UKC

What is the best way of getting an over grown crag cleaned up? do it your self? contact BMC? other?

In reply to Fiskavaig: I'd say get on with it or ask some mates/local climbers to give you a lift. Use UKC or Facebook to ask for volunteers.

In reply to Fiskavaig:


Just be careful with what you're cleaning - https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=660958

In reply to Fiskavaig:

If it's just trimming some bracken/gorse/brambles, get on with it.

If it's more involved, first contact your BMC access officer to see if a clean up is likely to cause problems with either the landowner or local ethics.

Then get on with it!

In reply to Fiskavaig:

We did some cleaning at our local crags. Very rewarding but check the info on how to clean without damage.

In reply to Fiskavaig:

Which crag are you thinking of?

In reply to Ron Rees Davies:




First of all ensure that it's not designated SSSI !

In reply to Fiskavaig:

Where is it, England, Wales, NI or Scotland and Is it an existing crag that has been neglected or a new venue?

Could be a developed crag whose status/access has changed and thus not visited and now overgrown.

Worth contacting the relevant governing body eg BMC, MCOS (MS) or other to see what the access status is and to let them know of your intentions.

Then follow it up with a call to either English Natural Heritage, Scottish Natural Heritage etc to see what status the area is classed as and if there are any restrictions.

And as others have said, get some help and good luck!

In reply to Trangia:

Gorse bushes and moss

In reply to Tobes:

I did email BMC before posting on here, guess i wont hear from them till after Bank Holiday

In reply to olddirtydoggy:

Can anyone recommend a particularly good source for such info?

I'm not much good at recognising and remembering plants so I always worry about removing something that I shouldn't.

In reply to Fiskavaig:

Which crag are you thinking of? This is the sort of thing I was involved with when I worked at the BMC.

In reply to Frank the Husky:

Pandy Outcrop, the Slab area, lovely little crag. not many routes, so dont get much traffic, aint been for a few years, its good for newbies, took a mate whos just starting climbing outdoors. Was surprised how much the gorse and moss was making some of the few routes unclimbable. It would be a shame to loose it, so thought i might clean it, but wanted to make sure this would be ok with landowners/BMC/ etc.

In reply to Fiskavaig:
I believe Pandy is owned by an outdoor pursuit company, though have in my head they were looking to sell? (Might be wrong) the right hand side of the slab is mossy, but that may be for a reason. Be sure before you get started.

Edit: Search found mention on older forums and this:

http://www.wrexham.com/news/outdoor-eduction-centre-woodland-owned-by-wrexh...

Looks like Pandy is also a SSSI.

Wayne

In reply to Wayne S:

Hi Wayne, Cheers, i also heard it was owned and used by outdoor centre, and if they are not using it anymore, this would explain why its starting to get overgrown. I wont do anything without clearance from BMC

In reply to Fiskavaig:

A load of paraffin and a match. There is at least one historical precedent.

In reply to olddirtydoggy:

Clean without damage - an interesting concept.

If a route/crag is dirty it is dirty for a reason, after cleaning it will normally just revert to nature. For evidence look at Goat Crag or Great End Crag in Borrowdale - some cracking good routes but the traffic can't keep them clean because the crags are naturally dirty.

In reply to Ron Rees Davies:

Bracken / gorse brambles are not really an issue on cliffs - approaches yes!

Check with the BMC is the safest approach to make sure you're not transgressing on a protected site/species

In reply to Fiskavaig:

We just used a stiff pvc bristled brush and picked the plants out with a nut key. I'll add that the plants were not rare. The small lichen was a nightmare to move. Somebody was talking about vinagar but I'm not sure enough to start using mild acids when I don't know if they will damage the rock. Try out the softest method and if that works then it's all good. If you need to up the ante then get advice.

In reply to Fiskavaig:

I would be surprised if there was any objection to gorse removal. The moss may need some identification to make sure?

In reply to Fiskavaig:

I have received an email from BMC today, they are going to find out who the new owners are, and if they object to a clean up. Thanks everyone for your advice.

In reply to Fiskavaig:
I went as far as getting the auction details for this, but didn't go in the end. It's got a lot of restrictive covenants and it's designated under CROW. I think that the intention was that it would carry on being used for public recreation (climbing) but my legal type mrs was fairly scathing about enforcability. I'd be interested to know who ( or at least what kind of person/organisation) bought it in the end. I did intend to find out what it went for as the guide price was v. Low, but again, I never followed it up.

In reply to Michael Gordon:


Gorse will just grow back and burning it just encourages it. You need to treat the cut stumps with roundup within 15 minutes - before the plant seals the stump.

In reply to Pekkie:

15 minutes! Where do you get that figure from?

In reply to Michael Gordon:

Method: Apply Roundup Pro Biactive to a fresh cut using a paintbrush or clearing saw with built-in applicator. When using a paintbrush saturate the rim of stumps, concentrating on the live wood just inside the bark. Stumps with a diameter of less than10 cm diameter should be completely covered; larger stumps will be effectively controlled using a 5-10 cm band width around the perimeter. A two-man operation is often the most practical to achieve a quick post-felling treatment, because it is essential to treat the cut stump within a few minutes of cutting. If this is not possible re-cutting the stump will restore the effectiveness of the herbicide application. Application to a cut that has partially sealed means absorption is slow and rain within 6 hours will wash some of the product off. Rapid uptake through a fresh cut ensures the treatment is rain fast within 10 minutes. A suitable spray marker dye may be added to show up treated stumps.

In reply to jimtitt:

Thanks. "Within a few minutes" then. I just couldn't see where the 15 minutes came from.

In reply to Michael Gordon:


Trust me, l'm an amateur.

In reply to jimtitt:

You're recommending applying glycophosphates in wild places?

In reply to aln:


For individual plants. It's the only way. It's not like you're nuking the place from orbit. Or you could just lose the route. Your choice.

In reply to aln:


Pretty much all conservation bodies do this. If you look past who own it, it's a very useful conservation tool

In reply to Fiskavaig:

I think you waste so much time asking for help, you're better off just doing it yourself.

In reply to Fiskavaig:

Please do check the access situation at the particular crag first and consult the owners if appropriate. Some well meaning people have tried to "clean up" Ban-y-gor and we ended up losing partial access as a result.