In reply to chudders1:
Thanks for the thread James and for the responses. Darren...I have noticed much more litter in Bearacleave this season but I am convinced that it isn't climbers. The nature of the litter (fizzy drinks, sweet wrappers, plastic bottles, dog poo bags) and its location (near the parking, stuffed into hollows in tree trunks, almost all a long way from boulders) suggests to me that it is very unlikely to be climbers. I have seen no litter at all near boulders. I have been carrying out any litter I find and would urge all climbers to do the same. Whether you like the bouldering or not, the woods are undeniably special and deserve better...but, that said, I have never come across any climbers in them that are disrespectful of the environment they are in.
I believe it is the parking that has triggered this recent action. It appears as though horse riders (or a horse rider!) are/is upset that the gate used to access the Bearacleave section of the wood has been blocked. I have parked in this spot for the last 15 years on and off and there has never been an issue but I guess the increased numbers of cars parked there (both climbers and non climbers) has led to a perceived problem that has given them 'licence' to contact the NT. The same is true of lamp sessions. Please, no matter what you think of the rights or wrongs of these complaints, park away from the gate and take your lamps elsewhere...the inconvenience of walking a little further or climbing somewhere else is nothing in comparison to what might be lost...oh, and if you find yourself lost and staring at a short cut through a field, please turn around and enjoy the adventure of reorientation, it's all part of the experience!
Hopefully we can show the NT that we are part of the solution, not the problem and continue to enjoy these magnificent woods whilst keeping everyone else involved on side.
Post edited at 23:30