UKC

Just in case anyone gets any flack about a fire at Biblins, it was these lot: 

youtube.com/watch?v=OHRN2No71WU&

Isn't it a designated SSSI owned by Herefordshire Wildlife Trust? Presumably you're not just allowed to start fires..... Especially with it being a habitat for bats. 

I climbed in a cave once after someone had had a fire in it and it was shite - black soot all over the holds. 

Fires have been lit in there since the dawn of mankind.

True. That was before an access agreement was setup for climbers to use it even though its a SSSI. 

Round about the dawn of time, Fed and Wilma didn't boulder much, mainly because Fred was a shit spotter and Wilma didn't have a very good bouldering mat.

Whats worse - chalk or soot?

Like black chalk?

Never been to Biblins, but it's anything like Peak lime then odds are that you can't see white chalk on the white rock anyway!

Camouflaged pollution.

Soot. 

Next? 

Sweep or Soo?

You're holding a chalk bag in your profile picture!

Do you believe chalk use is polluting, but decide to still use it? What's your issue with it? 

Mindless overuse.

Especially from indoor climbers treating rock like plastic.

It's either polluting or it isn't.

If you could let me know how much I can use that would be great. 

3.4 g/hold/session, but obviously you’d know this if you were a seasoned outdoor climber  

ah yes, it's everyone else that is the problem, of course

No, everyone is the problem. The difference is that some people realise they are the problem and so try to do something about it. 'Everyone else' just dont give a shit.

My mate and I actually bumped into this guy and his daughter at Biblins a couple of weeks ago when he was trying to film this. We turned up on a weekday evening at about 4pm, and were asked to climb elsewhere for an hour while he did this piece and lit a fire (!). We pointed out there was nowhere else to climb, we would happily share the cave but it wasn't reasonable for him to reserve the entire thing, and also that he 100% shouldn't have a fire there as it's part of an SSSI, with fragile access for climbers as a result.

To cut a long story short an argument ensued, he threw a bit of a tantrum and then left. Funnily enough, his teenage daughter was much more mature and understanding than he was and looked mortified. We dismantled his unlit fire but I guess he came back again at some point to film this...

Tbh, the whole thing epitomised why I much prefer the climbing to the mtb scene.