[tomtom]

I took 4 pics today (Monday)
http://www.ukclimbing.com/photos/author.html?id=103888

Well done Alex, best thing to do put the pictures up there and let them speak for themselves. Waddage.

[jcm]

I took 4 pics today (Monday)
http://www.ukclimbing.com/photos/author.html?id=103888

I think a news thread naming and shaming these two is in order.

Naming, possibly. Shaming them - I think that might be harder.

[slackline]

From user registered as Callum Nicoll on UKC

Hi Gareth

We had a great weekend, hope you did too.

We did no dry tooling that weekend. We got to millstone about 12 ish saturday. Looked at green death, it wasn't in nick. There was a brilliant thin ice line formed roughly going down monopoly. We tried it but backed off very quickly due to water running down behind the ice. Then we had a burn on some route which consisted of thin ice/neve, partener led it and came off about 1/2 way up when the sheet detached. We then went to bed, intending to get up early the next day to take advantage of the cold temps.

Started climbing at 5am the next morning, the overnight rain had washed out the mid section of monopoly but everything was frozen. We top roped some routes, the photo of us on a route you took was completely in nick, it just wasn't very white. The rock was well verglassed due to seepage from the snow above. The crack itself was filled with snow and ice. I found the crux to be ascending the icicle that was about half way up the crack, right in the back, the crack constricts at that point and it's very awkward indeed unless you have child sized hands.


Interestingly, of the people we spoke to that weekend, 2 groups expressed disapproval, one guy on his own said the route wasn't in condition, and another 7 (or 8 ) groups of people approved.


Calum

 

[Paul B]

Shaming them - I think that might be harder.

Unfortunately you're not wrong.

[jonny2vests]

From user registered as Callum Nicoll on UKC

Hi Gareth

We had a great weekend, hope you did too.

We did no dry tooling that weekend. We got to millstone about 12 ish saturday. Looked at green death, it wasn't in nick. There was a brilliant thin ice line formed roughly going down monopoly. We tried it but backed off very quickly due to water running down behind the ice. Then we had a burn on some route which consisted of thin ice/neve, partener led it and came off about 1/2 way up when the sheet detached. We then went to bed, intending to get up early the next day to take advantage of the cold temps.

Started climbing at 5am the next morning, the overnight rain had washed out the mid section of monopoly but everything was frozen. We top roped some routes, the photo of us on a route you took was completely in nick, it just wasn't very white. The rock was well verglassed due to seepage from the snow above. The crack itself was filled with snow and ice. I found the crux to be ascending the icicle that was about half way up the crack, right in the back, the crack constricts at that point and it's very awkward indeed unless you have child sized hands.


Interestingly, of the people we spoke to that weekend, 2 groups expressed disapproval, one guy on his own said the route wasn't in condition, and another 7 (or 8 ) groups of people approved.


Calum

 

Why the fuck would anyone (7 or 8 groups of anyone), misguided or just mental, purposefully stop and take time out of their day to offer approval?  Even under normal circumstances, people don't randomly stop and offer their approval at stuff.

[chillax]

I approve of this thread.

Frankly thats fucking disgraceful. We've had the same shit in ireland with people people fucking up routes in dalkey by drytooling or claiming conditions. Theres a time and a place for winter climbing, and its certainly not popular single pitch crags of soft rock near major population centres. Cocks.

[willackers]

Even if Millstone was in condition you still don't go there with your axes and crampons.

They're fucking idiots, I can't believe what they have done to those routes, it's a good job someone did see them and say something otherwise they might have gone somewhere else and done the same thing. It wouldn't suprise me if they have anyway.

Twats!

[GCW]

Unfortunately, they sound like deluded fools with no insight that what they have done deserves a battery acid enema.  So I doubt someone telling them off at the time will make any difference (although, well done to whoever said something).

[slackline]

I am NOT in anyway excusing the actions of these idiots, but the 1991 BMC Froggatt guide which covers Millstone has a picture of someone with axes and crampons on a snow covered Great Slab, so they're not the first to have tried.

[nai]

That's clearly just a guy out for a walk (one axe, no crampons) who saw a photo opportunity and kicked a few steps up the slab, doubt he went much higher than he is in the pic (not very).  While it's an interesting and unique shot it is an unfortunate one to include in a guide, I'm sure the BMC wouldn't have done it if they thought it would encourage idiotic behaviour like this.   But then dry tooling and climbing mass consumerism was invented back then was it?

[chummer]

My piss would have been boiling if I'd seen this first hand, I would have stripped their top rope belay and  fucking hounded them until they fucked off, I am a little amazed they were pretty much left top carry on despite there being some climbers about. 
It may sound harsh but just saying something basically wasn't enough in my opinion. 

