A Major Grouse at the Grouse...

Usually a pint in the Grouse Inn follows a stomp with Theo dog, and today was no exception - however we were greeted by the sad news that our four legged friend is no longer allowed, nay accepted in the bar. 

An outcast in his own local we left in disgust, as a long time local and supporter of the Grouse I find this most destroying - the foodies have complained about dogs in the pub.

Well I'm sorry but he was a paying customer that you have inadvertently discriminated against and lost a few few fellow customers in the process... a pub of traditional dog lovers - I hope little Bo dog in the annex doesn't get too upset by this decision as we are...

Four Legs good, Four Wheels bad...

I once got into very hot water, scalding in fact, on the issue of 4x4 use in the Peak District, when my name appeared in the national press, via a newspaper supporting a letter of harrumph towards a local authority.

The ramifications have never quite blown over, yet since, I have kept my red faced head down, when it come to all matters motorised vehicles on green lanes and byways, despite my seething utter disgust and loathing of the 4X4's belching over our National Parks.

Time and tide and all that, and this year I was invited by a fellow outdoor enthusiast and leading member of the Friends of the Peak District to attend a March against 4x4 use, up to Stanage Pole on the behalf of the British Mountaineering Council as an Access representative.

I seem to remember going quite pale at the request and I fobbed like one has never fobbed before, blustering and flustering a response of polite thanks, but no thanks. Attempts to encourage, included the fact that it would be filmed for both a BBC documentary and the Regional TV station Look North (or Look Leeds as we call it in Sheffield).

This only provided my alabaster, ashen face to turn a shade of pale that Procal Harum could never have envisaged, before my head fell off. Now the geezer that approached me is a good egg, a stout fellow and a kindred spirit when it comes to matters in the Peak District, yet I had to again say for reasons of politics, blahdy blah and my mangled, grossly deformed half chewed ear…no...

The world turned a few times and I was lobbied further, this time as an official photographer for the day, no badges or logo’s, organisations or politics, just a freelance snapper doing a gig for the love of it all.

The strings of my heart had been finely tuned and played like a good Fender Stratocaster, I had swallowed the sinker along with the hook and the line. However I needed tread carefully up the hill from Redmires Reservoirs up to Stanage as I shot frame after frame of rally supporters against the 4x4’s. A hand full of the latter of which decided to follow us up to the pole. If I could have worn a Groucho Marks disguise type mask, I surely would.

The Rally went well and pretty much without incident and I made it down from Stanage with the Peak district area Ranger discussing the problems that he faces with the 4x4’s using the long causeway at Stanage.

The local press did their thing and the BBC documentary was shown in October. A toothless affair caught up in red tape and committees with little or no substance I thought and the issue was parked as far as I was concerned.

Now I often get urges, like we all do and last weekend I had an urge to walk the Houndkirk byway through sheer curiosity. Not really for any reason but for to walk Theo dog and to see how the walkers, mountain bikers and the motorised folk are playing up there.

To be proactive is better than being reactive and I thought it prudent to get a view of the current state of play on Houndkirk before I entered into any hyperbole with interested parties moving forward for access issues.

Mountain bikes whizzed past as Theo and I tramped over the moor, past the area where the decoy city lights were deployed during the 2^nd World War. The dog walkers were out in force and a few motorbikes chugged by as we journeyed towards Ringinglow with the sun dipping down over the crest of Burbage Valley.

Crap from motorised vehicles was strewn about the road, the gritstone walls decimated from stone taken for the road to help stuck vehicles and the fence flattened for the enjoyment of some utterly vile petrol (shit) heads.

I finished the walk into Sheffield down the pleasant Limb Valley, thankfully free from man made detritus pondering on the state of things.

I tend to pick my battles that I want to win, but sometimes, they choose me instead and I then have to assess how the land literally lies. The conclusion is neither earth shattering, or of major consequence on core values and opinion. I detest 4X4’s and I still think they have no place in a National Park. I think I will hold this opinion no matter what, however much I am allowed to voice it.

