18°C
Rain1.1mm
Wind17 km/h
Gusts—
Humidity55%
1.1mm rain forecastDo not climb wet sandstone
  • Wet sandstone is slippery — let the rock dry before leading
Time °C Rain Wind Gust Hum
06:00 12° 0mm 13 0 80.7%
07:00 14° 0mm 15 0 73.8%
08:00 15° 0mm 13 0 67.5%
09:00 16° 0mm 12 0 61.9%
10:00 18° 0mm 13 0 52.9%
11:00 19° 0mm 13 0 46.8%
12:00 19° 0.3mm 17 0 46.1%
13:00 17° 0.2mm 21 0 60.5%
14:00 17° 0mm 20 0 61.3%
15:00 17° 0mm 17 0 57.7%
16:00 18° 0mm 17 0 57.6%
17:00 17° 0mm 18 0 63.1%
18:00 17° 0.57mm 16 0 63.4%
Mon Monday 17 August
Caution
Temp16°C
Rain0.2mm
Wind8 km/h
Gusts—
Humidity91%
Drying — 18h since rainSandstone may still hold subsurface moistureHumidity 91% — potential fog
  • Hard sandstone climbs well when dry
Time °C Rain Wind Gust Hum
06:00 14° 0.13mm 4 0 97.5%
12:00 16° 0.03mm 8 0 91%
18:00 18° 0mm 8 0 81.5%
Tue Tuesday 18 August
Caution
Temp19°C
Rain0.2mm
Wind20 km/h
Gusts—
Humidity88%
Should be drySandstone may still hold subsurface moisture
  • Hard sandstone climbs well when dry
Time °C Rain Wind Gust Hum
06:00 16° 0.03mm 19 0 90.9%
12:00 19° 0.07mm 20 0 88.3%
18:00 18° 0mm 17 0 78.8%
Wed Wednesday 19 August
Caution
Temp19°C
Rain0.2mm
Wind10 km/h
Gusts—
Humidity69%
Should be drySandstone may still hold subsurface moisture
  • Hard sandstone climbs well when dry
Time °C Rain Wind Gust Hum
06:00 12° 0.13mm 5 0 91.1%
12:00 19° 0.1mm 10 0 68.5%
18:00 17° 0mm 14 0 66.2%
Thu Thursday 20 August
Poor
Temp19°C
Rain0.8mm
Wind12 km/h
Gusts—
Humidity64%
0.8mm rain forecastDo not climb wet sandstone
  • Wet sandstone is slippery — let the rock dry before leading
Time °C Rain Wind Gust Hum
06:00 11° 0.07mm 6 0 90.7%
12:00 19° 0.63mm 12 0 63.8%
18:00 16° 0.07mm 7 0 84.6%
Fri Friday 21 August
Poor
Temp17°C
Rain1.6mm
Wind5 km/h
Gusts—
Humidity69%
1.6mm rain forecastDo not climb wet sandstone
  • Wet sandstone is slippery — let the rock dry before leading
Time °C Rain Wind Gust Hum
06:00 11° 0.03mm 3 0 96.7%
12:00 17° 1.38mm 5 0 68.5%
18:00 15° 0.17mm 8 0 87.2%
Sat Saturday 22 August
Poor
Temp17°C
Rain1.9mm
Wind5 km/h
Gusts—
Humidity74%
1.9mm rain forecastDo not climb wet sandstone
  • Wet sandstone is slippery — let the rock dry before leading
Time °C Rain Wind Gust Hum
06:00 12° 0.08mm 11 0 96.4%
12:00 17° 1.75mm 5 0 73.6%
18:00 14° 0.05mm 6 0 92.8%
Sun Sunday 23 August
Poor
Temp14°C
Rain0.3mm
Wind17 km/h
Gusts—
Humidity90%
0.3mm rain forecastDo not climb wet sandstoneHumidity 90% — potential fog
  • Hard sandstone climbs well when dry
Time °C Rain Wind Gust Hum
06:00 10° 0.32mm 9 0 98.3%
12:00 14° 0mm 17 0 89.7%
Shaftoe Crags provides an expansive playground of scattered Fell Sandstone outcrops, bluffs, and isolated boulders perched across open Northumberland moorland. The rock varies from smooth, refined slabs to fiercely textured, wind-sculpted pockets and overhangs. With a general south-facing aspect and an elevated moorland position, the crag catches all available sunlight and dries swiftly, though winds can feel biting during winter months. Climbing spans all difficulty ranges, with an exceptional density of quality lower-to-mid E-grade trad lines and classic bouldering problems. Standout routes include The Back Step (VS 4c), Demon Wall (E5 6a), and The Midget (E1 5b). Access involves a scenic ten-to-fifteen-minute walk over gentle terrain from designated moorland parking spots. The single most crucial consideration at Shaftoe Crags is respecting livestock and land use; keeping dogs strictly under control and sticking to established paths prevents damage to sensitive moorland habitats and maintains good landowner relations.

About Shaftoe Crags

Shaftoe Crags provides an expansive playground of scattered Fell Sandstone outcrops, bluffs, and isolated boulders perched across open Northumberland moorland. The rock varies from smooth, refined slabs to fiercely textured, wind-sculpted pockets and overhangs. With a general south-facing aspect and an elevated moorland position, the crag catches all available sunlight and dries swiftly, though winds can feel biting during winter months. Climbing spans all difficulty ranges, with an exceptional density of quality lower-to-mid E-grade trad lines and classic bouldering problems. Standout routes include The Back Step (VS 4c), Demon Wall (E5 6a), and The Midget (E1 5b). Access involves a scenic ten-to-fifteen-minute walk over gentle terrain from designated moorland parking spots. The single most crucial consideration at Shaftoe Crags is respecting livestock and land use; keeping dogs strictly under control and sticking to established paths prevents damage to sensitive moorland habitats and maintains good landowner relations.

Region
Northumberland — Northumberland Grit
Rock type
sandstone
Aspect
south-facing
Altitude
210m
Exposure
medium
Seepage
low

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