UKC

Does anyone know what the status of Symonds yat is/ when it's likely to be open?

Seems a bit strange that the whole crag is close due to rockfall in one area. My impression from the RAD is that it's CRoW land so also interested in the legality of keeping it indefinitely "closed"

https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/crag_access/rockfall_at_symonds_yat_-_cra...

They checked the rest of the cliff after the fall and found that several areas were unstable (shocker), so it's not just 'rockfall in one area'. 

The ban is a voluntary one and there is nothing stopping anyone from going, other than it being decidedly uncool and risking relations and access for the future. This isn't a similar situation to Wildcat; climbing was fine there and hopefully will be again once they have finished their surveys. There might be some remedial work required to make certain areas safer. 

Please just be patient and wait for safe access to hopefully be restored. There are houses and tourists they don't want flattening so totally reasonable to ask climbers to stay away while they look into it. 

The area access rep recently attended meetings with the land managers and representatives of Forestry England, regarding the rockfall and the prospects for reopening.

While all parties at the meeting were keen to see climbing access restored as soon as possible, there is an expectation that the risk assessment work they feel is needed before this can happen will take at least 3 months.

The legislation around CRoW allows for a landowner to deny access for up to 28 days, after which an extension must be sought from Natural England. This period expired some time ago and the restriction is now technically a voluntary one (while an NE approval for an extension is being considered). That said, in the interests of long term access we'd urge that climbers abide by the restriction at least for now.

We will keep pressing the landowners on this at both a local and national level.

Thanks for the update. I was and remain slightly concerned that this could drag on and become like the Radical Road issue in Scotland so good to hear there's continuing dialogue.

I share that concern and we'll keep pushing the issue so that doesn't become a comfortable default option.

Thanks for the update, it's great to hear that there's active discussions going on.

Obviously will abide by any voluntary ban, but my concern was that an indefinite ban would be in place and we'd lose access permanently by default. 

While you're discussing it with them (and while we're all nicely abiding by the voluntary restriction), can you press them about the permanent ban on Coldwell Rocks? A seasonal nesting ban would be much more proportionate.