UKC

This may be one of those far-out "it's just you you grumpy old man" things, but it's now three times that I've been climbing outdoors and someone has basically spent 2+ hours buzzing a quadcopter drone at, around, and in and out of people at a crag. They make a bloody racket and are somewhat more than distracting when you're grovelling up a VDiff and don't want anyone to see you using your knee or fiddling for 20 minutes to get a simple wire in.

The bastard thing is that because they have wifi cameras on them, the guys are always impossible to find to go and ask them not to. It's like they know it's offensive and have hidden themselves.

Has anyone else experienced this?

It's not like someone was making a climbing video and filming themselves - quite literally just flying a drone up to random people whilst they're leading and filming them. I get that people want to play with their toy, and that it's my fault for climbing at a crag that has a short walk-in (you can probably guess where from my logbook), but even if I wasn't climbing I'm pretty sure BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZT is ruining peoples chilled walks / picnics e.t.c.

In reply to neuromancer:

If you're on VDiffs, take a break on a ledge and get your catapult and ball bearings out

In reply to neuromancer:

Nope nothing "grumpy old man" about it. That would Piss me off and could even be dangerous!

In reply to neuromancer:

Here we go again............

In reply to neuromancer:

I started lobbing some stones at one once when I was climbing. Didn't manage to hit it but I they got the msg.
I agree you though, I think they're very intrusive. Might invest in a catapult as suggested.

In reply to neuromancer:

Absolutely agree, been to Rubicon twice and someone had one in the cave area filming filming the route, really annoying and potentially dangerous, was hoping it would clip the wall, although alas no. Also a few times in WCJ, was a lovely peaceful place

Climbing is about getting away from the buzz of real life.......

In reply to neuromancer:

Not an old man rant at all IMO. The perpetrators are probably in breach of CAA guidelines and rules for the use of drones:

http://www.caa.co.uk/default.aspx??catid=1995&pagetype=90&pageid=17...

Examples of rules they might be breaking are: Make sure you can see your drone at all times (can hardly be the case if the drone is being operated from a hidden location using the camera) and Drones fitted with cameras must not be flown...within 50 metres of people.

Given that whoever is doing it is almost certainly breaking the law, you could try reporting the incident to the local plod in the first instance.

No doubt someone will be along shortly accusing us all of being killjoys. Well hey: look who started it by interfering with someone else's innocent and non-intrusive leisure activity...

In reply to neuromancer:
Well, the law is pretty clear - they have to be within 500m and able to see the drone, so if you can't see them, they're flying it illegally. In addition, if it has cameras fitted, it can't be brought within 50m of other people.

Given that, I would have no hesitation to start lobbing rocks at it. If I felt charitable I might give a warning shout first.

Edit - crossed posts with Martin above.

In reply to neuromancer:

Yeah ban the f*ckers.

In reply to neuromancer:


I don't see why that's a problem. They could just put some techno music over the film

In reply to Jamie Wakeham:

Bereft of rocks on a grit ledge I had to resort to mouthing "F*CK OFF" and protesting with two upwardly-indicated middle fingers.

He seemed, after four confirmatory passes, to get the message but did nothing but proceed about 20m away to buzz three girls on a slack-line. I'm sure they enjoyed the encouragement.

In reply to neuromancer:
Last week a drone was being flown over the car park of my local cinema. It was above the car park lights but you could see it in the dark as it had red and green lights on it.

In reply to Jamie Wakeham:

you're right, report it to plod. With the exponential increase in these, and many being used by numpties, its only a matter of time before there's an incident. Realising this, and that they havent the resource to police this, the CAA have handed this responsibility over to plod.

In reply to neuromancer:
Reminds me of this story:
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-34269585

"Stefan Michalak planned to fly his drone inside the Natural History Museum, but was stopped by security before he could do so."

Some people are complete idiots without even being aware of it.

In reply to neuromancer:
I have a large collection of fishing catapults and of all of them I would recommend the whopper dropper with a large cup. A handful of gravel is far more likely to meet with success than a single stone shot. With the strong latex elastic you should have an effective range of about 35 yards . I was buzzed by one on a golf course the other day !! They are becoming a pain.

