UKC

Hi,

For anyone who likes dry tooling in Edinurgh myself and some mates are trying to finally get on with bolting a quarry in Edinburgh.

If you fancy getting along to the quarry to check it out, go to my blog you'll find a post on how to get there.

Be carefull lots of loose rock still but feel free to bolt or clean more. Not good for rock climbing if you dont trust me go and have a look. Will be great dry tooling venue when all sorted out.

Yeh directions on here, last posting.

http://olyleask.blogspot.com/

In reply to oly-l:

Looks like a good addition; well done. Look forward to checking it out.

In reply to oly-l:

good work.

In reply to oly-l:

...there is a park over a wall with a forest behind it, go to the far right hand corner of the park and walk up the path into the wood (unsure of actual name of woods may be Ravelston or Blackhall)

Forest?! In Edinburgh?!! Nah...

It's Ravelston Woods Local Nature Reserve and park: http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/directory_record/10900/ravelston_woods_local_na...

Not wanting to put a downer on your good work but you might want to consider contacting the ranger service to let them know what you are planning to do to their nature reserve.

In reply to oly-l:

good one.

have fun, may you keep the vultures at bay.

In reply to Martin W:
Much as i dont like to admit it that would probably be a wise plan to contact them. The quarry itself is filled with old burnt out bikes, beds etc so a clean up to the 'nature reserve' surely wouldn't be an issue as for the removal of loose rocK this must be making the quarry safer too? Anyhoo thanks for the link, i'll get onto that and hopefully not regret it!

Anyone else interested in the quarry just get down there and check it out, many hands make light work and all that, cheers for your responses. Hopefully catch some of you down there soon. Cheers

In reply to oly-l:

i remember dodging about this quarry when i were a lad. from what i recall this might actually be a good laugh.

well done mate.

In reply to oly-l: This place has *definitely* been tooled in before by at least wo UKCers whom I could name! It is very friable and the base of the routes is a crap. After 45 minutes there, I would not want to go again. Nothing to do with the tooling, just that it is a seriuosly shite venue for it.

In reply to nickinscottishmountains:
I feel hurt on behalf of the quarry! Was it the thought of landing on the broken glass and used junky needles in the 'nature reserve' that put you off?!
Hope that you are well and keen for a ski or a climb this winter at some point.
James e

In reply to James Edwards: Hi buddy, I think it was the seesawing your rope over the edge due to my shonky technique that put me off it!

Things very busy in life at the moment and about to get busier but yes either a climb or ski would be great.

Nick

In reply to nickinscottishmountains:

Come on its not that bad, fair enough it needs a clean up and the loose rock removed. Thats all well underway now though, You're going to put folk off. It'll be good i promise, ha ha!

In reply to oly-l: well done, i will defo be trying it out ,,,and may even give u guys a hand ...

In reply to oly-l:
I take it "defining" is a euphemism for chipping?

In reply to oly-l: So... contacting the nature reserve then?

I emailed the rangers about removing loose rock with tools... don't think there can be any complaints as it makes the place a lot safer for climbers, and the local schools which abseil there (thought that was a good card to play... it is true though). 'defining' the holds is actually removing the rock with consistancy of weetabix from good rock with the potential to be a hold. I mentioned bolting but only as something to discuss in the future, as there's abseil points at the moment (trees). I dont see there being any problem with bolting as blackford hill has bolts at the top of routes and thats on land managed by the local rangers as well. I directed them to the mcofs participation statement so they should know that they're not liable for climbers if the quarry becomes bolted. http://www.mcofs.org.uk/climbing-participation-statement.asp

As for the state of the quarry, your right, its a bit of a grim place, it's much better than it has been in the past as the matresses and most of the rubbish has been removed. never been any junkie needles there, its not really that kind of area, more school kids leaving glass bottles. it wont be hard to clean it up a bit.

The fact that its not an asthetically pleasing place, with no scope for any good rock climbing, makes it perfect for a drytooling venue. we just wanted somewhere to get time hanging from our axes without having to drive for hours / wait for good conditions.

I'll post what the rangers say when they get back to me.

In reply to porkie:
Sounds like a good plan. One point of order Mr Chairman is that i know that the middle line goes and shouldn't need improving, unless a bit has fallen off in the intervening 10 years, which i possible as the rock there is rubbish. It is harder and thinner but possible and perhaps it is good to have something just a bit beyond what you can currently do?
Just a thought
James e

In reply to porkie:
Good work Mr Parker chances are i wouldn't have got round to doing that myself, i'm hoping that we get the response from the rangers we are looking for. Good to see some folk other than just ourselves getting excited about this place, think it could become a popular wee quarry for dry tooling in Edinburgh.

In reply to James edwards: I'm guessing the chairman is the right hand route if its been lead already, a sort of flake which may have offered protection. the middle route has no protection at all! unless its been climbed with no gear?

