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Bearacleave Bovey Woods access issues (Read 6368 times)

shark

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Bearacleave Bovey Woods access issues
February 25, 2017, 09:57:18 am
Thread on ukc:  https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=659102&v=1#x8505060

OP

Evening folks,

There have been a few recent issues brought up at Bearacleave plantation in Bovey Woods, Dartmoor and these are likely to threaten future access unless addressed promptly.

Bouldering here has seen a surge in popularity in the last year and the increased numbers of people using the woods has led to some complaints from local landowners and the NT are now looking into it.

Please please please:

Parking is a massive issue here due to the narrow lanes, minimal spaces and busy farm use. Please consider car sharing - there is a large layby on the Moretonhampstead road as you drive out of Bovey from the fire station. Please park here and take 1 car up to the woods. The Dartmoor guide has clear details of the parking arrangements here so please follow them. Alternatively use the Stonelands parking approach for Bearacleave (described in the guide as the approach for the BBB) as there are more spaces there. If there aren't any spaces (on the weekend it's busy with walkers) then head up to the moor instead.

There has been an issue with litter and finger tape etc under quite a few problems recently. Most litter probably isn't climbers' doing but WE WILL be blamed for it as an easy scapegoat. If you see any litter please pick it up and leave the area as tidy as possible.

There have been complaints raised regarding cleaning of boulders and chalk. Non-climbers find this unsightly and it's up to us to keep it to a minimum. Please don't de-veg any boulders in the vicinity of the main walkers' paths and clean off excess chalk especially tick marks. The woods are a very special area and conservationists take a dim view of cleaning boulders which in their mind should be left 'unspoilt'.

There has been complaints of lanterns in the woods. As the access situation here is sensitive please do not use lanterns at night here. They draw attention to what is going on in the woods and here that is the last thing we need.

There has been a challenge recently when some people were stopped by a farmer as they walked across his field. Please stay within the boundary of the woods and do not trespass on private property or farmland. The Dartmoor guide details the permitted routes through the woods so please stick to these and don't cross any fences etc.

The access situation here is sensitive and tenuous at best. Please be extremely discreet and try to leave no trace of activity. Future access depends on this. Bouldering development has been going on here for over a decade without a problem but access is now in jeopardy. Please help us keep from losing this very special area.

Thank you all.

James.

Three Nine

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#1 Re: Bearacleave Bovey Woods access issues
February 25, 2017, 01:43:41 pm
Why the hell do people feel the need to publish guidebooks?!

shark

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#2 Re: Bearacleave Bovey Woods access issues
February 25, 2017, 02:09:16 pm
Why the hell do people feel the need to publish guidebooks?!

To share the love  :hug:

BrutusTheBear

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#3 Re: Bearacleave Bovey Woods access issues
February 25, 2017, 02:36:22 pm
The woods have been noticeably busier at weekends since the release of the guidebook ('tis a nice guide though).  Before it was the usual suspects from the local scene, now there are loads (relatively speaking) of teams operating in the woods at the weekend.  Hopefully it'll calm down in the future.  If things do go tits up, it will only back up the case for keeping information to the minimum and leaving places like the woods under the radar. 
Over the 13 years I have lived in Devon I have gradually fallen in love with the woodland bouldering on Dartmoor.  Part of the love is the sense of adventure/isolation seeking out boulders that are out of the way and take some effort to get to.

On that note, it ain't all about Bovey Woods.  So if you turn up at Bovey and the parking is rammed there are countless other wooded areas in the guide that are equally good if not better...  Lustleigh Cleave,  Gidleigh Woods, Cartoonlands, Wray Cleave, Becka Brook, The Orgasmatron....etc etc.  Spread the load.

 :guilty: Have had some lantern sessions recently but not at the Bearacleave/Stonelands end, try to keep a low profile but point noted. 




BrutusTheBear

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#4 Re: Bearacleave Bovey Woods access issues
February 25, 2017, 02:43:05 pm
Presumably three nine aka neta troll is having a little dig as James is probably The James that is responsible for the guidebook.

I will share the op on the Dartmoor bouldering facebook group.

Three Nine

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#5 Re: Bearacleave Bovey Woods access issues
February 25, 2017, 03:49:37 pm
Chief among the joys of the woods was getting lost and wandering about aimlessly for hours before you have to ring Tom for a rescue.

I've not bought the guide, does it have stuff like Jay-Z in it?