I will stop short of some of the expletives that some of my colleagues choose to label the 4x4 fraternity, however one memorable exchange between a climber and a petrol head went something like this:

“Isn’t what your doing illegal?”

“No”

“Well it f*****g well ought to be…”

 Quite...

Eastern Moors crag plan underway

The new BMC crag management plan for the Eastern Moors Estate is underway, with woodland management starting next month.

On 22nd September, BMC Peak Area Access Representatives Adam Long and Simon Jacques met with Danny Udall, Site Manager, Kim Strawbridge, Warden and Andrew Carson, Warden, for a site visit on the Curbar/Froggatt escarpment.

The meeting was to commence the implementation of the BMC’s Crag Management Plan for the area and detailed woodland surveillance in line with the Eastern Moors Partnership’s woodland management document.

The crag management plan was prepared by the BMC Eastern Moors sub Group. The plan had been submitted to the Eastern Moors Partnership and the Stakeholder forum and following its agreement, is now being successfully rolled out on the eastern moors and the gritstone edges.

Starting the day at Warren Lodge at Curbar the team went through the plans of the woodland management from Curbar to Froggatt and the details of the woodland grant that has been approved to carry out the work of preserving and managing the woodland beneath and above the crags.

The team visited the Trackside boulder at Curbar and agreed that although the carpet of wood chippings beneath the boulder were initially a good idea, a longer-term erosion plan needed to be implemented. This will involve the chippings being scraped out and gritstone hardcore being placed down as per the plantation at Stanage, with volunteers being asked to help.

During the site visit, the team walked over the edges and discussed areas on the crags where there would be a case for the thinning of the higher line of trees and the sympathetic management of silver birch removal, with a promotion of Oakland woodland regen.

The crags are to be opened up for better views from both the Derwent valley and from the edges themselves. Areas such as Rumble Wall at Curbar and Froggatt in the woods will be thinned at buttress sites and on the top of the edge.

The team also noted a marked change, following the removal of sheep grazing on the edges, of bell heather regeneration around the crags along with small oak and rowan saplings with gorse making a welcome come back and many signs of deer tracks throughout the walk.

Following an invite, Danny and his team are happy to attend the BMC Peak Area meeting in February, to touch base and take questions from the attendees and canvass any volunteers that are willing to help on the estate.

The woodland management work is due to start in November 2011 until February 2012 in it’s first year of five. The BMC will be closely working with the Eastern Moors partnership during this time.

Horseshoe Conservation Day

Saturday 15th October saw the inaugural Horseshoe Crag Care Day. A motley band of volunteers descended on Stoney Middleton quarry, armed with a pretty comprehensive list of tasks.

To give a bit of background, the BMC acquired Horseshoe Quarry, for use as a recreation and conservation site, in 2004. The BMC's ownership of the crag sought to ensure long-term access to this important bolted limestone venue in the Peak.

Ownership and management of this SSSI means that everything done on site has to be consented by Natural England. Key features of the BMC’s management plan are to retain and enhance the character of a site which offers every habitat, from bare areas to climax vegetation. This involves shrub clearance, woodland management and improving wetland areas.

Peak Area Access Co-ordinator Henry Folkard invited a team of Access volunteers from Sheffield University to help with the work. Together with Access Representative Simon Jacques, he co-ordinated a large team spread throughout the quarry.
As BMC members also came on the day to volunteer their services, work began on the little-known upper land to the right of the quarry, raking a large area of cut grass, digging up tuft grass, trimming sloe bushes and dismantling the ‘Ray Mears’ shelter that had been built in the summer, and tidying up the hacked trees that were sacrificed for this.

Other teams cut back trees around the pond and removed pondweed, whilst important bramble removal work on top of the zigzags took place, helping encourage the wild orchid population. Sapling and bramble removal took place round the base of the crag and climbs, and litter and broken glass was removed, all six bags of it. Lots of flammable stuff was burnt and the day was finished off with a huge picnic for the volunteers, consisting all you could want in an outdoor feed.
The BMC would again like to thank Lucy Graham and the Sheffield University Access Team for some sterling work.