[Baron]

Selfish bastards

[cheque]

"Calum Nicoll - 19 - is a student doing physics in London. He bounces very well, has climbed XS and has been featured on BBC News for his climbing. He tried to solo the West Face of the Dru for his first alpine route, failed but survived, and has since spent several seasons in Chamonix, climbing numerous new routes. He once killed a deer with his bare hands, then spent the rest of the year eating it. "

The sooner he gets on it again the better.

This lad's from Scotland but has gone to uni in London and still wants to do winter climbing at the weekend? Don't make everyone else suffer for your poor choices you twat. 

[petejh]

My piss would have been boiling if I'd seen this first hand, I would have stripped their top rope belay and  fucking hounded them until they fucked off, I am a little amazed they were pretty much left top carry on despite there being some climbers about. 
It may sound harsh but just saying something basically wasn't enough in my opinion.

Couldn't agree more mate.
Well done to the OP for making this known about though, and I think he did say he was out with his wife/girlfriend so maybe not the best time to start a confrontation but... I can't imagine I'd have walked away from these two arseholes without doing at least what Jon (Chummer) said and making it very clear to these pricks that they're massively in the wrong.
The climbing community's still pretty close-knit despite what people think about the internet/indoor walls etc etc etc, it's everyone's responsibility to keep our own house in order.
 

[cofe]

Selfish bastards

Nail. Head.

[Adam Lincoln]

Great news article!
http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/item.php?id=59279

[RAK Punter]

Great news article!
http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/item.php?id=59279

  and note that it has kicked off an a semi human rights argument about naming the 

[Moo]

have we ascertained as to whether or not it is the same callum who posts on here? if it is him or if he is reading this i would like to invite him to join this discussion about his actions at millstone then we can have a two way discussion about the events which may yield some more positive results.

[Obi-Wan is lost...]

have we ascertained as to whether or not it is the same callum who posts on here? if it is him or if he is reading this i would like to invite him to join this discussion about his actions at millstone then we can have a two way discussion about the events which may yield some more positive results.

His few posts on here match the activities mentioned on his blog
http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php?action=profile;area=showposts;u=4942

http://calumnicoll.blogspot.com/

I'm guessing they are one and the same.

[GarethH]

My piss would have been boiling if I'd seen this first hand, I would have stripped their top rope belay and  fucking hounded them until they fucked off, I am a little amazed they were pretty much left top carry on despite there being some climbers about. 
It may sound harsh but just saying something basically wasn't enough in my opinion.

I do wish I had done more now in retrospect, however at the time they stopped and the belayer Struan said to the other prat Calum, 'maybe we should stop'.  After I talked to them (and believe me I think I showed them my anger and serious I found their action) I scrambled up to the top of the crag to watch them and check they hadn't continued, they had stopped.

I then went up to Mother Cap and told a group 5 mates and 4 other blokes what had happened, they were pretty cheesed off but we presumed they had gone.  My regrets are not going back with a big group of people andchecking the damage.  Then again I only though to take photos at the last minute, I was so shocked that I wasn't really thinking straight.  I even tried to ring 4 different people from the top of the crag to let them know but couldn't get though.

What goes around comes around....

[chummer]

Well fair play to you Gareth, thank fuck you were there at all and they stopped which was the main thing.

[GarethH]

...but they didn't, we drove past 3 hours later and saw them leaving the crag. The guy has just posted again on UKC, makes my blood boil:

'I'm really sorry for all the upset this has caused, I never thought it would cause this much furore. I accept that my crampon technique isn't perfect yet and some of the scratches are my fault, but lots of them were there before. Also, how am I meant to improve my technique if I can't get out there and practice?

As for the comments regarding top-roping, I was working the route with a view to leading it next weekend if conditions hold, but I might have to reconsider now, I wouldn't want to get beaten up!

Calum

[Norton Sharley]

My piss would have been boiling if I'd seen this first hand, I would have stripped their top rope belay and  fucking hounded them until they fucked off, I am a little amazed they were pretty much left top carry on despite there being some climbers about. 
It may sound harsh but just saying something basically wasn't enough in my opinion.

   I best not say any more.

[willackers]

 I was working the route with a view to leading it next weekend if conditions hold, but I might have to reconsider now.

Calum

No shit!   

[dave]

To repay their massive debt to peak district climbing these guys need to, at the very least, make a significant cash donation to the BMC access fund (3 figures or 4 figures?) and do some voluntary shit like a crag litter pick whilst wearing a sandwich board saying "I'm a complete dick, please kick me hard" etc etc.