UKH

Hiya... just wondering if someone could point me at the current advice in terms of resuming climbing (or not). I've read this:

https://thebmc.co.uk/can-i-start-climbing-and-hill-walking-again

Which would *imply* that climbing is "back on". However I feel very nervous about this. I'm WFH and looking at the infection rates is not encouraging. Also I can't see how climbing walls could be made safe so am assuming this is off for the forseeable. Relevent to my particular situaiton is

(a) that I tend to prefer soloing low graded climbs, so my typical haunts are all the popular ones (Windgather/Burbage North/Birchen/Stanage/Bamford/etc etc).

(b) My wife a a key worker and still working and seeing patients. Obviously I'm not going to go anywhere if I feel ill, but there is a decent chance I may at some stage be a asymptomatic carrier.

(c) Any climbing outside is going involve at least a 60 mile round trip.

So, what are other peeps doing? I'm sure there's a discussion somwhere on UKC but I did have a look and couldn't find anything but if I've missed the obvious then apologies. My default view at the moment is not to go out and not to climb outside.

https://www.thebmc.co.uk/covid19-climbing-hotspots-to-avoid-in-england

Many thanks.. So the whole peak district apart from Harpur Hill is OK..? that sounds..... ambitious!

If not climbing just yet is your gut feeling I'd go with that since you'd be unlikely to be either fully committed to it or happy about it which, from personal experience, would be very unsatisfactory and possibly risky 

There will be a range of activity represented on here I'm sure, from very limited engagement/not going out  to back to normal

I think people are making their own judgements.  Plenty are now going out climbing but keeping within their limits to avoid unnecessary risks.  But equally, plenty are waiting a bit before they go out.

I think you need to make your own choice based on your own personal circumstances.  My own experience (bouldering) is that there are plenty of places you can go to minimise risk of infection.  I wash my hands before and after and move on if it is busy or becomes busy.  For me the bigger thing was just being able to get outside for a decent amount of time.  Moving on rock has been a bonus and a joy but I would equally be happy just walking in lovely countryside.

In theory, climbing in England is 'back on'. For me, the key factors are:

- choice of appropriate venues to avoid annoying locals/landowners;

- only climbing with people who are likely to be at low risk of having Covid (eg WFH and living alone or where their whole household is WFH - I know my regular climbing partners pretty well); and

- keeping the number of my current climbing partners as low as possible.

In practice, everyone will make their own decisions. As with everything in climbing, if something doesn't feel right for you, it's probably best to give it a miss. You probably wouldn't want to get on a solo with some kind of doubts or negative thoughts at the back of your head.