[grimer]

Just to say that there's a BMC Peak Area meeting this thursday at the Devonshire Arms, Pilsley, and a couple of things are coming up. One is the stuff about the RSPB taking over management of many of the Eastern Edges, and what implication this could have on climbing there. Many RSPB members have quite a thing about climbers, and the effect they have on their feathered friends.

The other one is erosion to boulders and bouldering areas. In short, many of them are being trashed, crumbling footholds, erosion at the base etc. Should something be done about it, and if so, what. It is often said that something should be, putting some sort of coating on crumbling holds etc, although apart from chippings (wood, that is) at curbar, nothing gets done. I am worried that at the meeting 29 grey bearded men agree to ban bouldering, and of course it would count for nothing. Just wondering if some activists could come along to give any discussion some validity.

[Bonjoy]

Would be on a bastard Thursday wouldn't it ie along with Tuesday the night when working climbers train or go climbing. Might try and climb tonight and do meeting Thurs.

[dave]

I know these meetings are no doubt on the BMC site for months in advance, but why do they only seem to get brought up on web forums the day before?

[grimer]

Only just thought of posting it on here to be honest.

[dave]

sorry that wasn't a dig at you G, but i've just lost count of the number of times i've looked at cocktalk and seen a thread titled along the lines of "peak area meeting tomorrow". no wonder i've never been to any!

[cofe]

its always posted on ukc when they're due. they should be posted here too.

grimer - think me and vince noir are coming. we don't have beards and we aren't grey.

[grimer]

we don't have beards and we aren't grey

you will have by half nine on thursday

[Johnny Brown]

Register your email with Simon Mannsimonm@thebmc.co.uk (at a meeting is easy) and you get email warning of meetings in plenty time. Then you can plan your training schedule with it in account.  Though of course you would be excused if it caused you to peak on the wrong day.

Were the chippings at Curbar a BMC initiative then?? Amazing. It reminds me of a kids playground now. And thats just the problems.
Any chance of a fully intergrated drainage system at remergence next??

Seriously though, would everyone on UKB support a voluntary ban on, say, The Pebble while topsoil was replaced and grass reseeded and established?? Might take 6 months to a year.

I can't help thinking with the ubiquity of pads erosion should be getting less not more. Or are numbers really going c-r-a-z-y?

[Bubba]

Seriously though, would everyone on UKB support a voluntary ban on, say, The Pebble while topsoil was replaced and grass reseeded and established?? Might take 6 months to a year.

I think this would be a really good idea and should be seriously considered. I remember when there was a nice flat grassy landing under deliverence and it's just a mess there now.

[Bonjoy]

I think Summer is a divine reminder to leave the eastern edges alone for six months of the year anyway. Not using a selection of boulders during the period when they are hot, horrible and infested with midges would not be any great hardship for me. However I suspect it might take a while longer for vegetation to re-establish in a way which would survive usage once a ban came off.

[grimer]

Oh, and will post here from now on. But this goes for all the area too, and I don'e want to swamp this board with these notices. Perhaps at the start of each session i will put something up.  


Peak Agenda

Peak Location

And while I'm at it, there is a SouthWest one this weekend on Sunday evening in Bristol

SW agenda

SW location

[cofe]

Seriously though, would everyone on UKB support a voluntary ban on, say, The Pebble while topsoil was replaced and grass reseeded and established??

no. you wouldn't surely?!? you are aware this is the boulder with your nemesis on?

i'd wholeheartedly support a ban at white edge, gardoms north, causeway slabs, yarncliffe quarry, stanton moor, etc etc..

i would support a ban really. it would be like getting the pitch ready for the next season. a may to september ban maybe when the rock is virtually unclimable anyway?

[grimer]

Were the chippings at Curbar a BMC initiative then??

No, don't know who did that.

[tc]

we don't have beards and we aren't grey

I have both, so I don't have to attend  :wink:

[dave]

remergence really needs a new bag of gravel, its propper wack right now for puddles and shit. was thinking of doing it myself and ting. but then as its now too warm for what i'd be going there for i might hang fire.

I'd be quite happy to take a voluntary ban on bouldering on the pebble and the business boulder.

P.S. is the ground erosion at bouldering places really any worse than it is at birchens, popular end, curbar etc. They've been devoid of any greenery and stuff for decades but i don't see anyone banning punters and picnics? :wink:

[grimer]

i would support a ban really. it would be like getting the pitch ready for the next season. a may to september ban maybe when the rock is virtually unclimable anyway?

Unfortunately, I think that this is when the masses descend. By the way, if anyone knows the facts about the resin that is used at the Bridestones and in the county, and how they have worked, you could bring those opinions along.

On this issue, I personally don't think that someone like the BMC should be involved, as it is a tricky issue, and once things become official, they become complicated. I think something like this is often best done at grass-roots level. However, this could be somewhere to decide this, as well as places like this forum, and I suppose what the BMC can do is to gather evidence.

[JR]

Seriously though, would everyone on UKB support a voluntary ban on, say, The Pebble while topsoil was replaced and grass reseeded and established?? Might take 6 months to a year.

Yeah i'd support it, though you could have done it in the past year ive been injured.  I just get back into it and i'm banned from bouldering!  :wink:

[Johnny Brown]

As Bonjoy says, recreating the verdant pasture that was below deliverance won't be done in a few months. But hopefully it would only need doing once.

I remember how it happened - some fool had a fire beneath the right arete. That left a sunken bare patch, during the next downfall the puddle behind the pebble found a new drain and washed all the soil away.

[grimer]

P.S. is the ground erosion at bouldering places really any worse than it is at birchens, popular end, curbar etc. They've been devoid of any greenery and stuff for decades but i don't see anyone banning punters and picnics?

No, but what these 'bans' are about is not prohibiting boulderers from climbing, its to promote growth and the local environment. It's just about keeping your house in order. It's your own responsibility, and whether you decide on a voluntary ban, or to accept that there's not much you can do about it, I think the onus is on us all to actively address the issue.

And Dave, I don't want to let the cat out of the bag amongst the pigeons, but there are plans afoot to carpet Birchens.

[Johnny Brown]

P.S. is the ground erosion at bouldering places really any worse than it is at birchens, popular end, curbar etc. They've been devoid of any greenery and stuff for decades but i don't see anyone banning punters and picnics?

Nah its no worse - but it is getting rapidly worse at the moment. From an environmental point of view its neither here nor there - the only reason is to increase peeps enjoyment. I was in the churnet on sunday and it was amazing to have a proper grass landing - certainly makes a difference for my enjoyment.

[cofe]

can we some other people off here coming along then? apparently there's free slop n shit and people obviously have opinions on here which might, only might, be worth airing.

if we're putting bark under deliverance can we have a death slide down from the joker too. i fucking love death slides.

[dave]

I recon we'd all be surprised how fast the grass and shit will grow back - for example when I remember burbage west being opened up after foot and mouth and there was already bracken browing back through the paths. The main problem is that the soil won't grow back.

Please god lets not have any resin done like the stuff at the bridies, most of that just looks like its had mortar smeared all over the place.

[cofe]

Please god lets not have any resin done like the stuff at the bridies, most of that just looks like its had mortar smeared all over the place.

i'll second that. S-U-B-T-L-E yo.

[JR]

if we're putting bark under deliverance can we have a death slide down from the joker too. i fucking love death slides.

Fuck yeah!!!

Genius.      :worthy:  

[dave]

can we some other people off here coming along then? apparently there's free slop n shit and people obviously have opinions on here which might, only might, be worth airing.

if thats an offer of a lift then i'm there.

you and your big mouth eh?