UKC

Anyone out in the Peak today?

Were midges a problem?

Thinking of heading out tomorrow afternoon, but not if it's going to be unbearable!

In reply to CathS: They were pretty bad yesterday evening, you need somewhere in the breeze, try laddow or ramshaw if the wind is still easterly

In reply to CathS: i know that sometimes midges can be bad in the peak but i can honestly say I've only ever been midged off a crag once in over ten years of regular peak cragging . always go climbing if you get the chance no matter how bad someone says the biting burgers might be. if you do get got head for the limestone. have fun.

In reply to CathS:

Despite a windless muggy evening at Burbage just now, I can't say I noticed them.

In reply to CathS:
Just got back from Cadshaw rocks and they were terrible!

In reply to jimjimjim: You must be very lucky. There is a point where you can feel the blighters crawling all over you that gets me running for cover.

In reply to CathS:
They were (at times) excruciating at the Roaches last night, but it was a muggy, still and warm evening.

In reply to Jon Read:

was ok at castle naze last night until about 9 when they suddenly seemed to come out. until then the flying ants were far more annoying

In reply to MattG: There were quite a few at Ramshaw last night too!

In reply to CathS:

I would expect lots of midges today with it being still and warm, but you never know. A few weeks ago we got midged off Stanage and went down the road to Burbage and found no midges out.

In reply to CathS: if its got to be grit try the amber valley crags, turning stone etc, matlock quarries, new mills, or get onto the limestone (but not harpur hill)

In reply to CathS: I'm curious and i'm also new to limestone... why less midges on the limestone

In reply to lm610:

I've often wondered why midges are grit snobs. I think it must be due to the moorland vegetation (ferns, bracken, heather) that are predominant at grit crags.

In reply to jonny2vests: makes sense. grits snobs, there's a lot of them these days. But that means I get a lonely limestone crag like stoney to myself. yippee!

In reply to jonny2vests: >I've often wondered why midges are grit snobs.

Obviously never been to Kilnsey on a still summer evening

In reply to jonny2vests:

That, or the standing water where they lay their eggs any where the larvae develop.

Chris

In reply to CathS: Not there myself but have spokent my otherhalf who said they were quite a few lol.

In reply to jimjimjim: I have had to retreat from a crag once in 3 years climbing. It was unbearable, we were up a tintwistle and got savaged. I was in shorts and tshirt and got absolutely savaged. They cahsed me all the way up the route. My belayer prob got it worse though. He was fully covered apart from his face which they went to town on. His whole face was completely covered in bites! It wasn't pretty!

In reply to David Peters:

No I haven't. An interesting anomaly. They hate Stoney, something about polish blah blah.

In reply to jonny2vests: polish what have they ever done to us. If only the world was covered in friction so the polish and midges could never fear a smooth surface.