UKC

Just aborted a trip to Aberdour. Several glass bottles coming down off the top above the Pain Pillar area, just missing us and another party when gearing up. Helmets and gallus banter useful if you give it a go.

Have been here when its been rammed with kids enjoying themselves before, but they were not quite as boozed up and throwy as today. Traffic around Aberdour beach and funfair is carnage too. Heaving with polis, but they have their hands full.

Anyway, here's hoping limekilns is a little less hazardous.

Happy climbing.

In reply to debaser:

Delightful, thanks for the heads up. I suspect the combination of school holidays, funfair and little scrotes with nothing better to do is not ideal...

In reply to debaser:

That's nothing. They threw a scooter down once!

In reply to debaser:

Just along the road at Rosyth quarry a wee while back, the bottles were full of petrol with a lit fuse. Boyz will be boyz.

In reply to debaser:

I hear a climbing has died in Aberdour tonight. Anyone know any details? http://www.dunfermlinepress.com/news/15418970.Reports_of_climber_fall_at_Ab...

In reply to David Barratt:

Unfortunately confirmed: https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/local/fife/472099/climber-dies-aberdou...

They'll release the name after next of kin have been notified. Hopefully this is unrelated to the bottle throwing.

In reply to Removed Userabarnes4:

Let's hope it's not related. Despite living pretty close, I've never actually climbed the site.

In reply to debaser:

It's probably worth telling the police about this in case it is linked to the death?

In reply to David Barratt:

Whenever I hear of deaths/ big falls I always wish we could know more to try to learn lessons, especially when it's a local crag. Unfortunately no guarantee of getting that info but here's hoping...

In reply to malcolm.harris:

Aye, I've been in touch with Police Scotland to let them know. It's hopefully unrelated to the accident.

Limekilns was glorious last night, so was upset to hear of this when I got home. Really sad news.

In reply to debaser:

I'll no doubt be discussing it with the police at some point as I'm also one of the local councillors, so I'll see what information is available. Out of interest, is there a local club/group in Fife as I've been out the loop for a few years being distracted with the likes of sea kayaking, paragliding and politics.

In reply to debaser:


As a resident of Aberdour and a climber I would like to point out that we are also tired of yobbo's coming to the beach and ruining everyone's fun! I'm confident none of the people drinking or throwing bottles live in the village, I find mornings to be the best time to climb in the Summer, tide dependent.

As a heads up too, the local week long festival starts on Saturday and continues for a week and will be likely busy, especially at the weekend as there are road closures/beach events etc.

In reply to debaser:

To all climbing at Hawkcraig,

A sad and tragic accident with thoughts going to family and friends.

Can I urge all climbers to take extreme care when climbing at this location. The rock is loose and friable in places as reported as recently as last month. More rock has now come loose and fallen in the area of: The Arete - The Lilly - Gunga Din. Take care along the entire length of the crag when climbing.

As a final note and I'm sure you all will as a close climbing community, please be mindful of family and friends in these situations.

In reply to allycat:
Thoughts with all those concerned - a horrible and tragic event.

In reply to allycat:

Really sorry to hear about this - I have been informed that it was a work colleague of mine.

In reply to calum404:

Very sad news.
We left about 315pm to find our car surrounded by fifty or so young people who appeared to have been dropped off. They were hanging about as if they were waiting for a teacher to brief them. Very boisterous and when asked what they were up to they said they were on a school trip and at Hawkcraig for a party. Many appeared to have already started the party. I did not get an impression that they were local.
With regard to the initial post, I do hope this was a coincidence and that young people played no part in the tragic fatality.
My thoughts and condolences to the family and friends of the climber involved.

In reply to Rab6t:

Schools are off on holiday so unless it was an English group.

Condolences to the family of the climber.

In reply to David Barratt:


http://www.braesofife.co.uk/index.htm
http://www.jacobitesmc.co.uk

In reply to malcolm.harris:


I agree, and think their should be some kind of national page set up that gives this info, eg, rock came loose, gear ripped, gear failed ( detailing gear used, where on route , peg failed) etc

All we get is that someone has lost their life, it's not helpful at all.

In reply to Rock to Fakey:

I am aware of 3 deaths and one serious fall in the last 10 days. If questions are asked at the time it is deemed insensitive. Can anything be learnt, is there a place for the BMC in this. I believe in the US there is follow up and an evaluation of what went wrong.

The Sun has used this thread for their 'news'.

https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/scottish-news/1308385/fife-climbers-w...

In reply to J1234:

We had a very detailed (if ultimately inconclusive) discussion about exactly this issue on UKC back in 2008, with UKC even going as far as commissioning two opinion pieces from myself and Simon Lee.
See https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/page.php?id=1110
and https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/page.php?id=1099

In the intervening time nothing has changed. There are still sadly far too many deaths and still no coherent effort to systematically analyse and try to learn any potential lessons from them.

I am now probably more open to Simon's point of view that some accidents may indeed be due to "unknown unknowns" but I still hold to my original belief that accidents mostly happen due to "dangerous occurrences" and "unsafe acts" taking place regularly and repeatedly by climbers and can potentially therefore be reduced from better understanding and awareness of what the key risk factors and behaviours actually are.

Whether anything will change in the medium term, I doubt it. The BMC and British climbing and mountaineering more widely are preoccupied with various other current issues, so innovations in this area are probably unlikely.

In reply to The Ex-Engineer:

You'd think a coordinated investigation of each incident would be a top priority if it can lead to less accidents. We all participate in these sports with the understanding that there are risks involved, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't aim to reduce them. Speaking to divers about another local tragedy, I understand the British Sub-Aqua Club compile reports on every incident, regardless of whether it involved a member of affiliated group. BMC really need to look at BSAC. https://www.bsac.com/page.asp?section=2662