UKC

A group of youths have reportedly attacked climbers at Black Rocks, Cromford last week. Police are appealing for information concerning the incident.

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In reply to UKC News:

Shocking!

In reply to UKC News:

One day one of those youths will become a great climber (see: Paul Pritchard in Deep Play)

In reply to GuyVG:


So is that enough to condone people lobbing crap at people?

In reply to gethin_allen:

Chill out, I didn't read any condoning in Guy's post, simply him musing on a bit of history.

I've been showered with glass and debris when climbing at Black Rocks myself. It's well known to be a hangout for local youths with nowhere else to go, and yes, knowing no better, they tend to lob empty bottles off the top.

Fortunately in my interaction, my friendly approach paid dividends and they realised they had put me in danger, appreciated that I hadn't gone ballistic at them, tidied up the rest of their mess with my assistance and left having learnt something. Could easily have gone another way if they'd wanted it to, c'est la vie.

In reply to gethin_allen:
Not condoning this behaviour.......... 10 odd years ago I thought I was being bombed as bottles and cans came flying past as I climbed at Black Rocks one evening. Its a popular hang out for the local 'yoof'. When I saw them at the top and showed I think they ran away.

Its also a popular spot for people to go and 'make out', one night on a night climb I (and the 2 people in midcoitus) got quite a shock on a ledge near the top...

In reply to danm:

This thread is bringing back many (happy) memories...!

Yonks ago (maybe the last time I climbed here) I was soloing up some of the easy routes/scrambles and could hear 'bang, bang, bang'. When I got to the top on a sunny Sat/Sun (can't remember which) there was a big brute of a guy with his 'bird' (sorry but this sexist slang fits the situation of said time!) and son. He was proudly chiselling their names/initials into the rock. I couldn't believe what he was doing and loudly asked him. He looked totally perplexed by this and said, 'everyone else has done this...' (to those that don't know BR there is a lot of graffiti from ancient to new). I think I said I was discussed and that this wasn't a great example to set to for son... His wife/partner/friend/bodyguard/slave looked embarrassed as I hastily walked away as he started to look madder and madder... ah those were the days...

Once remember it getting a bit scetchy in the Rising Sun over whose go it was on the pool table:

In reply to UKC News:

Perhaps the climbers were placing bolts and this was an act of divine retribution.

In reply to UKC News: I'm pleased this article hasn't garnered the outrage and tubthumping it might have been designed to get. Encounters with local youths are part of urban climbing. No one got hurt, although tempers might have got frayed and we can all move on now.

In reply to Frank the Husky:

Indeed. Part of the problem sometimes with potential escalation is unneccesary aggression towards said youfs from those who should know better.

In reply to UKC News: I had to smile, someone on outdoor gear exchange on facebook posted this and with the headline "Police appeal after three Black Rock climbers attacked by youths near Cromford." and it prompted the comment "what's race got to do with it." Took me a while to realize what they were talking about.

In reply to UKC News:
They need to introduce rock climbing into the curriculum at the local schools. Problem solved in a generation.

Maybe some climbers local to the crag could talk to the schools about collaborating on training and applying for funding for kit.

In reply to Oldsign: I don't think the problem is necessarily that local, you get a lot of youths coming in from out of the area, particularly at weekends.

In reply to UKC News:

I'd have deployed the hexes myself.

In reply to jonathan shepherd:

It's a shame. Looking at the comments in the logbook it seems to be a long term phenomenon. You've got to wonder why it effects this particular crag to the point of it having a bit of a reputation compared to others in the area. If it's not locals or near locals then what's the deal with the place?

In reply to Oldsign: It's basically a picnic area that's easily accessible to anyone wanting a day out with nice views, no big walk in which would put off the youths and also gets used by walkers and mountain bikers on the high peak trail. In fairness i live about a mile away and have climbed at Black Rocks for 40 years, i must visit 40 times a year and have never had any problems with youths at all, although you do seem them up there fairly often.

In reply to jonathan shepherd:

Yeah I thought the same when I read that. Amazing the difference an 's' can make

In reply to jonathan shepherd:
In that case I defer to your greater experience. You do hear a few stories though which gave me the impression it was wall to wall scallies up there.

I won't let it put me off visiting. The rock looks amazing there.

In reply to jonathan shepherd:

Yes, like I thought Boris was going to get shot with shit for abusing a black cab driver until I saw the video....

In reply to UKC News:

I was up there on Saturday, plenty of youths around but they seemed pleasant enough. Mind you, the crates of Stella had only just been opened at that stage - I left at around 4pm cos it was too hot.

In reply to UKC News:

Sounds like it was a Bad Day at Black Rock

sorry

In reply to Paul Phillips - UKC and UKH:

Black People: coming to a crag near you!

In reply to Oldsign:

They did take local kids climbing there. Until they cut the funding.