UKC

All things (temperature, wind etc) being equal, which Peak Grit venues would be least likely to have midges?

The blighters have curtailed many an evening this last two weeks.

In reply to Fredt: wharncliffe is less bad than many other places, but you really need wind or limestone at this time of year

In reply to Fredt:

The Matlock area in the Frogatt guide.

In reply to Fredt:
have you considered a midge net (For belaying) some thin gloves and some repellent, worked wonders for me at the weekend (well minus the gloves)

In reply to CurlyStevo: Lovely on a hot summers day when you could go somewhere else nearby in a tee-shirt.

In reply to Offwidth:
actually the repellent mostly did the trick and the midge net was only necessary from time to time, good to have as a back up and not needed when climbing.

In reply to CurlyStevo: I have (and use) a midge net for places like the north west of Scotland where its hard to avoid them, even chasing the breeze. In the peak it's madness (mind you Stanage is packed with odd folk moaning about bites when they could be elsewhere, even on grit, in a tee shirt)

In reply to Offwidth:
haha I lived in scotland and western grit at the weekend was worse than most the crags I have chosen to summer climb on in scotland (that said I'm not stupid so I'd avoid stuff like glen nevis).

The weekend before I hardly got a bite though - in the same area as it was windier.

I would say the people who were prepared for midgies on the grit at the weekend seemed to be enjoying it a fair amount more, there was a lot of people scratching and complaining and many of them quite local!

In reply to CurlyStevo:

I climbed at Brimham for about 17 hours this weekend in a tee-shirt with no repellant and got a couple of bites saturday morning and then in the evening as we left. I'm not saying don't prepare (I had repellant and a long sleeve shirt in my bag) I am saying you get the most enjoyment when you choose the right venue. I need some wind forecast on a high humidity day in mid-summer before I'll go up on the moorland edges... too long a walk in to get eaten alive.

In reply to Fredt: We went to Stanage on saturday and really struggled. After that we went round to Mother Cap and had no problems at all, not sure if maybe Owler Tor would be similar as close by?

In reply to Offwidth:
It seems to have been rather unpredictable recently. On Dow on Saturday there were no midges at all (and no wind), on Scafell at the same time (in a breeze) people were suffering.
Lots of midges on Monday evening at Brimham, but last night in apparently identical conditions there were none.

In reply to Fredt:

Kinder could be good? I've only ever been stung by a wasp up there during the summer.

I might be havering though...

Tim

In reply to Toreador: Avon Skin so Soft really does work, as does Smidge and Jungle Formula. They stop them biting, but not landing on you. best bet is to climb with a friend who seems to attract them, thus saving you.

In reply to Offwidth: they are unpredicable little beggars, I was camping on the coast west of fort william at the weekend and did not get a single bite off the dreaded highland midge - didnt even bother with a midge net

In reply to the_liquorice_man:

Indeed. Someone else did the same last week with a move to Burbage North. Its harder to do that quick change with a one hour walk in but I've moved to the other side of Kinder before now .

In reply to Toreador

Check the humidity levels and cloud cover on those two evenings. Brimham is a good place on average as it has all aspects and pinnacles on a hill to catch any breeze going and not many sheep. Stanage is one of the worst places on averege for midges and is horrendous on close, cloudy midsumemr evenings. The best midge free places on grit are urban quarries.

In reply to Offwidth:
I wasn't there on Monday, but last night it was cloudy (and when the sun came out, shaded by the trees), windless, humid, and damp after earlier rain. Perfect midge conditions in other words, but there weren't any.

In reply to Fredt:

Higgar Tor, nearly always a breeze up there and no marshy ground in the immediate vicinity.


Chris

In reply to Chris Craggs: Although not if the wind is north easterly as I got more midged there last August than anywhere ever, I guess when the midges there get the chance to feed they must make the most of it!

In reply to Fredt: Serves you right for having all those great places to climb You could live in Sussex, with no midges and no feckin climbing

In reply to Fredt: worse midges i ever had anywhere including Scotland was at Laddow...drove us of the crag after 1 route..

In reply to victorclimber:

I've had midges in Inverpoly, Torridon, Glen Brittle and the Kings House in Glen Coe that were so thick it looked like smoke and when in the tent their movement on the fly sheet sounded like drizzle. Never had that at Laddow; anyway what are you doing up there on a bad day?

In reply to Offwidth: thats nothing, I'v had midges so thick at brimham we put away the bouldering mats and cushioned our falls on the piles of midges

In reply to Toreador: dont forget the essential smearing with marmite

In reply to Fredt:

Well, the BBC are forecasting hail in the Peak this afternoon, that should sort them out!

In reply to pebbles:

Sorry, I forgot about yorkshire childhood midges. My father in law said some midges in his youth were as big as a cow and would suck all you blood in one big gulp.

In reply to Offwidth: we didnt think it waws a bad day first and only time up to Laddow,and I too had them like dark clouds in Glen Brittle ,but the little Laddow buggers were the worst ..