In reply to neuromancer:

Pocket full of small stones. Dummy throw, followed by a handful of the real thing if they persist.

In reply to Marcus Tierney:

Better still, take a telescopic rod and line and see if you can catch it.
After all, if they've left it hovering out of their eyesight it's legitimate 'Crag Swag'...... isn't it?

In reply to neuromancer:

I love the catapault and gravel idea. I wouldn't hesitate.

In reply to Rigid Raider:

Yes, because getting arrested for criminal damage is always a good idea, isn't it.

Especially as the bloke on the other end has you on video doing it!

In reply to neuromancer:

Er, well, the camera would have to be pointing my way for the operator to know.

In reply to neuromancer:

While I agree that they can be a pain and the above shows the operators to be thoughtless fools, I'd suggest a better course of action than the usual ukc chest beating would be to find a drone flyer's forum and post a politely worded request explaining (the total bloody obvious) that they are stressful and potentially dangerous to climbers, slack liners etc and would flyers please consider this. I suspect the vast majority of them will take heed. For the few that don't, well, that's up to you and your catapult

In reply to Oceanrower:

Never mind that. Throw stones!

In reply to Oceanrower:



If the drone is within 50 metres of you then any video is also evidence of the pilot breaking the law.

In reply to Seocan:

There was a chap with one down my local quarry the other week demonstrating it to a friend in a small clearing. I thought: surely if it deviates a bit when it hits the wind it'll crash into the trees.....sure enough

yes; numpties.

In reply to EddInaBox:
If you can take it out with stones, it's within 50m I'd expect.

However, it would still be criminal damage unless the drone legislation lets the offended take them down with extreme prejudice.

In reply to neuromancer:

Definitely not a grumpy old man thing. We were buzzed repeatedly on the top pitch of Squamish Buttress (5.10c), which rather detracted from the mountain ambiance! Would have loved to have seen the footage though - that would have made up for it!

In reply to neuromancer:
Ther were lots of posters on Cannock Chase recently (nice walking, no climbing). A drone had been flown out of range an got lost. It had all the owners previous holiday film on it! Oh how we laughed, sometimes I think there is a God.
P.

In reply to neuromancer:

Going to add a catapult to my rack.

In reply to Le Chevalier Mal Fet:

We were buzzed for a long time at Bonehill today. Elise, my wife, went and told them that as they didn't have control of all the people climbing, walking, letter-boxing below them they were flying illegally. After some grumbling the owner stopped and left.

In reply to neuromancer:

http://www.gizmag.com/battelles-dronedefender-beam-gun-uavs/39885/

In reply to Marcus Tierney:

Handful of gravel

I like your thinking

In reply to neuromancer:

I can see them being used more and more to make climbing movies though,it would make it a lot easier.but I'd still rather see them taken out,I wonder how accurate a firework in a milk bottle is.

In reply to andrewmcleod:

My first thought was a jammer. Just as illegal as the drones...

In reply to EddInaBox:


So they'll get a fine and you'll be shelling out £££ for braking the darn thing. I think you'd loose on the deal, as even though drones are getting cheaper they're still bloody expensive.

In reply to neuromancer:

There was one over main wall at avon on Sunday, one of the 6 bloody days a year when it is nice an quiet without the traffic and then that awful buzzing comes over for about half an hour. At least do it when the traffic is going and I can't hear it anyway!

In reply to Wsdconst:

Can't see gravel doing much damage. It would send a message but probably wouldn't take the thing down.

A net on the other hand...

In reply to davidbeynon:


I'm thinking - get some lead split shot and some nylon thread and make a hybrid net/bolas thing - a bit like those things used in the 18th century to de-mast enemy ships. Shot from a hand catapult, it should have a decent chance of snaring a too-close drone. Label it a "new prototype midge scarer" and the incident becomes just another unfortunate 'accident': "Oh dear, your drone seems to have flown into my midge scarer. What a pity."

In reply to Marek:

And if by some miracle it does turn out to scare midges as well then you will net yourself a fortune!