[Tommy]

Was just wondering - where and what is "Bristol Dreaming" and also what the details of "The Optimist"?

Not having the Ru-guide and not finding much info on the web, so all help much appreciated 

[dave]

bristol dreaming is the left arete of the main buttress, looks like it'd be hands on both the arete and the westwood crack, done with gear in the crack originally (might be highballable these days with enough mats) with some finish, can't remember offhand where it goes at the top. i believe the optimist is what rich simpson claimed the traverse into hats for westwoods or whatever its called as.

[Tommy]

Bristol Dreaming: So kind of a highball/route top out for Hats for Clowns/Pecry/Weasel (is that the name??).

Optimist: I'd always wondered whether the link-up traverse would get done... So that's the traverse, into the dyno, into the finger crack thingy? That's a mighty impressive piece of linked bouldering!

[dave]

Bristol Dreaming: So kind of a highball/route top out for Hats for Clowns/Pecry/Weasel (is that the name??).

yeah, although at E4 6c its going to be very well protected, i mean that crack probably gives you a bomber nut whereever you've got the energy to place one. aught not to be too hard a problem i'd have thought.

[Andy B]

Westwood is the sitter to Hats for Clowns,
Hats for youths is Westwood into the highball crack (without the arete)
The Optimist is eatswood Traverse into Hats for Youths.

I haven't looked that closely but I thought the crack was generally fairly flared, and may not contain quite as many bomber placements as I would hope for.

[Paz]

Can I assume Bristol Dreaming was a Mark Turnbull route, and not a cynical reference to Bristol Heel usage?

[cofe]

Bristol Dreaming: So kind of a highball/route top out for Hats for Clowns/Pecry/Weasel (is that the name??).

not exactly a top out. think you start left of/above these probs on the rising good holds. think there is at least one good wire placement but thought this had deteriorated for some reason. maybe sparrows flying into it like they do with windows. not smart birds are they? i'd have a bird of prey if given the choice. a skilled predator like a marsh harrier, or something mean like a condor.

i'm sure this is highballable now, only problem being that i only seem to go to eatswood when it's raining. you should be able to escape at the ledge. route guidebook recommends finishing up Mr Crispy Cruise, E3 5c, the steep right hand side of the upper arete with flakes and pockets.

Paz - FA Simon Lee.

[Paz]

Really?  Not the Simon with the poem in the chatsworth guide with photos on Gom Jabbar and Kaluza, but the High Tor guru, Seb's mate? ;-)  He told me he had family down here last christmas so that'd make sense.

[dave]

you're thinking of simon jones paz. guy with floppy hair followed around by dave simmonite circa 1995.

[Somebody's Fool]

Cofe.  You can catch a condor by simply building a wooden stockade one metre high and fifty metres in diameter, and placing a dead goat in the centre.  The bird will land inside to feed on the goat, but will then be unable to escape. This is because condors require a 'run up' of at least 100 metres before they can take off.

[cofe]

cheers. i'll try that next time i'm at chessington world of adventures.

[SA Chris]

You can catch ducks with a piece of bacon rind ans some fishing line. Ducks love bacon but are unable to digest it. So you tie a length of fishing line to a tree, and tie the other end to some line. After a month or so several ducks will have eaten the same piece of rind and it will have gone right through their systems. You just untie the fishing line from the tree and reel em in. Simple.

[Dolly]

I'm sure Simon would love to be known as the High Tor Guru
I also finished on the ledge when I did it  (Bristol Dreaming) and sort of slid down the other side of the arete to get down.

[dave k]

Is bouldering allowed at eatswood? I take it from the discussion that people are going there. I will have to visit.

Is anyone still bouldering inconspicuously at Eagle Tor? Can`t see the children playing out there during the winter. (maybe we could negotiate a bouldering season - say Oct to Feb)  The only 7c+ that I have ever got close to climbing is there.

[Johnny Brown]

Bouldering is not allowed at Eagle Tor but I've never been caught. If you approach without passing the house (cratcliffe side is best) you'll not be seen. No shouting obviously.

[dave k]

I thought someone on here said that the climbing community had agreed not to boulder at Eagle Torr any more. Some thing about the children of the owners being allowed to play in the area. If this is not the case, then I will be making a stealth mission soon.

