UKC

Anyone else checked out Red Wall recently? Three large trees that were growing near to the wall have been removed and created a really light and open environment.Plus, if you forget your mat you can just gather up a pile of wood shavings.I can't see that it will affect the "weather-proof" nature of the wall that much, overall a nice job.Just to add the final flourish there are a couple of overhanging branches from trees at the top that could do with removing ... Karl?

In reply to Mark Harding:

They did provide some shelter when belaying in the rain though!

In reply to Exile:

...and you could lean against the big sycamore at the right hand side but overall I think it's a good move

In reply to Mark Harding:

Probably - spent ten minutes picking wood shavings out of my rope bag after this mornings session though!

In reply to Mark Harding:


There is another work session planned this month for Red Wall and the woods nearby - I'll take a look if I think on. If I recall though, some of the overhanging branches do make good belays for lowering or top-roping? If you've ever led anything on there you'll know they can also be last gasp holds for the terminally pumped.

In reply to Karl Lunt:
If I recall though, some of the overhanging branches do make good belays for lowering or top-roping? If you've ever led anything on there you'll know they can also be last gasp holds for the terminally pumped.

Thanks for the info Karl. I have led a couple of Red Wall routes and know exactly what you mean but the branches I'm thinking of would just get in the way rather than being of any sort of assistance as finishing holds or top-rope belays.One of them actually looks quite dead.
Btw were the trees removed purely to create a better climbing environment or was it primarily for ecological reasons. I seem to remember one of them was a (non-native) sycamore and another was a birch that looked to be getting towards the end of it's life.

In reply to Mark Harding:


I'm not sure, Mark. The day the Red Wall trees were felled I was working in Limeworks Wood just round the corner. It may have been on Les Ainsworth's recommendation to remove those particular trees but I'd be guessing. Last winter/spring we thinned out a lot of fast-growing birch on the quarry floor and in front of the minor buttresses. Otherwise the quarry would soon become a woodland. Non-natives are usually taken out too. It's probably a mix of reasons, the quarry is managed as both a reserve and a climbing facility.