UKBouldering.com
the shizzle => get involved: access, environment, BMC => Topic started by: Bonjoy on August 12, 2015, 04:15:37 pm
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I recently had a meeting with the National Trust head ranger for Dovedale regarding the idea of carrying out a much needed tidy-up at Dovedale Church. He was very positive about the idea as keeping the rock features clear of vegetation is part of their management duty so we would be acting in both our interests. He was also refreshingly positive generally about climber activity in Dovedale. The work would involve setting up fixed ropes, clearing vegetation (mostly saplings and ivy), replacing fixed gear and clearing the approach path. The NT offered to ferry a team plus gear (which they also offered use of) to site along the track along the west bank.
I’m looking into putting a team together for Sat 19th Sept Sat 26th Sept. Please let me know if you would like to take part. Useful skills include rigging ropes, ascending ropes (these are pinnacles, so like George Michael, you’ve got to get up to get down), de-vegging and not killing yourself in the process. Using a lid will be mandatory. Anyone in? You get to ride down the valley in a 4x4.
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Good work Jon, count me in. I'd be keen to stay on for the Sunday too if anyone wants to get some climbing done
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I'll be in the US unfortunately. Well up for this kind of thing though.
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ditto the above, I'll be in Spain. I'l persuade a non-ukb reader to do it in my place
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I would have been keen but am helping with a NT climbing event at Longshaw that day. Any chance of pushing it back a week?
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I would have been keen but am helping with a NT climbing event at Longshaw that day. Any chance of pushing it back a week?
ditto
Sounds like a good idea whenever it happens.
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Good stuff. Add me to the apologies - Ill be in Devon
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Lazy bunch of shirkers ;)
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I would gladly help but I've just been invited on Bonningtons latest Himalayan expedition.
Well it's as likely as everyone else's excuses.
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I'm keen to assist. I will attempt to keep this date free.
Dave B
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I'll ask about the weekend after. I'm out of country till the end of August so it'd be good to have an extra week to sort stuff.
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Let me know if you need help with anything Jon - we've got some ab rope and gardening tools if you need them. Might be able to make it if it's later in the month.
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Id be keen to help out if it was the 19th, haven't got many tools but have got an abb rope if its any use. Unfortunately wouldn't be able make the weekend after.
Cheers
John
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Bonjoy,
Have they plans to extend this to elsewhere in the dale? Was down there on the Spires this morning and it is in a really poor state under Brutus/Caesar. Both those routes starting to become overgrown and the gully could do with a clear out of trees.
Maybe the new guide will encourage people to go there again.
I am only here on holiday so cannot assist.
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The NT seemed keen generally on climbers clearing veg off buttresses. It was agreed though that we'd start with DC and see how that went initially.
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May well be up for/around for this Jon.
Will PM you nearer.
Dave.
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I have now rearranged this for Sat 26th Sept. So who's in?
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Sounds good and I'm keen providing I'm not working.
Just a quick question - wouldn't it be better to do this in the spring and therefore just before people actually start climbing on these sort of routes??
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Great, nice one.
Maybe so but it would have to be early or else it is likely to disturb nesting birds. I think as the clearance will mostly be Ivy and saplings it should have a multi year impact, so although spring might be optimal it will still make a big difference next year and the following years. TBH the timing has more to do with when I thought about the idea and got round to pursuing it rather than anything else. Best strike while the iron is hot I reckon when it comes to ideas, as like as not if I'd left it later I would have forgot the whole notion. Plus if I was waiting on a wave of trad limestone enthusiasm/activity I would be waiting a lot longer than a few months I think. Should it go well there is every chance we could arrange other buttress clearances for spring.
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Ah fair enough forgot bout dem birds!!
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Ok I can do the 26th now.
Cheers
John
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Brilliant, cheers.
Anyone else????
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Hopefully.
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I'll be there
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I cannot do that date.
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May be able to make it, depends if a last minute Verdon trip comes off.
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Have PMed everyone who has said they may be available. Please can you reply to confirm if you can make it or not. Cheers. And if anyone one else keen, please also PM.
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No idea what email address that goes to but if you emailed me I'm afraid I'm working this weekend. Really sorry Jon, hope it goes well. let us know if there is a round two
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PM is the private message on this site. Do you not have a notification in "My Messages"? :-\
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(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/VmSSRv57fBiFUcIdKc40-KuikNQkyJj6FW_Na78n1cwCguT5S-VBpk6eZCrTS0Vq1vZMEDzpPdR9m0kHWphKPQxpGT3KoyHLWCooG39edpB4W-XDmc-prF4NXPNRwqIyo9OvSSgysxAZ1cpHcONWIyljSDBQzxiaQ9N-m7BoRDXgUUcY_N8anjv9RJfhHpG8QdUZ0qqjxt-EEMowQp0oXIpoAYvnwc3QY9Q39UeBSad1ROrFxYEVoeQZdLeia2BGY5_3sehUe4WPbZpfFKcOh4ewP0wPwqHA7kSxBcEcG5SlgIH_nx54kFh_Ow4KdGlQUPe47G2xVSgtMXI7QGzQmxABYK7FxTSGk5JNGJ0kgTdEGhy7x2sESjVAoHDxRAUhbO1GhXiUW5pnz3PFNOINlcPx2d0ZvNd_hF1n9qQTHDL9f9Ae7i5iR3HTExgC8-dmflyYmICj8QxV22p7JYjxAb1nW5cBRJDyjyGYZZzzeG0LKpRIRCC8OMoQDcKts0H5T0VZoVXwGDT8Kch0IP0zEevEYdLoW-mm48kkFrcb9A=w912-h608-no)
Before and after (doesn't really do it justice, check the album for more detailed pics)
Thanks again to the everyone who came along on Saturday. Was concerned earlier in the week that we wouldn’t have enough volunteers but in the end we had about the right amount I thought, and wouldn’t have been able to fit any more in the landrover.
