Climbing Forecast › Northumberland — Northumberland Grit › St Cuthbert's Cave Crag

NORTHUMBERLAND — NORTHUMBERLAND GRIT · SANDSTONE

St Cuthbert's Cave Crag climbing conditions

Caution — drying out or marginal

Right now

Temp11°C
Wind13 km/h
Gusts19 km/h
Humidity72.2%
Rain 48h0.3mm
Last rain32h ago

Assessment

Should be dry
Sandstone may still hold subsurface moisture

7-day forecast

Scroll through each day — hourly detail is shown inline.

Today Monday 28 September
Caution
Temp0°C
Raindry
Wind13 km/h
Gusts19 km/h
Humidity72%
Should be drySandstone may still hold subsurface moisture
  • Hard sandstone climbs well when dry
Time °C Rain Wind (km/h) Gust Hum
10:00 — dry — — null%
18:00 11° dry 13 — 72.2%
19:00 10° dry 14 — 79.3%
20:00 10° dry 14 — 87.1%
21:00 10° dry 16 — 91.9%
Tue Tuesday 29 September
Caution
Temp15°C
Rain0.2mm
Wind34 km/h
Gusts—
Humidity81%
Should be drySandstone may still hold subsurface moisture
  • Hard sandstone climbs well when dry
  • Breezy — helps drying
Time °C Rain Wind (km/h) Gust Hum
06:00 10° dry 23 — 94.1%
07:00 11° dry 26 — 91.7%
08:00 13° dry 26 — 87.9%
09:00 14° dry 30 — 82.9%
10:00 15° dry 32 — 76%
11:00 15° dry 32 — 73.4%
12:00 16° dry 35 — 76.3%
13:00 15° dry 36 — 80.6%
14:00 16° dry 35 — 81.8%
15:00 15° dry 32 — 89.4%
16:00 15° dry 34 — 91.8%
17:00 15° dry 33 — 95.2%
18:00 15° dry 34 — 97.4%
19:00 15° dry 34 — 96.8%
20:00 15° dry 36 — 98.6%
21:00 15° dry 34 — 98.2%
Wed Wednesday 30 September
Poor
Temp20°C
Rain3mm
Wind20 km/h
Gusts—
Humidity67%
3.2mm rain forecastDo not climb wet sandstone
  • Wet sandstone is slippery — let the rock dry before leading
Time °C Rain Wind (km/h) Gust Hum
06:00 17° 0.8mm 32 — 93.6%
07:00 17° 2mm 34 — 93.5%
08:00 17° 0.2mm 37 — 94.2%
09:00 18° dry 32 — 93.3%
10:00 19° dry 22 — 87.5%
11:00 19° dry 17 — 75.3%
12:00 20° dry 18 — 66.3%
13:00 21° dry 21 — 62.7%
14:00 21° dry 22 — 57.7%
15:00 20° dry 21 — 58%
16:00 19° dry 20 — 60.4%
17:00 18° dry 18 — 66.3%
18:00 16° dry 15 — 73.5%
19:00 15° dry 13 — 79.6%
20:00 14° dry 13 — 82.9%
21:00 14° dry 12 — 84.4%
Thu Thursday 1 October
Caution
Temp17°C
Raindry
Wind17 km/h
Gusts—
Humidity61%
Should be drySandstone may still hold subsurface moisture
  • Hard sandstone climbs well when dry
Time °C Rain Wind (km/h) Gust Hum
06:00 9° dry 12 — 95.7%
12:00 17° dry 17 — 61%
18:00 13° dry 12 — 74%
Fri Friday 2 October
Poor
Temp17°C
Rain0.7mm
Wind25 km/h
Gusts—
Humidity74%
0.7mm rain forecastDo not climb wet sandstone
  • Wet sandstone is slippery — let the rock dry before leading
  • Breezy — helps drying
Time °C Rain Wind (km/h) Gust Hum
06:00 12° 0.2mm 19 — 85.8%
12:00 17° 0.3mm 25 — 74.3%
18:00 14° 0.2mm 12 — 91.1%
Sat Saturday 3 October
Caution
Temp14°C
Raindry
Wind19 km/h
Gusts—
Humidity61%
Should be drySandstone may still hold subsurface moisture
  • Hard sandstone climbs well when dry
Time °C Rain Wind (km/h) Gust Hum
06:00 10° dry 18 — 93.3%
12:00 14° dry 19 — 61.1%
18:00 11° dry 9 — 71.3%
Sun Sunday 4 October
Caution
Temp16°C
Raindry
Wind22 km/h
Gusts—
Humidity72%
Should be drySandstone may still hold subsurface moisture
  • Hard sandstone climbs well when dry
  • Breezy — helps drying
Time °C Rain Wind (km/h) Gust Hum
06:00 8° dry 9 — 87.8%
12:00 16° dry 22 — 71.8%
18:00 14° dry 17 — 87.7%
Mon Monday 5 October
Good
Temp19°C
Raindry
Wind31 km/h
Gusts—
Humidity67%
Should be dry
  • Hard sandstone climbs well when dry
  • Breezy — helps drying
Time °C Rain Wind (km/h) Gust Hum
06:00 15° dry 22 — 86.9%
12:00 19° dry 31 — 67.4%
18:00 15° dry 14 — 85.5%

About St Cuthbert's Cave Crag

St Cuthbert's Cave Crag features striking Fell Sandstone overhangs and pillars surrounding the historic cave shelter associated with St Cuthbert. The rock is solid and characterful, featuring deep pockets, smooth scoops, and dramatic roof features. Facing south within a sheltered woodland setting at modest elevation, the crag enjoys sun while remaining protected from bitter winds, though shade from trees can delay drying after wet weather. The climbing style is physical and steep, offering high-quality traditional routes and hard bouldering testpieces across mid-to-high grades. Notable lines include Cuthbert's Wall (E1 5b) and The Cave Route (VS 4c). The approach takes fifteen minutes along a pleasant, signposted foot-path from the National Trust car park. The paramount factor is cultural and environmental respect; the cave is a historical site, so soft shoe ethics, clean gear use, and zero chalk damage are strictly expected.

Region
Northumberland — Northumberland Grit
Rock type
Sandstone
Aspect
south-facing
Altitude
150m
Exposure
low
Seepage
low

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