Want to volunteer?
The BMC is always on the look out for volunteers to help at Horseshoe with the ongoing conservation of the site. If you are interested please get in touch with the office.

 

 

 

Reaching frontiers on a crag nothing like any other... a new route is pioneered by a member of the BMC guide team on Ashop Edge - Kinder North Edges.

 

The lonely world of Kinder Scout is a wild and wonderous place. You feel at your most vunerable tackling these test peices which loom over the clough. 

 

The Northern edges of Kinder spark magic in your soul and the challenges are there to be taken. Its a world away from the cresche of Froggatt & Stanage - wild art taking you to a fulfillment that lingers.

 

The BMC guide team have hit the crag with gusto - and after many lessons - returned with new climbs and a respect for these barrren edges that slowly kick your derriere...

 

Life in Kinder is an experience in itself - seek it out & live it - its life affirming and shows you yourself for who you are - enjoy the silence...

 

Look out for the new BMC Guide book "Over the Moors" in 2012...

Get off the beaten track... & feel the freedom...

Si

Edale Mountain Rescue – 9 Edges Challenge 2011

The training had gone well until the last week prior to the challenge. Never have I had an achilles problems until now, apart from trying to learn the Bob Dylan classic “Temporary like Achilles”.

I hoped and prayed that this affliction was just that…

I have wrote before that exhaustion does funny things to ones spacial awareness, and indeed it does as we trampled over moor & heather on the 2011 Nine Edges Endurance Challenge.

Russ and I had made it to Baslow Edge, but with feet stinging like a jellyfish, and after Severn edges and Severn climbs; my brain had started to break up like a smashed crab.

The morning has begun crisp dry and very healthy as we set off at 07:30am from Fairholmes Car Park at Derwent Resevoir, up the big hill towards Dovestones Edge. This was the start of the 3^rd challenge I had accepted for Edale Mountain Rescue - a 23-mile choice of hiking/biking and or climbing each edge from Derwent to Birchin Edge, finishing at the Robin Hood Pub.

I opted to hike & not climb – that was Russ’s job. However my job was to be Wingman Goose to his Pilot Maverick (Top Gun Fans). We made it up to Back Tor in good time and Russ soloed a nice Severe in his big boots, and that set the scene for our yomp down Stanage.

Stanage is a long edge, walk it sometime and marvel on how diverse it is – one thing though, it really does trash your feet!

We ate jellybabies religiously stomping over to Burbage and then to the Grouse Inn, where we avoided the tempting foaming pints in favour of bananas & more jelly babies!

Froggatt and Curbar. A hastily re-arranged route for Russ was the classic Doglegged Crack – (VD) and we struggled on towards Baslow where it all started to go wrong... again…

Russ had just climbed Wobble Block (D) and after some brief moments of respite, I realised my legs had stopped working and no longer wished to carry on…

That was the beginning of the end. My Dad had just finished the hike and was on his first pint – and so decided to ring me at that point to gloat about how good it tasted… Thanks for the support Dad… We were by now mentally shagged and managed to stumble on to Gardoms.

This was whereabouts Russ’s Brain decided to take charge and lead him in the direction of Birchin Edge – it was clearly not wanting to take in a climb at Gardoms! I eventually after much protestation, managed to direct him to the actual direction of the Crag and on to NMC Crack (VD). After knocking the bastard off – we trudged painfully up to Birchin where Russ just managed Trafalgar Crack / Wall (VD).

The Walk down from the crag to the Robin Hood Pub, was again physically the hardest thing I have ever had to do, and the sight of the end and the pub was so welcome!

Pint in hand and new Nine Edges T-Shirts, we started to dream of hot baths and take in what we had just achieved and the reasons for actually doing it.

That being the great work that Mountain Rescue do and I would bet that pretty much everyone who reads this will either have been rescued or know someone who has needed their service at some point. To get involved in the Nine Edges Endurance Challenge for Edale Mountain Rescue 2012 keep an eye out for registration in the New Year at: www.nineedges.co.uk Will we do it again next year in 2012? You bet! But get your registration in ASAP - It gets full quick!