The right hand route is a sort of flake, its the obvious line in the quarry. we've pulled down some big blocks from it and theres still some big wobbly ones left, might have held gear in the past but it would make a pretty dangerous lead as it is at the moment. If bolts were ever to go in we'd have to really consider whether this route is naturally protectable.

We're deffinately not going to alter a route which goes just to make it easier. There are already a couple of easy lines to warm up on. Ideally we'd like the routes hard as possibly allowed by the angle and features of the quarry, irrespective of our climbing ability. Were just planning to remove loose rock and the weetabix consistancy rock that coveres a lot of the features in the face.

ahh, soz thought you were saying the route was called mr chairman, it wouldnt be a bad name.

Crag now listed on uk drytooling in the indoor/ outdoor venues section:

http://www.drytoolinguk.com/

Just thought i'd give this a bump to see if anyone else is interested!

In reply to oly-l: Yes, would be interested in taking a look. Spoke to Neil Silver last night and he was keen to come down at some point too.

Great day today with you guys today at this crag.

The venue wasnt nearly as bad as described and actually quite nice in the sunshine setting up abseil points at the top. The actual climbing spots were quite private which I think is good in a semi-urban area. Bloody midges in November though! Yes, it's not Cairngorm Plateae but a good place to go, save fuel, fart about improving technique and getting a bit stronger while waiting for conditions.

The loose stuff needs a bit of a clean but I reckon a bit of traffic should help. Much of the surface rock is friable-better in the middle section of the crag.

That thing we were on over on the right "might" have been protectable but I wouldnt have liked to be relying on some of those flakes.

Personally, I'd like to see a few more people going along and maybe talk about what folks thoughts (including the ranger) are on bolting some of the routes.

thats my tuppence worth

Jon

In reply to Jon Wylie:

Thanks Jon

Glad to hear you had a good time and enjoyed the quarry. Didn't make it back there again today for round two. Il try and get back along there in the next week though. Think those two lines we are protecting with pegs will def go soon. See you again shortly and bring on the snow!

Cheers
Oly

Hi, if anyone is interested I'll be down at the quarry tommorrow playing about. Still no word back from the ranger service as yet, so i'm assuming they have no immediate issue with the quarry being used which is good! Hopefully catch some of you down there soon.

In reply to oly-l:
Good news, we are having a meeting with the ranger on tuesday to discuss plans for the quarry which hopefully goes well! Heading along there again tommorrow if anyone is curious to have a look at it. cheers

In reply to oly-l:

Hi folks, I went along with Oly this weekend to try out the dry tooling at the quarry and just wanted to pass on my thoughts. It's definitely not as bad as some people are making out. It's a little overgrown but just needs a bit of traffic to form a path into the base of the crag and is easily accessible. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and thought it was an excellent little venue for dry tooling. The anchors at the top are solid, mostly large trees, and can therefore be easily top roped. With the plan of bolting the crag I look forward to going back in the future. We spent several hours there and still hadn't done all the possible routes.

Hope to see more folk around giving it a go.

I met up with one of the rangers yesterday (wed 29th). There's no issue with dry tooling at the quarry. To do any work in the quarry (bolting, removing ivy etc.) we'll need to get health and safety forms OK'd with them, which sounds like a nightmare but they were actually very positive about the idea - so I think it'll be ok. I'll sort out the health and safety forms and put up a post when I hear back from them. after that I guess we'll have to sort out some dates and rent out a cordless hammer drill etc.

In reply to porkie:

Hi Porkie,

Give me a shout when your hiring out the cordless and I'll chip in. Hopefully I can make it along to help out too-winter is coming though Off to Wales for a week, hope you guys get something wintery done in the meantime.

Jon

In reply to oly-l: Totally up for giving a hand cleaning up rock or just the general area. Would be a lot of fun to have a new venue to muck around on during term time. Would be wise to advertise in Alien, Ratho, Edinburgh Uni Mountaineering club etc if you want any help gardening etc.

Looking to get going with bolting soon, does anyone want to get involved with that? I'm sure its straight forward but some experience is always helpful.

Does anyone have a battery powered hammer drill that they would be willing to come down to the quarry with in the coming weeks to get going with this bolting? Cheers Oly

In reply to oly-l:

Hi there Oly,

I've been down there with a couple of friends on two occasions now. It's just round the corner from my house. Last time one of us took a brush and gave the left hand side a bit of a clean.

It's a useful little venue - certainly no sign of junkie needles or mattresses though there is a bit of broken glass. The biggest hazard is the mud!!

I'd be happy to help with any clean up or whatever.

cheers,

Pauline

Hey
Thats good to hear of folk getting down there and cheers for spreading the word that its a half decent quarry. If we keep working on the cleaning and bolting it'll get there.