The superb castellated buttresses of Hen Cloud offer some of grit's finest crack climbs, and these include routes which are amongst the longest anywhere on grit. There are even some genuine multi-pitch climbs to savour. Perched above a steep bank, the positions are superb as is the outlook but, despite all these positives, the crag is rarely crowded. The climbs cover the grade spectrum and like the nearby crag of the Roaches, there is an excellent selection of lower grade climbs.
Basically the cliff is split in two by a diagonal grassy ramp which provides an easy descent. To the left of this are the longest routes on the cliff and, to the right, a fine wall gradually increasing in height from left to right, which swings round to face east. Both facets are split by a fine set of cracks and grooves. Over on the far left are some shorter walls and a trio of fine towers.