BrutusTheBear

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#6 Re: Bearacleave Bovey Woods access issues
February 25, 2017, 04:06:40 pm
I don't own it either but have flicked through a copy.  Think JZ is in it but unless you have the wingspan of an Albatross may not be worth applying!
Getting lost stumbling about the woods is part of the charm.  The best one I've heard is Mikey's epic when he put his kit down (school boy error) and went for a 'wander', several hours later with light fading he still hadn't found his way back to his kit!

Three Nine

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#7 Re: Bearacleave Bovey Woods access issues
February 25, 2017, 04:15:30 pm
I don't own it either but have flicked through a copy.  Think JZ is in it but unless you have the wingspan of an Albatross may not be worth applying!
Getting lost stumbling about the woods is part of the charm.  The best one I've heard is Mikey's epic when he put his kit down (school boy error) and went for a 'wander', several hours later with light fading he still hadn't found his way back to his kit!

I don't need a guide for Jay-Z (for the record, it is do-able for the shorter climber using the undercut in the middle of the face), just wondered how comprehensive the guide is.

shark

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#8 Re: Bearacleave Bovey Woods access issues
February 25, 2017, 04:31:20 pm
 I don't know how comprehensive it is but there is a thread on ukc complaining that some trad routes and crags are missing and Tom Rainbow blogged about a fair bit of the bouldering not making the cut https://tomrainbow99.wordpress.com/2016/12/20/woodland-bouldering-on-dartmoor-the-gift-that-keeps-on-giving/

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#9 Re: Bearacleave Bovey Woods access issues
February 25, 2017, 06:08:20 pm
New guide is good, I haven't actually had chance to use it yet due to a recent fatherhood event but I've enjoyed looking through it and getting a bit of motivation. Pretty much essential for the south west climber surely? It isn't comprehensive, especially for the woods, but I would say it has almost everything that is worthwhile for anyone other than obsessive locals. My only problem with it was a tendency for hyperbole, (Combeshead 'one of the best bouldering areas in the country'  :-\ ) which may lead to disappointment for some. Overall though it's great.

BrutusTheBear

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News from Bendy Hendy. More Access issues at Bovey Woods (Bearacleave) and somewhere else.

DARTMOOR WOODLAND ACCESS
As a further development to already publicised issues at Bearacleave, the National Trust (landowners and land managers of various Dartmoor woodland venues) have become increasingly concerned about the impact of boulderers. To avoid a deterioration of the currently very sensitive situation please could everyone make sure they adhere to the following:
- do not clean any new boulders at any established or new venues. This includes re-cleaning boulders that have previously been climbed but become overgrown. (Note: this is covered by a bylaw detailed on signage at National Trust owned sites stating "No unauthorised person shall dig up or remove, cut, fell, pluck or injure any flowers, plants, fungi, moss, ferns, shrubs, trees or other vegetation growing on NT property’’)
- minimise your impact by not leaving any litter or excessive chalk (this has been notable of late on several problems).
- NO FURTHER CLIMBING AT ‘THE GOLDILOCKS ZONE’ (in the Chagford area) - this area will be closely monitored.
It is also worth keeping in mind that climbing in large groups will have more impact than smaller groups and climbing at night with lamps can be both noticeable and concerning to local residents.
From a practical point of view and from a boulderer’s perspective it would be wise to concentrate traffic on the better problems the woodland areas have to offer as continued use of these will keep them in a climbable condition.
Thanks in advance for your help - this is important!
Dave Henderson

shark

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From the latest BMC Access and Conservation newsletter

SOUTH WEST: Dartmoor Bouldering
The National Trust, who own a large number of the high quality climbing and bouldering venues on Dartmoor have recently raised some serious concerns about bouldering access. These are focussed on the over cleaning of problems, as well as a number of other issues such as poor parking, litter, excess chalk use and night time bouldering at various sites around the Dartmoor area. It’s worth keeping a low profile across the area so as not to affect landowners and other users. Removing chalk before moving on to the next problem, parking well (avoiding blocking gates, driveways or roads), taking litter home and giving serious consideration to where is appropriate for lantern sessions (night bouldering) will all help to maintain access at the many fantastic venues around the moor.

BMC Regional Access Database (RAD) guidance for Bovey Woods here

fatneck

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Heading down for a few days with the wife. Wondered if things have settled down in the Bovey area? Keen to visit Waller Slab and gawp at Devon Sent.We are sensible parkers and quiet climbers...

remus

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I haven't been since last year but it was fine then.

Ged

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All fine. Not the best time if year for the woods. Ants and vegetation galore.

 

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