UKC

Morning all,

I've just been officially informed that the Right of Way through the quarries is now closed to the public until at least mid August. This is to allow for Filming of the re-make of Clash of the Titans. Dali's Hole, California, Never Never Land and Twll Mawr will all be directly affected. Probably best avoid these areas for the time being.

Access has become a touchy issue recently and it can only help if we behave ourselves for this relatively short time. I'll let you know as soon as the path is open again. In the meantime BMC discussions with First Hydro are ongoing.

Mike Raine
Chair BMC CYmru/Wales

In reply to Mike Raine:

Thanks for that useful info, Mike. Let's all behave ourselves...





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In reply to Pekkie:

Indeed. Although if the attitude being displayed by a number of posters on the last thread about this is picked up on by First Hydro I wouldn't be surprised if by this time next year we won't have access to the quarries full stop - and I can't say I blame them one little bit.

FFS, if the fence goes up, don't try and cross it and don't try and use alternative ways in. Take your bloody top ropers and sport-for-all punters to a less sensitive area - that's how this mess has come about in the first place.

Fingers crossed the BMC can come up with an agreement.

In reply to Pagan:

Why? I don't see why FHC should be that bothered about climbing or public use of the quarries. As long as they fence it off and put up signs saying don't climb, I think it's quite clear they've tried to stop people entering and we therefore enter at our own risk.

I think wait and see. I think people should be very careful not to upset filming but any loss of the quarries long term should be resisted.

I can't see how they can stop quarry access full stop, to do so would give them a lot of bad press and cause a lot of bad feeling in the area.

In reply to IainRUK:

Couple of threads from the slate wiki:

March '09:
http://slate.wetpaint.com/thread/2519980/Slate+Gates

(Note MR - "Thanks for that Clare. Access is already an issue that we are just managing to keep a lid on at the moment.. We will lose it if climbers behave in the manner you witnessed".)

April '08:
http://slate.wetpaint.com/thread/1370768/Access+worries

Sounds like FHC are concerned about liability, and with good reason (imho). Increasing numbers of climbers will lead to more accidents - law of averages (I've seen a chopper pick someone up the last couple of times I've been there). From the second thread, it seems the increased numbers of climbers have led to family groups climbing over the fences and wandering about on potentially dangerous ground (probably more of a risk from the liability perspective than the climbers).

In reply to Pagan: Mike Raine and I had a meeting with Tony from First Hydro last week. There is certainly no point speculating on here about access issues, as the BMC are now no doubt clearly in the picture and will hopefully act in our best interests.
Tony from First Hydro certainly reads the Slate Wicki and quite possibly Slate related threads on here, it is therefore really important that we consider carefully what we say...

In reply to Sl@te Head: I think that's a reason why people should discuss it and certainly be worried about it. It's good for them to be aware that any loss of the quarries would hugely impact on the locals and also on tourism (and yes locals also means people who weren't born here..that's the one thing that does my nut in and something I've read on here before). I train in there on a very regular basis, one of my favourite rep sessions is all the steps from the slate museam to the top access road, on top of that the quarry is an integral part of Wales's toughest long distance mountain challenge and also part of at least one current race (which official permission is granted).

It's not just some scruffy set of quarries used by climbers it will impact on a whole range of user groups.

Personally I think and hope they just limit the fenceing off to very accessible areas, in effect just making it more difficult.

There's no point bleating on after the routes have been lost, 'oh well we never knew', will be the response.

It would be great for the quarries to recieve some sort of protected status but I worry that any official protection would come hand in hand with a ban on liesure activities which is the last thing I want to see. It's great that they are now used as a liesure/training area.

I know of at least 4 groups of the outdoors community who use the various quarries and the associated access roads either in events or informal and formal training sessions.

It is a wait and see time, I agree don't act, but I see nothing wrong with discussing future loss and the impact it will have.

In reply to IainRUK:

I agree that discussion is great, it's just sensible for some to consider what they say before they post.