[dave]

this is still the case.

http://www.thebmc.co.uk/bmccrag/ViewCrag.aspx?id=630

[Stubbs]

Just because someone anonymous on a forum says it's O.K doesn't make it so....

[dave k]

But how many people have been there anyway?

Don`t see the difference between that and eatswood, which it sounds is a popular venue.

Personally I would risk getting caught, as long as it didn`t scupper any discussions to deal with the ban

[slackline]

Personally I would risk getting caught, as long as it didn`t scupper any discussions to deal with the ban

And there in lies the moral quandary you face when deciding to climb at a venue where access is under discussion.

If you get caught you may well scupper the discussions that are (presumably) underway, which would be  from those who have had the self control to wait and see how things transpire.

[dave]

Don`t see the difference between that and eatswood, which it sounds is a popular venue.

eagle tor: recently banned quite reasonably by seemingly reasonable people because of concerns over overuse/behaviour/litter/etc. don't want their kids running though piles of bogroll etc. crag next to their house. situation might be up for negotiation (?) could be made worse by climbers visibly flaunting the request to not go there.

eatswood: been banned for years, seamingly with no justification by reputedly unreasonable farmer. nowhere near his house and you're not visible from anywhere whilst bouldering. unnegotiable position you're realistically not likely to make worse by going. probably have to wait for the farmer to die before access would be allowed?

[dave k]

Thought that might be the case. Bloody shame mind. I was there lots over the last 5 years- most of the time by myself and never more than one other person. Not exactly an extensive venue- just a handful of very high quality problems.

Will be visiting eatswood soon though.

[Johnny Brown]

If you get caught you may well scupper the discussions that are (presumably) underway, which would be  thumbs down from those who have had the self control to wait and see how things transpire.

There was a bit of discussion on these subjects at the BMC meet last night. The general attitude is temporary bans should be supported to show willingness to cooperate with other land uses. Permanent bans should be fought. Staying away permanently can make landowners think that a permanent ban is achievable and climbers aren't that bothered anyway. Permanently having to turf polite folk who are not actually causing a problem off land is more likely to push them towards a compromise where access is tolerated.

Remember precedents are very important here. When access is disputed, a long record of access counts in our favour. Long periods without access count in the landowners favour.

Trespass is not a crime in this country, or at least not one you can get prosecuted for. I think most folk can judge when they are in someone's garden or not. Eagle Tor is not in someone's garden, the land is not used for any prupose other than walking and climbing. Go there, keep a low profile, and you'll encounter no problems. Go there and make a mess, noise etc, and yes, you may cause problems.

But remember, in 1998, no one was banned. In 1999, no one was banned. In 2000, no one was banned. In 2001, no one was banned. In 2002, no one was banned.  In 2003, no one was banned. In 2004, no one was banned. In 2005, no one was banned. In 2006, no one was banned. In 2007, some one did a shit, and was banned.

eatswood is not a popular venue unless it rains for ten days straight. However, unlike Eagle Tor, access has always been a problem here (the farmer doesn't like us) and is likely to remain so until ownership changes.

Whilst we're on the subject, a gun club is currently trying to stop access to Shooter's Nab. If you're local try to get up there and climb, or at least use the footpath.

[GCW]

But remember, in 1998, no one was banned. In 1999, no one was banned. In 2000, no one was banned. In 2001, no one was banned. In 2002, no one was banned.  In 2003, no one was banned. In 2004, no one was banned. In 2005, no one was banned. In 2006, no one was banned. In 2007, some one did a shit, and was banned.

I was reading that in a nerdy voice in my head.  Class.

[Stu Littlefair]

But remember, in 1998, no one was banned. In 1999, no one was banned. In 2000, no one was banned. In 2001, no one was banned. In 2002, no one was banned.  In 2003, no one was banned. In 2004, no one was banned. In 2005, no one was banned. In 2006, no one was banned. In 2007, some one did a shit, and was banned.

Not sure what point you're trying to make here Mr Well Brown? If it's that the ban was a knee-jerk reaction I was more under the impression that it was a straw-that-broke-the-camels-back, sort of thing?