UKC

Update for Pex Hill, Cronton.
Recent stone throwing and end of term college glass smashing at walls. Local Constabulary have logged some problems. Recent cleaning has found some glass which is a danger to all. Please take care re this ; However Jenny & team have recently bagged rubbish to ensure safety and status of quarry and ensure we all keep things tidy so we can all enjoy Pex. Also well done to her team for Clean up at left end of Pisa Wall area.
Other phase of clean up is around Dateline wall with cutting of excess grasses / brambles removal of glass etc.
The wall has been in a very poor state for sometime with a sliminess akin to cosmic soup. This is being cleaned
across the wall and my mate and I also managed to tidy a fair bit of 'Black Magic' E5 6b last weekend. Hope we can make this wall usable again, all support welcome.

In reply to lancsmike:

Thanks for looking after the place.

In reply to lancsmike:

Fantastic work lads! Been away for a couple of weeks - impressed by work under Dateline Wall/left end of Pisa Wall. Been wondering what to do about the annual rave/bottle smashing fest at the end of the college exams. Write to the Principal?

In reply to Pekkie:

Thanks for support and comments, Will & Pekkie .
I feel we should contact a few people re negative behaviour around Pex.
The Constabulary would be able to log any calls & be around now and again,
as they do (sometimes)appear when motorbikes speed about near fields.
Maybe we should also have a think about contacting and making the colleges
and community aware of this amazing place so it can be treated with respect
by those who do not seem to think about the consequences of there actions.
Will support whatever you think Pete, see you around soon. Ian & Mark.

In reply to Pekkie:
As it's pretty much an annual event the college principal won't achieve much, the local Neighbourhood Inspector would am sure put a PCSO or two in and around the quarry on predicted date, they like that kind of thing and would probably welcome support for the idea, especially if accompanied with climbers, if somebody does write to the Principal and finds out the day for next year that exams finish am happy to contact The Police...is Pex in Cheshire or Knowsley...think it's Knowsley then it's Huyton PS

In reply to lancsmike:

The options seem to be : writing to College Principal, contacting Borough Council, Police, Parish Council. Have you contacted any of these? Maybe we could draw up a contact list of people who are interested in keeping the place safe and tidy. We have had clean-ups in the past and I can dig out some people and contact details (not literally!). Last year I met Rob Dyer of theBMC to discuss problems the Water Authority were having with scallies damaging the fence. He might help.

In reply to steveboote:

Hi Steve
Pex is in Knowsley Merseyside but the College is in Halton Cheshire!

In reply to Pekkie:
Sounds like a job for Jayne Kennedy lol

In reply to Pekkie:

Hi , no contact with anyone as yet, just putting out feelers . I know it seems so difficult to move with any authorities at this time due to cut backs and , well sometimes a certain slowness or negativism to problem solving; (as I know from my own Council). As you say it may be helpful to draw up a list of contacts to help us out here. Certainly your contacts with the BMC and Water Authority; whatever you feel would help we could work something out.
In the interim we continue to clean up routes and get rid of any rubbish we can. There does seem a few of us who will keep going on a fairly regular basis at this time and we certainly want to keep going and make the place safe and routes clean enough to climb , regards.

In reply to Pekkie:

Hi , thought I'd update as phase 3 gathers momentum.
Down at Pex Hill today and we were so pleased to meet Jenny and her team (left of Pisa wall clean) and she had the support of members of the St Helens Mount/Club greatly assisting. They were busy cleaning up the quarry and doing the 'tops' of Pisa wall and Dateline wall. Fantastic work making good this climbing area and treasure in the countryside.
My mate and I continue to clean Dateline wall making 'Acid Test' E5 6b more accessible. All the enthusiasm is really positive for the quarry and its climbs, regards to all.

In reply to lancsmike:

It was sheer coincedence that St Helens had arranged to do a cleanup at Pex, but good to see likeminded people up to cleaning the area up.

We had 4 adults from SHMC and some of our kids to do some work which just complemented was was being done on cleaning some of the lines.

By the end, we'd amassed 5 bags of sh*te, the top outs of Pisa wall and Dateline wall now feature less gorse.

After talking to the guys cleaning dateline routes, I shifted to blitz the overgrowth on top of Pisa...all cut back to fence and I managed to get to the precarious corner..which is far less precarious now.

I returned again today, with intent to climb, but took another bag and a brush and cleaned up a large portion of glass around the centre of the quarry (around the rocky middle).

Next time I visit, I might take my shears and tackle the foliage across the top of dateline.

There are some pictures before/after on the St Helens MC facebook page.

In reply to Pekkie:

One thing we could do is approach United Utilities about providing some support for cleanups via their CSR (corporate & social responsibility) program.

Even if it would be some supplies/skips for the cleanup. It would all contribute.

In reply to SChriscoli:
Thanks for your comments. Yeh we did chat on Saturday we were real glad you were all there , a great convergance of minds and effort. Well done , great work and as you see above notes, the routes are better now on the Dateline Wall. My mate and I did go back Sunday but it was quite wet all afternoon , but we took shears ourselves right along the base of wall and a bit on top. Its all coming on nicely. Cheers (Ian & Mark)

In reply to lancsmike:

Great to hear that you are continuing with the clean up of Pex. Unfortunately I won't be able to offer a helping hand as I'm recovering from a recent climbing accident and I'll be out of action for some time. Keep up the good work.
Cheers
Chris

In reply to lancsmike:

If I can help with the clean up let me know!

In reply to lancsmike:

It has been lovely to see everyone come together to clean routes and clear the trash .... Great team effort by all It's not nice when a few ruin it for the many, but I believe it's a brilliant crag and with a few hands it makes for light work ...... on a regular basis lol.

Jenny

In reply to lancsmike:

Top work people, always appreciated. Was possibly popping by tonight but poor forecast. Doesn't have to be a major effort and a sacrifice of a trip ...just stuff a binbag in with your gear occasionally and come back with more than you arrived with

In reply to Christheclimber:

Thank you for your great comments, take it easy and get well soon.
See you in the quarry sometime, should look more like it did 20yrs or more back.

In reply to john_mx:

Thanks for you post John, we'll try and get up there sometime soon if weathers ok,
couple of routes on the Dateline wall looking better already. Cheers.

In reply to UK Tigger:

Thanks Jenny , good stuff at the weekend as you say, cant believe the work over last few months.
From Pete's original new year work to our progress on other walls, great.
Nice to see you and all down there, we'll keep going to make it good. Regards Ian & Mark.

In reply to steveriley:

Thanks for your comments , appreciated; we'll keep going, lets hope the weather dries up , regards

In reply to lancsmike:

Heading back this Sunday if the weather forecast is right and we get some sun I will be sure to take some bags and cutters

See you soon

Jenny