Best climbing in the UK part 2

Part one of this three part series showed you Dancing Ledge in Dorset, the Idwal Slabs in Snowdonia and finally Brimham Rocks in Yorkshire. The UK is packed with fun boulders, steep cliff faces and to top it off, you can often find very gentle and mild weather here, which is the perfect accompaniment to climbing. Although yes, there will be some rainy days, climbing in the UK in Spring and Summer (if the weather holds out for you) can be amongst the best in Europe. Part one looked at the Dorset coastline and more, and part three will look at climbing in Cheddar Gorge and other locations.

Stanage Edge - Derbyshire

This is the perfect place to find incredible views, remarkable colours and great climbing for relative beginners. These 23 metre high cliffs are fairly simple to climb and don't require a great degree of technical skill, but simple safety precautions are always clever. There are more than 1000 different bouldering and climbing routes for avid climbers, and all surrounded by incredible views.

You will need to take care of the wildlife here, as there are quite a few spots where birds have made nests, so check out your route before you start climbing and do your best not to stick your fingers in any nests!

Stanage Edge

Stanage Edge, Hope Valley S32 1BR, UK

Huntsman's Leap - Pembrokeshire

First sight of this cliff gap will fill most people with fear, but if you're a climber, it will probably fill you with giddy excitement and nerves! The legend is that a hunter attempted to jump the gap between the two sides of the cliff, not knowing how far it really was, and when he landed safely on the other side, died of shock upon seeing how crazy the jump was. Whether that's true or not, these two steep sided cliff faces make for the perfect oceanside climbing

You can see a photo of the gap in the link above (credit to @georginajeremiah) - climbing here is a unique experience, and this is one of those places where great climbing combines perfectly with incredible views and nature. It's advised that you are a fairly experienced climber to be safe here, so it's not for beginners.

Huntsman's Leap

Pembroke Dock, Pembroke SA72 6DY, UK

Malham Cove - Yorkshire

Looking like an ideal film set, this gorgeous overhanging cliff looks out over a flat plain, with the pretty little Malham Beck (stream/river) below. Harry Potter visited this location in the first Deathly Hallows movie, and it's been used in many other series and movies, due to the unique atmosphere and fantastic mottled grey and green colours. The feature was carved out of the rock by a huge waterfall which still runs when the rains are particularly heavy (and it's the highest single drop waterfall in the UK).

The climbing here is pretty advanced, with some difficult overhangs, rough rocks and plenty of water running when the weather isn't great. But, the location is stunning, it's easy to get to and the climbing is fantastic.

Malham Cove

Malham Cove, Skipton BD23 4DJ, UK