[DAVETHOMAS90]

Sorry, I'm not going to reply directly to some of the great posts above, but it's always really good to be made aware of the state of crags out there, and other places - and the efforts made to clear them up. 

This post is about two years (really?!) overdue.

First of all, we've lost a Neil. If it's you, please 'fess up to an amazing effort, clearing the river bank at the end of Leyburn Road in Sheffield.

There are now a few separate groups of litter pickers in Sheffield, and certainly where we are in Nether Edge in Sheffield, there's an increase in efforts to protect the urban landscape.

A couple of years ago, I cleared the slope to the river Sheaf with Justin Petifer. We were planning to do this again, in conjunction with Sheffield litter pickers, but mystery Neil stepped in for a solo effort. I'll try to get more recent photos.

Here's Justin in 2019:





More rubbish collected by Sheffield Litter Pickers:







I know there are other climbers, active with the litter groups locally, and there are other groups campaigning successfully, to help preserve the river environment too.
 

[Andy B]

As a counterpoint to my last post on this thread, we saw a family on Sunday, doing a fantastic  job litter picking on the path to mother cap and the surprise view car park. They were there ages and gathered loads. The dad proudly told us that his daughter had ticked Conan too. If anyone knows them, give them a pat on the back.

[DAVETHOMAS90]

Yes Andy, that's a fantastic effort.
Great to hear   

I'd forgotten to mention Sam Thorn , who was also with us, at the river Sheaf a couple of years ago.

Sorry Sam!

[slab_happy]

Litter-picking beta:

I got a medium-sized bulldog clip and tied it to the strap of my rucksack so it hangs at my left hip.

You can clip a litter-bag in there and it holds the bag shut and leaves you with both hands free while you're walking, and it's easy to unclip the bag, stuff something in, and re-clip it again.

I tend to litter-pick my way back from crags and this makes it more convenient.

Updated beta!

I was getting through so many plastic bags (and starting to feel guilty about that, even with recycled ones) that I upgraded to an ultra-light cordura foldable bucket.

Waterproof so I can pick up drippy cans and so forth without having them leak all over my stuff, doesn't get ripped by pointy things or tear because of heavy things.

Further update: cordura bucket and broken kitchen tongs hung off a carabiner on my climbing rucksack, so I can pick up the discarded masks now littering the countryside.

[DAVETHOMAS90]

Remembering to go out with a bag makes a huge difference, and something I forget to do too often!

 

[steveri]

Rather than taking a bag out every blummin time, new mantra: take two things out. Gradual improvement, dead easy.

Feast of day up at Blackstone yesterday, great place. Happy with my haul of mid grade boulders. On the way out, little cleanup of the overchalked big hold by the trig.



Stopped to pick up some more litter on the walk out...



Doing the right thing is it's own reward. But also it's own reward.
 

[rginns]

Nice one Steve, bet it was mint up there yesterday, was there myself a couple of weeks ago, not a soul about.

[SA Chris]

Rather than taking a bag out every blummin time, new mantra: take two things out. Gradual improvement, dead easy.

https://beachclean.net/

This is a great way to do it. I usually carry what i can when walking out of the sea to the car after a surf.

[Dac]

Went for a walk up Roseberry Topping this morning (as my calf is currently too knackered for running). The wild garlic may only just be starting to bloom but it's already looking like a bumper year for that other woodland favourite - I collected 12 bags of dog shit on the way back down, plus 3 drinks bottles and a fag packet.

No photo I'm afraid; a man with a carrier bag of dog shit gets enough weird looks without then taking pictures of it.

[andy moles]

Today I carried down from Heather Terrace on Tryfan: one Regatta Festival pop-up tent, two bags of rubbish containing, among the obvious things like fag butts and drinks bottles, a near full box of teabags and another of coffee sachets, a kilogram bag of sugar, and a dressing gown.

There is still another tent up there, with the poles exploded out of it making them very awkward to carry (snapping them is probably the answer).

They failed to find a decent camping spot (I don't think there is one on the Heather Terrace), but they did pay homage to the place by trying to make a fire out of some sprigs of live heather.

[andy moles]

And while I'm at it, a couple of weeks ago when I pulled up at the Jerry's Roof layby in the Pass, there was a family having a barbecue on the other side of the wall, by the river. We smiled and nodded at each other and I said that smells good. Half an hour later, they drove away in their posh car, leaving two cooling disposable barbecues and every scrap of rubbish.

[mrjonathanr]

Last summer I saw a big Asian family group doing similarly a few yards up the road, over the wall from the Cromlech Boulders. There must have been 8-10 people and 2 or 3 barbecues on the go.

When they finally packed up they left the place spotless. 

[andy moles]

Last summer I saw a big Asian family group doing similarly a few yards up the road, over the wall from the Cromlech Boulders. There must have been 8-10 people and 2 or 3 barbecues on the go.

When they finally packed up they left the place spotless. 

It seems to be a thing, I've seen quite a few Asian families having picnics by the river in the Pass. Word must have got out in the community somewhere that it's a good scene.

[petejh]

It's the instagram alfresco tour - rock up to Pigeons Cave on the Orme for lunch on the scenic ledge. Dispose of lunch garbage into the sea. A post-lunch dip in the Llanberis Pass infinity pool is just the tonic for the 'gram.. before moving on to a riverside dinner under the Cromlech. Leave bag of dinner rubbish for the Llanberis Pass garbage collection authorities (that don't exist) to clear away. A quick turd under Cromlech Roof Crack (fair).. then back to Bolton for bedtime. Biased much? Yep. But it's how it is.   

[andy moles]

I actually stepped in a human turd at the Cromlech boulders last year. Inconsiderate fuck didn't leave a pile of bogroll to flag the spot. Unlike whoever's been using the Ultimate Retro Party facility lately, which looks like someone's shorn a sheep in there.

[Reprobate_Rob]

Walked round the top at the amazing tree boulder down Churnet last weekend and spotted the remains of a fire  and the resulting detritus shoved into a little cave. Came back yesterday with bags and friends and packed out a crate's worth of empty Stella bottles, same again of Desperados, BBQ grill, all the shit that goes with it and a sodden, rotting duvet  . Towers goers, going off the placcy bags also left behind. At least they made it easier for us to carry out for them.

[SA Chris]

This thread is good reminder to take the 3 plastic bottles out from my bouldering mat i picked up on the coast yesterday. They were pretty minging, I didn't check contents.