Raven Tor is the most famous Tor in the Peak - even the French have heard of this one! Its fame mostly results from the sheer number of dramatic hard routes it has produced over the years. Almost every wave of development in climbing standards in Britain has produced a route at this crag: The Prow, once proclaimed as the hardest route in the world; Revelations, one of the first 8a+\'s in the world; Hubble, the world\'s first 9a; and now Mutation.
Unlike many steep limestone crags in Yorkshire, France or Spain, the very hard routes at Raven Tor tend to be more bouldery and powerful, with short but intensely difficult sequences rather than sustained stamina plods. This makes repeats of the top routes rarer since you can\'t just get fitter, you need to get stronger as well.
The routes a grade or two below the top routes are now used as training pieces by local climbers. Sardine and its many variations have become somewhat polished over the years, but should still be regarded as excellent worthwhile challenges by any aspiring sport climber. Indecent Exposure and Body Machine are both fine, sustained lines and The Prow itself is probably the best of the lot, offering a great free route up the centre of the crag. In more recent years new routing has slowed down, but a lot of link-ups have been added, some of which are better than their originals.
For the less experienced climber, Raven Tor has little to offer except big grades to ogle at. Boulderers will find plenty to keep them busy, especially on the right-hand side of the crag.