The weather was great and we had a full day with lots getting done. Simon from the National Trust was a great help, not only did he drive us in and supply quality gardening tools, but he brought his own chainsaw and put in a massive effort clearing loads of big stuff at ground level.
Stuff done:
Approach and base clear of vegetation
Various trees removed from the sides opening up the crag and making access easier
All gullies between pinnacles cleared of trees
Routes on gully walls cleared of ivy
Various tats replaced
All routes on the front and RHS of the main frontal pillar, wholly or partly cleaned, including ivy clearance from the brilliant looking E5s and E6 on the right
The crag is now in a great condition for anyone after some late season lime trad. Can’t wait to go back there as I’ve yet to actually climb on the crag and the routes looked superb.
Here’s some more pics - https://goo.gl/photos/CgLP1ohrpawe3NDB7
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Well done yoot. Apologies for the no show, I was ill. Psyched to get down there!
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No worries yoot. Lot of it about, my dose of ill came on Sunday, a day or two earlier and I might not have made it myself.
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Nice work!
Does Amazona rely on any fixed gear? Sounds as though Jungleland to the left was an aid route before it was freed, so presumably that's full of rotten stuff.
Only ever done Tales of the Riverbank - short lived if I remember rightly, but good rock in the middle section.
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Nope Amazonia is all natural (as is Wild Country I think). Ben said he snapped a peg on Jungleland whilst cleaning it on Sat, but it has a fair few others in the lower crack - a tough E5 by all accounts.
Here's a pic Mark20 took of ivy clearance at the gully crossroad.
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/BDuopQCkQ2LO_zBZUm-HqiOtZrHPxve5euVZ2K_VFvblWyfZQtsGYol40YveUyhWBCtV2oQ4Dsb0maz8L2mcGXAFbb5q6T_hQESsfmWB0TQ4PVMy-RO-EIlNanHfpiBnAimfpn2ZxEv_OFqXLvvdXbZIcO0BKjnegPsSVR5KjdZVoe3uPjj-Tlni3Zu48POVLWb9OQLkzVIFWkkIrC_33MI2cY7G5zlU6ZfbV0LcVRy-vqpgwbMlu6jIWqTZOdj3xXaWm4PU8sjEBEMW7FUo34_y0Kg0D8Wo9nmIy85qaOhcBUyEfOHGzl6-nYtkQRrOqXq-tXJ-Qf54OX4ypt9Q-MvDTE9sQVM3w0O0OQyl71UhaXr7ZimngD79GMrnBw5rGhEQAWLle0pnVLazEc_CK4BzfhEAuhhITp4rJtmEo8Z4siQ6FyM9DcuW-FrSU528I8rvLLRaZX24GQvEQw1cn91ejjZFqIws5TkmQanUPGWbX26DLuX9SAAwjUsd-tg9_en7KqAIr4RkkdgaOna-fX2DzHM4krSm4nICb3D23Q=w1024-h768-no)
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Many thanks again for this. I must admit Moff and I did think about it, and have the kit, but sneaked off to climb mountain routes in sunny snowdonia instead.
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Nice work!
Does Amazona rely on any fixed gear? Sounds as though Jungleland to the left was an aid route before it was freed, so presumably that's full of rotten stuff.
Only ever done Tales of the Riverbank - short lived if I remember rightly, but good rock in the middle section.
The peg I snapped cleaning was from the near the top on Jungleland - after all the hard climbing. Amazonia has no fixed gear and looks pretty well protected.
I climbed Jungleland a few years ago as well as cleaning it the other day. It's good, lots of pegs but they can all be backed up with the exception of the first few of which there is a) loads close together and b) some are newer replacements. There is a cheeky move at the start then the cool roof. At the top I traved R to the snakes alive belay. Think I did Tales afterwards and they didn't really feel the same grade.
Not sure of the routes on the rest of the crag but there is some pretty nice looking rock, especially now it is visible.
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Thanks for organising this John, and thanks to Simon and the National Trust :great: Fun but exhausting day!
Before I forget, a few weeks ago I cleaned up Zulu Dawn, the big blunt E5 arete just over the river. All the threads can be backed up with wires / small cams and the pegs above seemed pretty good.
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Been there, done that, and I even got the T-shirt. And it fits.
Well done organising that Jon, and great to meet the rest of the crew.
I've tried the link to the photos BTW, but nothing seems to appear.
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Anyone else unable to open that link? Works okay for me.
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Works ok but it did say address invalid for a few seconds before finally opening up
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Nice work!
Does Amazona rely on any fixed gear? Sounds as though Jungleland to the left was an aid route before it was freed, so presumably that's full of rotten stuff.
Only ever done Tales of the Riverbank - short lived if I remember rightly, but good rock in the middle section.
Three pics off the FA on UKC here http://www.ukclimbing.com/photos/item.html?nstart=0&crag=962&route=Amazona . Gives some clues to the gear. Abbing down there looked to be a bomber small wire at the base of the line of pockets at the top, with perhaps a sprint from there to the break.