UKC

Hi

Following the new Froggatt guide and an increase in traffic in areas in the book around Froggatt / Curbar we would appreciate feedback from anyone who have dared to go down in the woods to check out the climbing down there:

How did you find it?
Did you have to clean the rock?
Did you top out the climbs successfully?
What could be done to help keep the climbs in good nick?

any thoughts would be helpful,

Cheers

Si
BMC Access Rep

Deadbay Crack and Bear Hunter at Curbar
How did you find it? Both well worth their 2 stars
Did you have to clean the rock? Both were clean enough
Did you top out the climbs successfully? just!
What could be done to help keep the climbs in good nick? I think the new guidebook is great for encouraging climbers onto the lesser travelled but equally as good routes by adjusting the stars in favour of these. I've noticed lots of good looking routes (and crags!) in the new guide that I hadn't even heard of before.

We also had a good day at Baslow on the 1 and 2 star micro-routes.

Hopefully this will spread the load and maybe more climbers will begin realise that lesser travelled 1 and 2 star routes can be just as good as the (over-rated?) 3 star polished 'classics'
Cheers, and good work on the new book

In reply to Simon: Yeah, I agree with Mark, largely coz I was climbing with him in Curbar woods and around Baslow recently. I think the starring policy in the new guide is good, one star for anything good, 2 stars for very good etc.

A bit of traffic ought to sort out the climbs in Curbar woods and keep them in good nick. In Froggatt woods there are some very green and dirty offerings, which need a good clean before climbing. The stuff on Brookside buttress was ok a month ago but all the stuff round Downes Flake, apart from the route Downes Flake was pretty mucky.

On another note, more people should go to yarncliffe and climb routes like Stormfactor to help keep them clean. I spoke to a couple climbing Fall Pipe this afternoon and they said all the holds used for climbing are clean and the climb is currently well worth its 2 stars. So get on it! I would have but it started raining.

In reply to Simon: went today but just went to the blue Hawaii bit, did Green acres and the other HVS and they were in good nic. blue Hawaii and the E1 6a seemed abit dirty but a good brush would sort them out. plan to go there again soon and have a explore.

In reply to Simon:

planned on going to curbar woods a few times this summer after reading new guide but it rained each time. hopefully make it there this autumn instead.
have been to baslow a few times since reading descriptions in new book and think it's a great crag for soloing. i doubt i'd ever have gone based on descriptions in old book so add me to the list of converts.
it really is a bl00dy good book imo

In reply to Simon:
I haven't been since the new guide came out, but from several visits beforehand
How did you find it? If you mean was it any good, then yes. If you mean could you locate the routes, then yes also.
Did you have to clean the rock? No
Did you top out the climbs successfully? Yes
What could be done to help keep the climbs in good nick?
They were in far better nick than at many crags! But you expect vegetation at any relatively unpopular crag, the only solution is for those who go there to do their bit...

In reply to Simon:

How did you find it?

Lovely setting in the trees and tops out to a beautiful aspect, if you've seen the new peak bouldering guide the picture of 'art of japan' by John Coelfield stands true to this

Did you have to clean the rock? No, relatively clean considering

Did you top out the climbs successfully? Yes, didn't require much heather clutching


What could be done to help keep the climbs in good nick? Spread the word about a soft E1

should be nice and dry after all this sun!

In reply to Simon:

been to some of the areas before and after the guide was published...

Baslow coverage is good, been before good soloing/short routes and bouldering the slipstones of the peak (not quite as good obviously). Think the inclusion in the last rock-fax helped but the inclusion of the bouldering is probably already having an affect on making the place popular and spreading the traffic away from trackside! Generally very clean but a bit gritty in some places , haven't been down to the right hand end in the trees for a while so no idea on greenness.

Froggatt woods, had had Downes' crack on the wish list for a while, finally did it in the summer, was clean & pre chalked. Was desperate move onto the final ledge on a sweaty day (not using the tree not shown on the topo) The top out though was very vegetated. Surrounding routes looked extremely green/dirty. Esau's buttress looked in appalling condition. Would require crag cleaning vegetation removal from around the routes, and more traffic (vicious circle as unlikely in current state). Froggatt brook area, Cooked Start & Tinsel's Tangle both excellent, the former maybe worth 2 stars. Bit green still though thought some of the vegetation around the crag could do with a cut back. A great area to visit as we did when the rest of the crag is packed! (indoor Fisherman looks ace, like to try) The boulder problems in the surrounding area starting to get traffic but still green.

