In reply to paul_in_cumbria:
> I think I might probably be a bit of a dinosaur. Me and my better half headed out last month to an obscure Peak bouldering spot. What we found was some good lines and potential for new problems covered in a lush blanket of moss and lichen.
> My call was that there is plenty of clean rock in the Peak so we left well alone, packed up and headed elsewhere, and had a great session. Last weekend we were exploring around Ogwen and found some excellent obscure stuff. We managed to get some new stuff done by just cleaning up individual crimps and nubbins.
> Don't know about accepted etiquette, but mine is that if you question whether or not to do it, then don't do it.
> Paul
Interesting ethics, I probably would have done the same thing but rather because I don't gnenerally go bouldering equiped to clean a boulder like that off. Do the boulders naturally clean up in summer or do you think that there is a particular rare kind of moss/lichen growing there?