UKC

What's the current situation regarding access to Staden, I understood it was off limits at the moment but my mate (who wants to go there this week) reckons its ok again.
The UKC crag database has no entry signs by every route but lots of them have ascents logged in the last few weeks. What's going on?

In reply to pec:

The new guide is pushing for climbers to go there and use it, or lose it!

As far as I'm aware, we were requested to not climb there as there was a planning application for a bottling plant. Had this of been successful, part of the quarry would have been demolished and the area would have suffered with the addition of a noisy factory.

Apparently, there was local opposition to the application and it has been knocked back. That means there's probably support in the local area for climbers to use the quarry, as long as we are courteous and don't block drives/make loads of noise/leave rubbish everywhere. When we went the other week, we had a smile and a friendly hello from a dog walker.

I think if you want to climb some 3* E1's on some of the best natural limestone in the peak; you should get there asap, before the situation changes!

In reply to pec:

I went there a few weeks back and really enjoyed it.

The basic jist is that access is technically banned due to the landowner wishing to develop the site into a water bottling plant, however this ban is not one that the BMC supports and climbers are therefore encouraged to visit the site.

I heard an interesting story from a friend who visited last year (UKC User TRip): he parked up, went climbing, then came back to find a note on his car. Thinking it would be an offensive letter from the landowner he opened it to find words of praise from the locals, urging him to continue climbing there and thanking him for visiting the area.

Basically, go there - you won't be disappointed and are unlikely to be asked to leave.

In reply to pec:

Thanks for the advice, I've climbed there before so I know how good it is and would like to go there but didn't want to aggravate a sensitive situation and jepordise future access.

In reply to dr_botnik:


That's great to hear - although being an albeit long abandoned quarry, its not really natural !

In reply to GrahamD:

I stand to be corrected, but I believe the Joint Effort Wall (the best bit of Staden) actually is natural limestone. I read (or heard) somewhere that it is an old vertical fault line that was underground until the quarry-men took away all the rock in front of it.

Martin

In reply to pec:

https://www.thebmc.co.uk/modules/RAD/ViewCrag.aspx?id=148 worth giving them a call?

In reply to Martin Hore:

Makes sense when you consider the flowstone features on Liquid Courage etc

In reply to Bulls Crack:

I think they make it quite clear in the notes there that climbing is okay.

In reply to Martin Hore:

Always had the feel of long ago quarried limestone to me but who cares ? as you say the joint effort wall is superb.

Old style quarrying would have worked on natural weakness lines so I guess it could sort of be both.