UKH

Here’s one for all you Stoney Middleton afficionados...

We are running a clean-up morning on Saturday 1st July (this Saturday)

At the last BMC Peak Area Meeting we discussed the state of ab-points at the crag, in light of ash die-back affecting many of the trees which are used as anchors. Of the options available for replacement, the consensus of the meeting was against bolts, but the feeling of the room was that alternative natural anchors need to be found. The problem is, many of these are hidden in the undergrowth so will require some work to make suitable trees accessible. Similarly, old tat needs to be replaced on some anchors and new installed elsewhere.

Many hands make light work, so if you would like to help out for a few hours on Saturday morning please get in touch: peak.area@thebmc.co.uk

Cheers, Andy

In reply to Andy Reeve:

Time to start planting trusty hawthorns! 

In reply to Andy Reeve:

I'll try and join Andy. Will bring gardening gloves, a folding saw and secateurs (sp.?)!

In reply to PaulJepson:

Hawthorn is horrible to control.

In reply to PaulJepson:which will not last

In reply to Andy Reeve:I would come along but I am still not allowed to drive after my major seizure and have to rely on my wife to support me

In reply to Andy Reeve:

Thanks to those who have been in touch to volunteer already - I'll email everyone with details tomorrow.

There is still space though, so anyone who would like to lend a hand let me know at peak.area@thebmc.co.uk

In reply to Andy Reeve:

Hi Andy

not free Saturday but other times. Do you have a list of things that need doing and can pop in over the next month or so

In between failing in everything on minus ten of course…….

cheers Simon 

In reply to Gary Gibson:

It will last fine

In reply to llanberis36:

Thanks for the offer, Simon. I'll post on this thread after the weekend when we know what we got done and anything we didn't have time for. Thanks

In reply to Andy Reeve:

I've just emailed some information out to everyone who has been in touch - let me know if you haven't received it.

In reply to all:

I went on Saturday morning and helped out with some gardening up top for a couple of hours. Sorry I couldn't stay for longer as I was meeting some visiting climbers over at Ramshaw in the afternoon. 

I thought I'd share the following photos to give people an idea of why the work is important. Kristian abseiled down and cut down the ash on the halfway ledge that I understand has been traditionally the belay on Evasor, the two-star, two pitch, VS on Garage Buttress at Stoney (I've done Aurora but not Evasor). The first picture is a screen shot from the Rockfax app showing the belay marked on the tree, the second picture is the tree. As you can see, it is basically hollow. Not what you want for a belay. I don't know if that is what the inside of trees suffering from ash dieback classically look like, but that one definitely wasn't going to be very safe to tie yourself too!

In reply to TobyA:

Nice one Toby. I was unable.to attend but I heard some good work was done and saw photos of other areas that cleaned up that were in a truly shocking condition....

In reply to Stoney Boy:

I was a bit to climbers left of where Kristian abseiled down to cut to the tree on Evasor. I was sorting out an abseil point fortunately on a clump of hazel, that now has with the metal strops and steel karabiners round the clump. There is still the rope that was there before, hanging down for anyone topping out to clip before they have to climb too far up the steep bank to the anchor point. But that rope which looked in decent nick, is now attached to the steel cables. I trimmed back as much spikey stuff - gorse and so on to make topping out more pleasant too. Having not done the routes I'm not 100% sure which top out I was tidying! Kristian did tell me but I forgot. From the topo it might be where Evasor (VS 4c) comes out, but it might be further left where Rippemoff (E1 5c) tops out. 

In reply to TobyA:

It's the top of Helicon I believe (which until I chopped back the blackthorn and gorse a year or so ago) was very nasty to finish.... that's why the hanging rope was there.