UKH

Wonder if these ladies asked for a permit from the rangers.

https://www.edinburghlive.co.uk/news/edinburgh-news/story-behind-edinburgh-...

I hope not.

Climbing in the South Quarry is a right and not a privilege. Regardless of what the wardens seem to think.

Many years ago I met a guy up there who had climbed there when Haston  and Marshall were young whippersnappers. His name was Hewitt who had climbed there in the forties and fifties, if you look in a guidebook you'll find a slab there named after him. Anyway, he regaled me of tales of evading the Park police and how Haston et al would regularly take the piss holding long rambling conversations with the police while remaining ten feet above their heads.

Nice bit of history.

I particularly liked the detail about them climbing in their bloomers when the blokes were out of sight.

The path to the quarry area and along the crags has been cordoned off - with a sign saying no walking or climbing in the area - for months following a geological survey last year. 

Pretty sure the climbers in the photo will be OK, the picture is from 1908.

As a local I can report there's definitely a sign in the park and there's definitely a fair number of climbers ignoring it.

When I was a student I used to run on the path regularly.  Once when I passed by there was a kid who'd climbed up most of the way to the top but wasn't sure about the final few moves.  His other problem was the cop waiting at the bottom and yelling at him to come down.

Looking back on that after starting to climb myself I think about how much more dangerous the cop was making the situation.

Yeah I know, haha. I walked up to the crags a few weeks ago and saw the signs. Not convinced they'll be lifted anytime soon. 

You know you're a climber if you read this and think: "challenge accepted"

"special climbing shoes with crips, spikes and rubber soles"

 

I did a moonlit winter ascent of Cat's Nick a few years ago. We walked out from the house, a 30 minute approach walk, along Leith Walk and past the palace and Parliament. I enrolled a neighbour who had not climbed before, promising him a night to remember and told him to bring some warm clothes and a bit of cash. We did some gearing up in my front drive, and the rest without head torches, not wishing to attract unwanted attention, on the Radical Road at the foot of the route. Up we went, as much swimming as climbing and at the top, I kept going across the snowy field until the rope went tight and the neighbour climbed it swiftly, hollering about the view and what to do. 

The night was completed with four pints of Deucher's IPA at Joseph Pearce on the Walk. I think we may have had two packets of cheese and onion crisps too. 

What is OG? I can only think of 'own goal'

OG is for Original Gangster, a reference to how badass those 1908 ladies were; and the “crips “ on current climbing shoes being a cross reference to Los Angeles based gang The Crips...of Bloods and Crips fame. 
You are welcome.

Obviously a reference to some devious Scottish cheating device. They probably poured Irnbru on their soles to smear better as well.

Nah...pouring Irn Bru anywhere it wont get drank is a hanging offence. 

Been having a few chats and emails with the park rangers, and while I'm also not holding my breath, they are aware of the importance of restoring access to the south quarry, if not to the whole radical road. The rock scaling contractors have been working round the queens road 'cliffs' this past week or so, and the main crags are next on their list apparently. 

Of course if you down-climb the Lift, you don't need to go along the closed path at all...

Just be polite if challenged, we don't want to hinder the negotiations between Historic Scotland and Mountaineering Scotland. 

Thanks for doing that, I wondered if it was worth getting in touch. I've not climbed there and  won't until it's legit, but I would like to recreate that photo at some point!

I recall a very old book in the FRCC hut at Brackenclose which advised ladies to wear a short skirt for climbing - about nine inches off the ground. 

One of the stories on this link talks about emergency services being called out because of concerns about a woman’s safety. Not Nicola threatening to throw herself off the crag, is it?

What, and risk showing their ankles?

I had been climbing at said place one sunny evening (alone, there was no one else there that day) and someone had actually thrown themselves off the top of salisbury crags. Had to call emergency services and all that jazz nevertheless if I wasn't there they probably would have died from their injuries. I learned afterwards its a popular place for jumping but the person in question was definitely not Nicola  

This is quite encouraging to hear.  The last couple of times I've been to Holyrood Park I hadn't noticed any activity along the crags, just some restoration work on the path that goes across to the Hunter's Bog from the bit of Queen's Drive that overlooks Pollock Halls.

I thought there was a bit of the park I wasn't aware of when you mentioned "Queen's Road".  My understanding is that the whole of the Holyrood Park "ring road" is called "Queen's Drive" but I am willing to be corrected.  In any case, I assume you mean the bits of the road below the southern flank of Arthur's Seat itself.  There was quite a lot of rockfall visible there when I last went past, but no obvious signs of any work being done; none of the dodgier-looking bits had even been coned or barriered off.  So it's good to hear that HES are engaged in some active management.

Even better will be if they do move on to the main crags.  When the Radical Road was first closed the communications on the matter gave the distinct impression that they thought stabilising the crags was a dauntingly big job and they had no idea when it might be able to get under way.  If the situation has improved to the point where work is actually scheduled then that's positive news.

Don't forget the spring loaded carabiners! They sound dangerous😀

Gis a shout if you do!

Sounds like a bad place to climb. Being knocked off a route by someone jumping sounds awful.

Maybe throw someone else off?

They are working on / around the Great Quarry now, and heading south. Think the current plan may be to make the main crags safer but keep most of the Radical Road path closed for the  foreseeable (with big fence), and restore access to the South Quarry. 

Of course you are right, the high road is the Queens Drive. My brain

Oh well, good news and bad news I guess.  Good that the main crags are being worked on, and excellent news that access to the South Quarry is being restored.

Not so good that it sounds like the Radical Road is going to be left to decay.  It is, after all, a part of the historical environment in that particular part of Scotland: a remnant from a past uprising against an unrepresentative and repressive government.  One might even suggest that it could be a worthwhile (if somewhat uncomfortable) reminder to present authorities of the risks they take when they push the downtrodden citizens of a country too far.  Also worth bearing in mind that it was the brainchild of Sir Walter Scott, whose 250th anniversary is being celebrated this year.

You'd think that there would be some official body responsible for preserving that kind of thing.  It could be called, oh, I don't know, maybe Scotland's Historic Environment, or something like that...