Also at Froggatt should small saplings growing on the crag be removed (round jankers area for example), and selective larger trees pruned/removed. (cave crack tree)

Curbar woods again been before the guide was published had hurd about this beauty called "the Line" which is ace, the tree at the bottom will soon start to seriously get in the way of the route and should probably be removed. Short buttress is excellent and the slab climbing probably as good a 3 pebble but less hyped. The soft E1 now HVS in this BMC guide Green Acres is particularly good, but i have reservation to how much traffic the gear placement will take. Other route/boulder problems in the area are fairly clean, a few heathery top outs, again quite a few small saplings or larger birch trees that are already or likely to suffocate routes or cause issues in the future. For the HVS/E1 leader a great area with several good classics and only a few minutes further from the car than chequers buttress.

so in conclusion excellent guide book coverage, great routes/problems, generally clean but some vegetation removal should be carried out

graeme

In reply to Graeme Hammond:


Many thanks for all the feedback all, it really is appreciated and valuable.

It's great to hear that people's experience's have been mainly positive and the climbs are receiving positive comments.

There will be work commencing in November on the Eastern Moors / BMC Crag and Woodland Management plans and more information will be on the BMC website shortly.

Please keep feeding back and climbing the routes / boulder problems -

btw - anyone every tried Cud U Like (E1) in the Froggatt Woods? ;0)

Cheers

Si

In reply to Graeme Hammond:

Re. Green Acres, do you mean the size largeish cam by the overlap or is there something else that I missed?

In reply to Simon: Recommend the Froggatt Brook Area - clean rock, fairly quiet and all the fun of the main edge. Did Crooked Start (HS 4b) and Tinsel's Tangle (HS 4a) and thoroughly enjoyed them. Must confess to going to main edge afterwards - Green Gut, Sunset Crack etc.

In reply to MattG: a cam by the overlap? the overlap is barely 1m off the ground. i think he must mean the cam higher up after the initial crux. I think green acres should be more like VS 5a, seems a better grade and will encourage people to solo it rather than place cams and ruin the rough grit. just my opinion

In reply to MattG:

the large cam placement to the right on the route Short slab and therefore off route.

In reply to NickK123:



Good effort, that's what makes a good varied day. The new guide is just the start of the promotion of the edges and the work to come will open up the heavily wooded buttresses that don't get climbed on yet have some great climbs on...

The feed back is crucial to this process and thanks again all.

Cheers

Si

PS: Downes Crack is an amazing secret hidden climb in Froggatt Woods - everyone should do it!

In reply to Simon: Small confession - bought FTBR guide after being admonished by writer Lynn at BMC dinner after confessing to using (and liking) Rockfax. Having bought guide, I was determined to get value from it, which led climbing partner and I to exploring off the beaten track; glad we did! Probably a lesson there in not being seduced by the obvious lines.

In reply to Graeme Hammond: No, not that one, it was low down, maybe under the roof, but I can't remember. I've done that Short Slab too and know the one you mean.

In reply to al123:

How do you work that out? VS 5a suggests hard but well protected so will encourage people pushing their grade to lead it. If you wanted to encourage soloists then grade it E1 5a.

In reply to Toreador: hhmmm fair point i guess....

Was in the woods again today, Green Acres, Short Slab, Thin and Slack Crack were all clean and good. The Line was the best of the bunch, however it was a bit green due to the proximity of the oak below and the birch in the corner. Someone has clearly tried to snap one of the branches off the oak but this looks messy and could do with a proper prune. The birch could do with going all together, is this a candidate for removal in the 'Eastern Moors crag plan' you mentioned in another thread somewhere?
Cheers

In reply to mark20:


It is now! Thanks for that - it will be noted and looked at as part of the plan. We are grateful for feedback such as this - keep up the good work...

Cheers

Si