This week’s video is straight from the Churnet Valley where Lattice Training team members, Ollie Torr, Madeleine Cope and Rhoslyn Frugtniet explore the area’s most popular spots. Churnet’s sandstone conglomerate offers an exceptionally diverse style of climbing with pockets, slopers and minuscule pebbles all contributing to some truly unique problems. Like St. Bees in the woods, Churnet has a bit of everything for everyone. Highlights of the video include Wright’s Unconquerable (7A+), a competition style bloc with an awesome jump, and The Mentalist (7C), a hideously difficult roof bloc on undercuts and crimps.

Found just south of the Peak District and perched on the doorstep of Alton Towers theme park, the Lower Churnet Valley features some of the best bouldering the Peak has to offer. As we approach the bouldering season, this spot is definitely worth adding to the destination list although, being sandstone, it’s worth waiting for a particularly dry spell of weather – sandstone is incredibly fragile, especially when wet. More information can be found in Stuart Brooks’ 2015 guide, Churnet Bouldering, which comprehensively details each of Churnet’s key areas and some newly developed spots. The guide features crucial information around access and rock maintenance so be sure to grab a copy if you fancy visiting - I know I do!