UKC

Nestled away in the beautiful unspoiled valley of Colsterdale, Slipstones was once once described in the 1989 YMC guide as,"Yorkshire's Best Kept Secret."

So what makes this exquisite outcrop such a desirable venue? Read on to find out more...

http://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/page.php?id=1519

In reply to Kevin Avery - UKC:

Nice article but is it not trashed enough already

It's taken a real beating in the last 5 or 6 years since a slew of print articles held it up as the best thing since sliced bread. It was a 'best kept secret' for good reason.
jk

In reply to jkarran:

Hi

I was there a couple of weeks ago and it was far from trashed. Yes it has certainly become more popular over the last 5 or 6 years but as long as people treat it with respect then I don't see any reason why we can't all enjoy it?

Kevin

In reply to Kevin Avery - UKC: Slipstones has got the best rock I have ever climbed on. Agree it would be terrible to see it get trashed - I've only been in the last year and I thought it was in great nick. But it's in the middle of nowhere, and boulderers are notoriously lazy people who would rather climb in a grotty hole filled with coke cans and johnnies if it's got a thousand hard overhanging eliminates, than enjoy the brilliant mini-routes at Slipstones. We have nothing to worry about, I reckon.

In reply to Kevin Avery - UKC: I was there a couple of weeks ago and its definately trashed. 4-5 years ago there was vegetation and peat under all the problems. Now its disappearing rapidly, in a couple of years the bottom of the crag will be a road. Like wise there never used to be much chalk about but now enourmous white handholds are everywhere - fair enough at stanage but surely slipstones is one of the places where it should be brushed/washed off after you done a problem. (I when't with a few relative newbies who are now going to think thats normal, very sad).

I find it pretty anoying that when a place is really nice it needs to be shouted from the rooftops, can't some places be saved for people prepared to make the effort to scout them out...

I'm being very negative here, I didn't post initially becase I felt if you've taken the effort write an article then that shouldn't be frowned upon... but slipstones is a bit special.

In reply to petellis:

They are - which is why all the articles are about Slipstones, rather than ***** or *******

In reply to Jon Stewart:

This is entirely the point. You've only been in the last year, 4 years ago it was in great nick, now its rapidly being trashed. This year is the first time I've had to take litter home from the place.

In reply to Kevin Avery - UKC: keep it quiet man ! is a gem of a place for highballing but routes are a tad on the small side - but still top quality
jas

In reply to Toreador:

yeah, but what about *******?

Seriously though, if I remember correctly Slipstones was left out of one of the yorks grit bouldering for the very same reason.

In reply to Kevin Avery - UKC:

I was there 3 weeks ago on what should have been the perfect afternoon out. I left with a heavy heart.

It is trashed... maybe not compared to the horrific sacrafical anodes of Almscliff and Stanage but it's nothing like it was a few years ago. There's muddy tracks everywhere through the heather where once there was one feint path, the landings are hollowed, bare and muddy, there's aggressively brushed scars on the rock, finger tape in the undergrowth. Since those articles appeared too many people have shown it too little respect.

I appreciate the urge to share info on nice venues but it's not without cost.

jk

In reply to petellis: I agree with your sentiment, and can imagine that the vegetation at the bottom has suffered as a result of increased popularity over the past few years. But the rock is nowhere near trashed, and I don't think that this is likely to happen because Slipstones is quite an acquired taste and isn't the nearest decent crag to any major city. I don't think an article on UKC singing its praises will increase the amount of traffic, but the crag will certainly see more climbers as time goes on. To expect this not to happen, or not to see an impact is a bit unreliastic, unless there is a deliberate conspiracy not to publish information about it (too late, it's in the guidebooks).

I would probably support such a conspiracy. It would be amazing to have such a superb crag known only to a few (now I've been and know how great it is).

In reply to petellis:

I thought it overrated.

In reply to Toreador:
Quite; hardly worth 7 stars.

In reply to Kevin Avery - UKC:

The landowner has been granted a dog restriction on the Open Access land at Jervaulx Moor for grouse breeding. This runs until 18/06/2010 and includes Slipstones and Brown Beck Crags.

Steve Crowe

In reply to Anonymous:

Thanks Steve, I've now added this information to the article.

