[danm]

Do we need a new thread - DFBWGF? Because it's not looking like a bad option from here.

[slackline]

No 

[GCW]

Thanks to Darren for making me aware- the lowest jug on Obscenity is pretty rattly and seems as though it will come off at some point.  Please be aware when you are hauling on it, it'll be a fair sized chunk to follow you Earthwards.

[Tris]

Just a warning that it's probably not a good idea to visit this Thursday..

Rockover climbing take punter's there for an introduction to outdoor bouldering for the princely sum of £10 

They were there last week too according to the link 

[GCW]

I'd be tempted to go to see if it's them causing some of the recent damage, or at least where they go.  I noticed UKC has a few new photos of people top roping on the Ash Pit Slabs area.

[Tris]

people top roping on the Ash Pit Slabs area.

WTF? top roping at Brownstones... unbelievable!

{goes off to search for said photos}

[GCW]

They are here, and here and here.

Top roping isn't necessarily that bad at Brownstones, young children from the local schools often get roped up stuff.  But the place is certainly suffering now- especially the last couple of years- so care needs to be taken.  Yes, I know it's not just because of top roping and I know I may be partly to blame for writing guides to the place.  I've had to do some hold stabilisation over the years* but a lot more has gone on recently.


*if you can tell me which holds then feel free to criticise, otherwise I ain't listening 

[Serpico]

people top roping on the Ash Pit Slabs area.

WTF? top roping at Brownstones... unbelievable!

{goes off to search for said photos}

To be fair, from the guy's profile: "In January 2006 I had the first of four operations to rebuild my right leg the last of which was in November 2007".
So it's possible that even a short fall might be out of the question for him.

[GCW]

Been tonight and noticed a decent sized chunk has come out of the Alana/ Haskitt starting sidepull.  Seems to have been a fair bit of loosening of previously solid holds over the Winter   

Pictures with clickable back-links:


   

[Probes]

Went up the other night, apart from the rock being jet washed by the recent 'storms' thus prestine and with good friction, the under growth is needing a bit of choppin back. For me really, i was going to hack down the big Elder flower tree along side the backwall, that has grown to quite a height of late and is know blocking a couple of routes. Any objections?

[GCW]

No, but there was talk of making it a nature reserve so I'm not sure how that effects things.

Anyone know who chopped down the tree round by the Niche?  I liked that tree, and it didn't get in the way at all.

[Probes]

Nature Reserve? Bunnys, Rats, Midges & rubber tyres?

No dunno about the niche one?
Might just hack this one back, tis only a elderberry tree after.

[grimer]

You ought to watch declaring on a forum you're going to chop anything down in a nature reserve.

[GCW]

It's not formal yet (AFAIK), they were going to try to designate it as a local nature reserve.

"The Lancashire Wildlife Trust in partnership with Bolton Council has recently started developing management plans for Brownstones Quarry and Ousels Nest Quarry with the hope of designating them as Local Nature Reserves. This means that the sites will be managed for both the improvement of wildlife and users. We are currently conducting community consultation to determine what the sites are used for and what users of the sites value the most. Climbing is obviously one of the main uses at Brownstones and the trust is keen to involve climber’s as much as possible (i.e. guiding management, involvement in friends of groups, engaging more people in involvement with the site, and practical work etc). Anyone interested in having a say can contact Stephen on 01204 663754 or scartwright@lancswt.org.uk. I would greatly appreciate it if you could pass this message around as much as possible! We need all the support we can get to have the site designated, in the short term this would mean developing the management plan and small practical jobs like removing scrub from the quarry face but in the long term projects like access improvements etc could be possible. I have been told that a climbing group meets at Brownstones regularly and I wondered if you know anything about this? Thank you very much.

Stephen Cartwright.
Assistant LNR Project Officer.
Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside."

[clm]

im sure ive mentioned it before but can someone not keep a couple of goats in there to eat all the rampant vegetation.  clean top outs and less nettles.  goats eat owt.

[Tris]

im sure ive mentioned it before but can someone not keep a couple of goats in there to eat all the rampant vegetation.  clean top outs and less nettles.  goats eat owt.

Yeah but goats are shit hot at climbing, they would just climb the problems all day every day and make the polish worse - bastards

[GCW]

Topo from 2009 is back online.

It’s not updated but remains mostly relevant (apart from the loss of the Nexus flake). Sounds like the quarry is having some local interest.

Bunch of crap beta videos.

Previous crap beta videos.

Wiki.  Some of it doesn’t work since it was migrated from Wetpaint and I’m too lazy to fix them.