Wharncliffe crag damage

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 sheffieldchris 10 Apr 2021

Was having a walk past Wharncliffe yesterday and apart from a few bits of extra painted graffiti and a couple of chiseled initials noticed a few other things.

On a lot of the rock it almost looks like the top layer of blackened rock has kind of de-laminated in random small spots, leaving the lighter rock exposed.

I first thought it looks like it would if people were throwing stones at the wall, but would have taken rentamob weeks to do this and would have left lots of small broken rocks at base of crag.

Next thought was has it been shot at with shotguns, but shotguns are designed to send the shot in patterns and these were far too random for that.

Anyone got any idea, I should have taken a few pictures I know but will next time I am passing.

Another thing I noticed was that there did seem to have been a good few small flakes broken off low down on routes. Without casting any allegations there does also seem to have been a bit of enhancing of foot holds low down on routes. Looks more like rocks bashed onto the hold rather than a chisel, but the initials have definitely had metal work used to cut them in????

The crag is a bit of a back water and overlooked by many but would be a shame to see it abused especially as it could be said that this was the birthplace of crag climbing by J.W.P

 Jenny C 10 Apr 2021
In reply to sheffieldchris:

Could it be freeze thaw action?

Prolonged period of sub zero temperatures causing moisture in the rock to freeze and create cracks as there water expands. 

 cragtyke 10 Apr 2021
In reply to sheffieldchris:

The "spotting" you mentioned has been there a long time, because of where it occurs, around footholds,  I always assumed it may been caused by nailed boots?

In reply to Basemetal:

thankfully nothing like that, I don't think it has been maliciously and while the freeze thaw does happen that's just not my gut feeling for what it looks like

In reply to cragtyke:

I have been climbing up there 20+ years and know what you mean by the footholds, this is not that. It is random spots some on blank parts that are no where near climbs. The new stuff around the lower footholds on a couple of climbs have clearly been bashed with another rock to improve them.

It could just be a case of bad memory as it had been a few years since i last went up there, but it really stood out as something I did not remember seeing before.

The rock is very dark from the soot in the air from the bad old days of the pollution from the mills, almost looks like this soot/heavier rock is flaking off the older rock below.

 cragtyke 10 Apr 2021
In reply to sheffieldchris:

Any areas in particular that you're thinking of?

 Tom Valentine 10 Apr 2021
In reply to sheffieldchris:

Mills?

I don't shoot but I'm not sure that shotguns leave a particular pattern within their spread: at a certain density of shot within a given circle, i would have thought that the pattern was quite random. We have a few shooters on here, maybe one will contribute.

Post edited at 20:00
 cragtyke 10 Apr 2021
In reply to Tom Valentine:

Steel?

 Tom Valentine 10 Apr 2021
In reply to cragtyke:

My mistake. Looking at some old photos of Stocksbridge the chimneys were as much a feature as in any cotton or wool town, I just didn't associate the word "mill" with steel unless it was at the rolling stage.

Post edited at 20:29
 Tom Valentine 10 Apr 2021
In reply to cragtyke:

My mistake. Looking at some old photos of Stocksbridge the chimneys belching out smoke are as prominent as in any cotton or wool town. i just never associated the word "mill" with steel for some reason.

In reply to Tom Valentine:

I do shoot and one of the things you do when you first get a new shotgun and/or new shells is check the pattern. It is anything but random, shells are designed to create a pattern and there are many variations in both the size of the shot and the amount of gunpowder in the shell and also what type of powder. that is before you even start getting into the different chokes for the barrel ends on top of distance. a huge number of factors with repeatable results.

So no I can 100% say it is not shotgun marking

 Tom Valentine 11 Apr 2021
In reply to sheffieldchris:

Good to know. 

Probably dragon spit, then.

 jlury 11 Apr 2021
In reply to Tom Valentine:

sounds like may be the damage caused by crampons and axes??

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