UKC

Following on from the general theme of Central Belt crag maintenance, at great personal cost (£8 for secateurs) and risk to life and limb (bramble scratches, thorns, nettle stings, etc), I sawed down the tree that was shading Scharnhorst and making it more likely to stay damp and completely obscuring Edge Of Time next to it, and cut back a lot of stuff on the approach so it's hopefully easier:

Follow the path into the quarry just at the brick lookout, keep following until the bushes open out a little and you can see rock on the right, then bear right through clipped bushes and trees. At the crag turn left and aim for the bench. This should all be pretty easy but still don't wear shorts!

I did intend to go around to trim gorse off the top but having got half-way up the ridge on the right-hand side, I decided survival was questionable, so will go back and clear it after doing the route and try to get some ab tat in.

The route looks in good nick with all the breezy weather recently:
http://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/c.php?i=81175

In reply to Fiend:

Sensationally good work, Mr Fiend. I applaud your public-spirited action.

In reply to Fiend:

Well done that man! Brilliant climb, contender for best C Belt E1.

In reply to Fiend:
Good man. We did Scharnhorst a couple of months ago and the tree was getting pretty close to Edge of Time. As I posted on the Logbook page, it's worth the next person up bringing a bit of fairly long tat to ab off the solid fence at the top. We forgot.

I'm impressed you tried getting up the right hand ridge. That must have been... exfoliating!

We left new tat and a crab at the top of The Boat on the stake, which is getting a little old. And cleared the glass off the ledges on it and Dive Dive Dive. If you fancy help with any other Central Belt cleaning, give me a shout.

In reply to Fiend:

Nice one, will have to get out there again sometime, the only time I tried it was shorts and 8 feet nettles!

In reply to Fiend:
Chapeau indeed old fruit.
I lived 2 mins from there for 5 years. Even started hacking stuff down once. Gave up when the neds moved in with their shanty.
To my eternal disgrace I have never climbed there.
There are options for new lines in there (trad and the dreaded bolts) but I fear it might be drifting towards complete disuse.
If you want to organise a clean up in the winter then I would be keen to help. As ex landscaper have lots of dangerous things we could hack about with.
Bruce

In reply to Fiend:

added to the wishlist

In reply to Hay:

Mmmmm dangerous things.

I did Scharnhorst 5 years ago and it was definitely easier to access then - it still seems popular in recent years though. The ned shanty was there then over to the right, but it's now gone. The topping gorse might be the biggest issue now.

I agree it would be a good target for Buz (or Jamie ) with their Hiltis although would really need the first row of trees chopped to make the other bits of rock worthwhile.

err, I'm thinking that this crag is on a nature reserve...Scottish Wildlife Trust reserve???

If so, chopping trees without permission ...............well, you know

In reply to top cat:

Apart from a few pigeons, the only wildlife I've seen in NQQ drinks Buckfast.

In reply to DannyC:

That area is teeming with wildlife............but I know what you mean about the town itself!

In reply to Fiend:
Glad to hear the ned shanty is away, think it sat below the 'classic' VS??
Topping out into gorse will only be one of the issues, there are some very vocal get off my land types living up there.

Mental Gogs lives in NQ, when he was PM I was contacted by his close protection guys to find out who had been climbing in the quarry. They though it might be baddies up to no good.
Turns out they were right; it was Adam Hughes and Greg Boswell on Scharnhorst.

I also nearly got huckled by the special branch down in The Gorge, a local rock feature way up behind his house. Lots of dolerite/shitite there, not worth climbing. Fella jumped out the bushes at me and made me prove who I was etc.

Would be psyched to help with a rehabilitation of the quarry though.

B.

In reply to Fiend:

Nice one. I almost fancied it looked a bit less overgrown from the train yesterday; maybe i wasn't imagining it