Kevin

In reply to Kevin Avery - UKC:

Whenever you write an article (or a guidebook!) someone will moan about wanting to keep the place quiet - wonder if "they" ever go anywhere else?

Slipstones can look 'trashed' in the winter, the paths are more visible and the soft ground suffers badly from the traffic.


Chris

In reply to jkarran:



Hi jk,

You do know that you are one of the people 'trashing' the place!

Mick

In reply to Chris Craggs:

That's a touch patronising, Chris, when you don't know the climbing history of the people who are "moaning" as you call it.

In reply to jkarran:When was it a secret? it was on the North England cover and down as best crag in the world in yorks grit for a while,
Even minimal traffic has a lasting effect as the ground is so soft and everything you say about the feel of the place and litter is bang on but i do hope this article gets some one passing with a pad and a spare afternoon to turn off the A1,and get happy.

In reply to Kevin Avery - UKC:

Nice little article about a nice little crag. It is a shame the debate has centred on the environmental issue. Unfortunately we do effect the micro environment wherever we climb its just a fact of life. But then we do that every time we go climbing, walking on the hills or drive to them. We can minimise the effects but not eradicate them and just not publishing articles about such a great crag will not stop the word spreading.

However, as bouldering gets even more popular then more and more venues seem to open up to spread the load. There are now 75 specialist bouldering crags featured on www.yorkshiregrit.com so if you visit them all next year you won't be spending too much time at Slipstones.

Dave

In reply to Dave Musgrove:
It is a shame the debate has centred on the environmental issue.


I don't think its a shame, I think its important that this debate takes place. Its a sign of the times that people need to be aware of the crag environment and the 'leave only footprints' mentality. True we all have an impact - just some more than others sadly...

si

In reply to Kevin Avery - UKC: one of the problems of writing crag specific articles is it directs people to one venue. Hence that one venue generally sees a lot more traffic. A better approach might be to have multi-crag articles directing climbers to a number of venues and spreading the load out.

As one of the people who developed Slipstones I would hate to see it damaged it was always a beautiful tranquil spot in the early eighties, well until Nick Dixon Steve Brown and Paul Ingham started arguing!!!

In reply to Simon:

I think the 'leave only footprints' is an outmoded idea from before the days of the kind of crowds that trash places just by walking through them!

Chris

In reply to Kevin Avery - UKC: Fair enough articles like this, if you feel the need to tell the word about a "secret" spot then go for it.

Can the parking issue be emphasised a bit more strongly though? There have been issues with pepole parking badly as it is very limited, and has caused tension with local residents in the past.

In reply to Mick Ryan - UKClimbing.com:


I'm fully aware of that Mick but at an average of one visit per year as a non-smoker who doesn't use fingertape and leaves my wirebrush in the car I don't honestly think I'm the worst culprit.

jk

In reply to jonka:


It was never secret and shouldn't be, it just saddens me to see the effect the increased popularity has had on the place over the last decade.

jk

In reply to Kevin Avery - UKC:

There are degrees of secrecy, are there not?

Slipstones has been in published guidebooks certainly since the 1985 "brown" North of England guide, and on the web in several places. This latest article says little that is not said elsewhere.

I don't think this article will make much difference: those of us who live near enough to visit on an afternoon or evening will continue so to do, occasionally people will visit for a day from further afield.

There are degrees of trashing, too: it is less trashed than Brimham (or, I guess, Almscliffe, although it is a long time since I was there), but certainly more trashed than when I first visited twenty years ago.

Y.

In reply to Kevin Avery - UKC:

I didn't mean to steer this thread down a totally negative path. It is as I said in my first post a good article and I think people should go enjoy it, I just wish they'd tread a little lighter.

I guess I just have a soft spot for the place.
Sorry,
jk

In reply to jkarran: I hear you. Hard to believe, but it's coming up for 10 years since my last visit, and it has definitely got a lot messier over the years, but wouldn't call it "trashed" (yet!). Not been for a few years, curious to see how it looks now. If you find it a bit too busy, you can always keep on walking down the valley.

Again, I ask can the parking issues and limited parking be emphasised a bit more strongly in the article?