De polishing routes

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 JimR 23 Mar 2020

Will lockdown result in polish getting weathered? Will Cheddar return to being hanging gardens of Somerset? I suspect polish will remain but vegetation will overpower some popular crags

 wilkie14c 23 Mar 2020
In reply to JimR:

I think it’d be the biggest regeneration of our national parks in living memory

(yes I know the parks aren’t that old but the land has)

 olddirtydoggy 23 Mar 2020
In reply to JimR:

I remember the foot and mouth thing a few years back and wildlife return to areas that had not seen reclusive species for a while. If things go into total lockdown we might see a similar thing.

 apwebber 23 Mar 2020
In reply to JimR:

In order to weather the holds we will need a solid period of rain, just like the last 6 months.

Unfortunately for us mother nature will see to it that the sky will stay blue and sunny for the duration of the lockdown and then return to rain when we get out again.

 ChrisBrooke 23 Mar 2020
In reply to JimR:

Interesting related thought: my local hammered paths (e.g. Higgar Tor/Burbage/etc) may have a chance to regenerate and grass over a bit, which would be nice. With the relentless rain of the first part of the year they got wider, muddier and more cut up than ever. Greatly reduced footfall for a month or two (or three, six, nine?) as we go into Spring and Summer would let them bounce back quite a lot I'd have thought.

 Michael Hood 24 Mar 2020
In reply to ChrisBrooke:

I remember a few years ago the peregrines nested on the upper tier at the Roaches (rather than Hen Cloud). Went there once they'd left (July?) and was amazed at the vegetation growth, especially grasses. Under the Sloth roof, all the way down Black Velvet, etc.

We as climbers basically keep popular rock denuded of vegetation.

 deepsoup 24 Mar 2020
In reply to wilkie14c:

> I think it’d be the biggest regeneration of our national parks in living memory

Maybe.  But I would not want to be a raptor or a hare on a grouse moor right now.

 Rob Parsons 24 Mar 2020
In reply to olddirtydoggy:

> I remember the foot and mouth thing a few years back and wildlife return to areas that had not seen reclusive species for a while.

During the Foot and Mouth outbreak, the effect was to keep both humans and grazing animals off upland ground. So, for example, bracken growth got naturally reduced during the period since other species of flora were finally able to compete with it without being eaten by sheep.

My recollection is that Ring Ouzels returned to Stanage during the Foot and Mouth outbreak, and now breed there every year.

Post edited at 08:56
 GravitySucks 24 Mar 2020
In reply to Rob Parsons:

Maybe we'll go back to a carpet of lush green grass throughout the plantation, just like the good old days !

 tjekel 24 Mar 2020
In reply to JimR:

If you want crags to be de-polished you'd need a lockdown of a few hundred years. I'd be happier with polished crags I admit.

Edit... Getting overgrown is much faster. 

Post edited at 09:56
Forsche 24 Mar 2020
In reply to tjekel:

Been thinking about heading out at night and taking the intitiative at some of the climbing locations. Don't see the problem as its not different to people doing 'gardening' on routes  why should i risk my neck halfway up a climb  if i get to a polished section!

12
 GrahamD 24 Mar 2020
In reply to Forsche:

0/10

 profitofdoom 25 Mar 2020
In reply to Forsche:

> Been thinking about heading out at night and taking the intitiative at some of the climbing locations. Don't see the problem as its not different to people doing 'gardening' on routes  why should i risk my neck halfway up a climb  if i get to a polished section!

Are you stuck at home and getting bored? Do you really have nothing better to do than create a new UKC profile and then post that provocative stuff?

Why don't you try again and post something helpful - like a lot of users on UKC

2
 tjekel 25 Mar 2020
In reply to Forsche:

Depolishing has been tried professionally at Massone, Arco, several years back. Again to my knowledge, it has not been very successful.

Not sure anyone is waiting for lay people to alter natural rock structures. 

 nniff 25 Mar 2020
In reply to JimR:

There's a corner/groove on Motorhead at Eldorado that is polished like a granite kitchen worktop.   It's been that way for a few million years.

 Philb1950 25 Mar 2020
In reply to GravitySucks:

And what about all the worn out and snapped holds? They’re never going to regenerate. 


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