UKC

Upgrading work is due to start on the impressive (and impressively muddy) Chee Dale path in the Peak District; but it might not happen without the help of volunteers. Are you up for a day of load carrying?

Read more at http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/item.php?id=61029

In reply to UKC News: Great news, the route to the Cornice/Chee Tor has become extremely unpleasant requiring a full wet suit and dual walking poles (clip sticks) just to avoid sinking into the swamp up to your waist (ok so I exaggerate - but not much). Chee Tor has some of the best trad limestone in the country and the Cornice has a couple of worthwhile clip ups So I would urge my fellow climbers to get down there and lend a hand ! Unfortunately I will be in spain

In reply to David Peters:

The Monsal Trail re-development work should also be finished soon. I am not sure what impact this will have on the number of walkers in the Dale, probably not much, but for climbers it will almost certainly mean that the new quickest approach is up the trail from Millers Dale Car Park, and through the tunnels. This will mean that you can get quickly to the Cornice without going over that boggy bit, and avoid the parking problems at Wormhill.

Unfortunately the Peak Park have decided to cover long sections of the trail with tarmac, including wall-to-wall tarmac on the bridges and a tarmac strip through the tunnels. Good for bike tyres and reducing erosion but dreadfully ugly, especially on the bridges. The tunnels are also going to be lit.

Alan

In reply to Alan James - UKC:

I believe they have adopted this approach to facilitate wheel chair users - this was their reasoning for tarmacing the Trans Penine trail near me. Which is fair enough i guess, although after a couple of years it beds in ok and looks more natural.

cheers
mark

In reply to Alan James - UKC:

According to the signs I saw when I was down there photoing last week it isn't tarmac but some recyclable material (possibly based on old tyres?).


Chris

In reply to Chris Craggs:

Looks like tarmac, smells like tarmac.

The section below Plum buttress is a smooth much more appropriate substance which would be fine for wheel chairs. I think the tunnels have tarmac (or whatever) because of the drips from the bridges which would create pools but I can't think of any good reason for the vast carpark areas of tarmac on the bridges. Just really ugly.

Alan

In reply to UKC News:

When are we talking for this?

And a set of stepping stones going across to Two Tier would be nice, my toes don't like the chilly river !

In reply to UKC News:

Much as I like the idea of improved access; I hope any work is done more sympathetically than those bloody awful stepping stones in Dovedale

In reply to chris fox:

I am sure you were joking, but it is worth making the point that access to the south bank (Plum Buttress, Long Wall, Two Tier, Nettle and Chee Tor) is only granted because Derbyshire Wildlife Trust permit it and are accommodating to climbers. They are VERY particular about the way we approach crags, and what we do when we get there and it would be quite within their rights for them to ban access completely.

On Tuesday I walked down Chee Dale with Julia Gow from DWT, and Grimer and Henry Folkard, and we discussed the access for the new Peak Limestone guides so that Rockfax and the BMC write the correct information. The preferred method of access to all crags is to use the north bank (Embankment to Cornice) where the main path goes for all crags and then wade the river direct to the crags on the other side. They certainly aren't keen on advertising this though with stepping stones but are happy for climbers to do it providing they make minimal disturbance to vegetation. Crag-base paths are okay in some places like between Two Tier and Long Wall and Runyons for example.

There should be no gardening and no new bolts and any replacement bolting needs to be okayed by them first.

Alan

In reply to chris fox: its part of the fun though, knackered at the end of the day having failed on everything you realise the now even colder river needs to be forged. Half way through it takes a flip flop. Ahhhhh summer. The chee tor one is even better.

In reply to UKC News:

A timely blog piece this morning about the giving of time: http://www.heason.net/News_&_Blog/Blog/2011/03/18/

Strange to be seeking help during the week, but then I suppose it's too busy with people using the path at the weekend.

MattH

In reply to Alan James - UKC:

Alan - this other redevelopment stuff, tarmac & car parks etc, are there details online somewhere? I checked BMC and DWT (and google) but couldn't find anything of substance.

Does this mean they're reopening the far tunnel?

In reply to jonny2vests:

I looked for something online on Wednesday and couldn't find anything either. The 'car parks' I mentioned were not real car parks they were just what the surfacing on the bridges looks like.

I am pretty sure that the plan is to open the whole of the old train line up trail up with a path/cycle track running through all its tunnels up to the top of Chee Dale where the live railway line joins to Bakewell.

Alan

In reply to Alan James - UKC:

Ok, thanks.

In reply to Alan James - UKC:

Yes i was joking, I walked past the cornice a few weeks back taking photo's and it was very boggy, but it does get a lot of traffic in winter off walkers.

chris

In reply to UKC News:

Can I come and help supervise?

In reply to UKC News: I would be there to help for certain if it was this weekend. If you expect help then surely during the week is not really that sensible? If the work doesn't get finished during the week and you plan to do more at the weekend then please re-advertise!

In reply to Joe Costello:

Yes, from a volunteer point of view it isn't ideal. I think the reasoning is that some of the actual construction work is being done by contractors who don't work at weekends.

Alan

In reply to Alan James - UKC: Fair enough in that case. Hope it goes well anyway. Twill soon be time to start the Chee season again I reckon, I've heard a rumour the Cornice is not far off dry?!

In reply to Alan James - UKC:


Are they possibly just capping them to reduce water ingress, nobody is going to pay for new bridges if they become seriously degraded so I guess it makes sense to preserve them as best as possible now. It's just a hunch but that's what it looks like given the wall to wall covering. It'll weather to a more reasonable appearance in a year or two.

jk

Went down Chee Dale again today. Everything looking much drier than last week. Even Long Wall is climbabale.

Solved the Tarmac/not tarmac issue. The main path does appear to be made of something that is almost certainly the recycled stuff Chris mentions. This stuff looks really good and gives an excellent surface whilst also being in keeping with the surroundings. The stuff on the bridges and the tunnels is definitely tarmac. Unsightly, but the reasons people have given above may explain it. I can't help thinking that there is a big money factor in there as well though somewhere.

Alan

In reply to Alan James - UKC:

A bump - the work starts tomorrow if anyone can make it.

In reply to Simon: Many thanks to all of those volunteers who turned up today to help improve the path. So many of you turned up and worked efficiently today (Tuesday) that there is only a small amount of work to do tomorrow (Wednesday) so you might also get some climbing in.

Henry Folkard (BMC Peak Access Co-ordinator) has asked me to post up to ask that the three people who approached him about becoming access volunteers on the work days at Cheedale email him at: henry.folkard@bmcvolunteers.org.uk. (He doesn't have any contact details for you.)

Cheers,
Rob