An Alien On The White Coast - Costa Blanca Bouldering

Think of Costa Blanca and to most it will conjure images of crag after impressive limestone crag, safe bolted routes and a large quantity of unclimbed cliffs. However, taking into consideration that the Spanish have only developed the crags nearest to the road, it's always been presumed that they are hardly likely to walk miles just for some 'trivial' bouldering, as such, subsequently the region has never really been associated with bloc sport.

However this is now changing with more and more people out for a quick fix on a Family Holiday, or to entertain the most diehard of climbers on a rest day.

My first trip to the Costa Blanca saw me at the Orange House activity centre, fishing for any bouldering possibilities the area had to offer, which no one could quite believe given the classic crags of Sella and Toix a stones throw away and the huge Mountain of the Puig Campagnia towering over me.

Eventually, I was shown El beach Paradiso, a nudist beach at Villajoysa. The problems had big 'blobby' holds and some impressive over hanging caves which looked like they had potential. However after breaking off a hold the size of a shoebox, I ended up cracking my head on the only rock on the beach and ended up with 8 metal staples, however, my resolve, if not my head, remained intact to find some quality bouldering problems!

Fast forward five months later, another trip to the Orange House and this time seasoned ex pat Al Evans, sympathising with my love of bouldering and sniffing out anything new, told me of some fine bouldering that he had discovered in the area.

First was the beach at Denia (near Les Rotes) Platja Les Arenetes, which on first impressions does not look like much. However as soon as you are on the sands with the small, overhanging, perfectly formed crag, it becomes apparent that the venue could have been designed by Bendcrete. A perfect set of pockets and pinches on a sweep of browny rock...which was duly, allowed grit status. There's a lot more potential here too. The crag seems to peter out with bad landings but further on, lies a large secret cave to discover and enjoy. All in all it's a lovely place to boulder - with the waves lapping against the shore - it's perhaps the perfect place for a family to go or for a rest day.

To whet my appetite further, I had been promised bigger and better things to come and so we made our way to Montessa. The crag stands proudly next to the ruins of the castle above its namesake town, and although the bouldering there has in the past been largely ignored in the guides, we were fortunate to find there is a guide available in the town from Camil's Rock bar. The guide “La Mola de Montessa” contains both climbing and the 40 strong bouldering problems and a percentage of sales goes towards the bolt fund out there.

After a warm up route, I went in search of a boulder or two and was not disappointed when I rounded a corner from the buttress of El Tormo Gros, to see a pristine hulk of prime limestone begging to be climbed! There followed a session that seemed strange to the sport routers. Clearly some had never seen a bouldering mat before and questioned my motivation – and for a few, brief moments, before topping out on a few great problems, perhaps I did too...

Yet there was still more to be found. As I left, I got a tip-off about some boulders in the woods below Olta. That settled it and five months later and I was there again going through customs to Alicante, sans rack but with bouldering mat firmly attached and getting questioned why I had a fold out bed with me on the way to Spain.

Olta has a great Font feel about it, with the boulders spread out in amongst the forest and (oddly) has a slight touch of Wimberry too, as the further up the hillside you head, the more the perfect formed blocs unveil themselves as you slog up to the crag.

The opening of the Blocs has been mostly of the exploratory type, and there's still lots to go at for the bouldering faithful, some highball nastiness, overhanging crimping and heady slab fests on perfect Blanca fluted - pocketed - sharp limestone.

There are other areas that have been documented on the White Coast including a secret roof that has been developed by the Edward's and is said to be nails. There are various other boulders developed by locals, Al Evans and others, which until the projects are completed, remain secret between those in the know. The obvious car park boulder at Sella however, is one you will all see out there and now contains a few fun lines for the boulderer.

If you fancy something different to the usual clip ups on the white coast, I guarantee that the venues mentioned here will not disappoint. Best interspersed with the routes, the circuits are fun and I haven't even mentioned the sublime deep water bouldering at Cala Moirag down the coast from Toix at Cumbre de la Sol, above the beautiful aqua marine Mediterranean that simply takes your breath away....