UKH

We are delighted to announce the addition of several big crags above the River Wye on the England Wales border: Wintour's Leap, Shorn Cliff and Wynd Cliff.

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Hello Rockfax,

I cannot find the access details for each crag on the app.  Can you please fix this as soon as possible before you inadvertently lose us access?

It says see the individual sections but each section just contains the topos, unless I am doing something wrong.

Thanks

Paul

Hi Paul

The general crag access is covered on the crag screens - you need to scroll down a bit.

It is also listed at Buttress level where it is a concern by tapping on the little 'i' next to the buttress header. 

In iOS we have it a little clearer as well with an Access symbol where there are crag-wide issues or specific buttress issues.

In fact, we just discovered that we are so keen we named it twice 'Access Access'!

Cheers

Alan

I can't seem to see it on my app. Do I need to update somehow?

I would have thought adding the following text in bold from the RAD for the woodcroft quarry approach would be prudent.

  "it is crucial that climbers ensure they close the gate when entering or leaving and don't pass the code on to non-climbers."

I made several visits in the summer and was disappointed to see climber were not locking the gate behind them on several  occasions. You need to put in the number code again if you don't hold the catch open whilst going through the gate as it re locks if you let go but it isn't hard!

Hello Alan,

I cannot find anything that tells me about the access to Go Wall for example.  The exit here that I helped negotiate with the kind landowners has a very specific set of rules.

Flywall has also been super contentious in the past.

I suggest that you speak to the local BMC rep.  A digital guide that is very much a click and go approach that hides the sensitivities is likely to create problems for users.

The app looks good I would just like to see as much about exits as there is about approaches.

Paul

I cannot find those screenshots on my iphone.

As far as we are aware, none of the routes that have this specific access requirement are included.  You can tell which routes are included since they appear here with an 'R' symbol -  Wintour's Leap

I would suggest that we can actually get information to people more directly at the point that they use it. One example of this is a feature we are currently working on to put up a warning if people tap to view a route when it is bird-banned for example.

Glad you like it although I am puzzled by your subsequent reply suggesting that you can't find the screenshots I uploaded. Are you able to upload screenshots of what you can see?

Alan

All of GO Wall has specific exit requirements!  I have not reviewed the whole app as I assume you guys do that,

Yes that sounds great if your data is accurate.

Please email me as it then I can send a video of the app on my phone.

Well there is nothing mentioned on BMC RAD for the routes covered that isn't included in the app information in the correct place as far as I can tell. If there are requirements not covered on BMC RAD then please let us know and we will follow that up.

alan [at] rockfax.com

Cheers

Alan

Sticking to the Go Wall example the BMC RAD states:

"GO Wall: topping out now allowed year round for all routes from Feline/Jackal leftwards. King Kong ab. bolts removed. No topping out any time for right hand end – ab. stations in place where required. A large rockfall has recently (Jan 2013) been reported at the righthand side of the Pedestal on Go Wall - care should be taken with any remaining loose rock that may still be in place in this area."

I cannot find this anywhere on the app.

Video sent by email.

Well, I think we used the logic that if everything is normal (ie. topping out is allowed) then we don't need to tell people that. This is the case for the routes we include from Feline/Jackal leftwards.

For the right-hand side we don't include many routes but for the two we do include, the topo clearly says abseil and do not access to cliff top - see below.

Nothing yet received here.

Alan

If you let go, there is no need to renter the code - simply press in the dead bolt as you close the gate. Saves faffing.

I'm generally all for keeping things simple, but in the case of Wintour's Leap (and speaking as a local climber) I'm not sure that implying that topping out is "normal" is a good idea - it sends the wrong smoke signal. There are many routes where abseiling off is the norm, and on many of these it's an absolute requirement; furthermore, access issues are more than usually sensitive here, due to the proximity of houses and private land above.

A more appropriate mindset in visiting climbers would be to take not topping out as the norm at Wintour's, unless permission has specifically been given in the route description.

I think the confusion here might be that topping out on that part of GO Wall is normal, but it is important to follow the (signposted?) path to escape from the top of the wall.