Wharncliffe Woods and Wharncliffe Crags, above the Don valley between Deepcar and Oughtibridge, draw mountain bikers, climbers and walkers all year round. In the last year we were called to Wharncliffe Woods four times: three times for injured mountain bikers and once to search for a missing person.
| Where | Above the Don valley between Deepcar, Wharncliffe Side and Oughtibridge, next to Greno Woods |
| Parking | Car park on Woodhead Road at the Grenoside side of the woods; climbers often use Station Road, Deepcar |
| Walking | Two waymarked trails, and the Trans Pennine Trail passes nearby |
| Riding | Forest tracks and many steep, technical downhill trails |
| Climbing | Wharncliffe Crags: over 2.5 km of edge, up to about 15 m high, a Site of Special Scientific Interest |
| Our incidents here | Four in the last year |
The map shows the general area only.
Mountain rescue is free. Call us early. If you or someone with you is lost, hurt or won’t get down before dark, dial 999 straight away. Don’t wait until things get worse: we would much rather come out early than too late.
Mountain biking
Wharncliffe’s downhill trails are steep, rocky and technical. Three of our four incidents here last year were for riders, including two riders hurt in the same incident and an injured e-bike rider.
- Ride within your ability and look at the steep sections before riding them.
- On an e-bike, remember the extra weight and speed, and that it is heavy to push back up.
- Wear a helmet, gloves and pads, and ride with a friend.
- If someone crashes, follow our crash advice for Greno Woods: the same applies here.
Climbing on Wharncliffe Crags
Wharncliffe is one of the birthplaces of British rock climbing. J W Puttrell was climbing here from 1885, and by the early 1900s it was one of the most popular crags in the country. Our own history includes it: in February 1974 the team’s predecessors were called to a climbing accident here.
- The rock is sandstone with sharp holds. Some routes are much harder than their height suggests.
- The boulders below the quieter buttresses are awkward to cross, especially in the dark or in the wet.
- Know your descent, and climb with someone who knows what to do if you fall.
- Read about the 1974 rescue in our history.
Walking
- The woods are a big area of similar-looking forest tracks. Note the colour of the waymarked trail you are on.
- Keep away from the crag edge, especially with children and dogs.
- If someone in your group is missing, call 999 early. We would much rather start looking in daylight.
If something goes wrong
- For an injury in the woods, dial 999 and ask for the Police, then Mountain Rescue. The ambulance service may take the call, and will ask for us if the person needs carrying out.
- If someone is missing or lost, ask for the Police.
- Give the trail name or crag buttress, the nearest car park or road, and a what3words address or grid reference.
When we're called here
We have been called to Wharncliffe Woods and Crags 30 times since 2021. 23 of those were for mountain bikers.
Counted from our incident records since 2021 and updated every night. Locations are recorded to about 1 km, so a few incidents just outside Wharncliffe Woods and Crags may be included. See every incident in our incident log.
Our recent incidents at Wharncliffe
- 5 Jul 2026: Injured mountain biker
- 10 May 2026: Two injured mountain bikers
- 7 Mar 2026: Injured e-bike rider
- 7 Feb 2026: Missing person search
About this advice
Written by the volunteers of Woodhead Mountain Rescue Team, from our own experience of incidents on these moors and woods. The incident figures come from our incident log.
More safety advice
- Greno Woods mountain biking
- Mountain biking safety
- In an emergency: what to tell the operator
- What to bring: our kit checklist
- Our incident log: every job we have been called to
See where we work on Our area, and read about recent rescues in our incident log.