UKC

Many will be aware that descending the path from the crag bottom to the stream is currently a nightmare. Exceedingly slippery, damp, smooth, hard to see. A friend of mine slipped and nose-dived into a boulder and was only saved from serious head injury by the two-inch coating of moss on the boulder he head-butted.

It is likely more people will suffer serious falls and injury on this path, particularly older climbers with knee or ankle trouble etc. The risk of death from a fall is quite high.

When Mac, who we all knew and loved, built the path, it used to get plenty of sun and would dry out OK. But now it is shrouded by trees, bracken, briars and other vegetation, permanently damp and slippery. Sequences of cool, damp summers are having an adverse effect. It really is a death trap in descent.

Possible ways to improve:
1.    Spray the path and kill the vegetation near the path.
2.    Cut down trees within 30 feet of the path.
3.    Lift the stones and return to a well-drained gravel path.
4.    Make a new gravel path through the trees looping down easy ground in the Greatend Crag direction.

Preferable to avoid intervention if possible and leave nature as is, but in this case it is an artificial manufactured path, and I see things getting worse with some serious unintended consequences.
DC
 

Ive also see someone stack it on that  path, and be very lucky to get away with it!

I’d go for a combination of 1 and 2.

I haven't been down it for a couple of years, but surprised to hear it's considered particularly treacherous. Personally, I hate manufactured paths with stones in the wet. I imagine the idea is mostly to avoid erosion, but they're ugly and slippery in the wet, especially on a long descent at the end of the day. My inclination would be:

a) leave it as is, possibly warning people to take care
b) lift the stones.

Lifting the stones is a lot of work, though.

I'm not sure what the vegetation is by the path; and there is the danger of chemicals seeping away from the path. Given the biodiversity issues in the Lakes, I'd be against this. It would also need to be done regularly.

Clearing trees in a managed way is less of an issue to my mind, but it is very expensive and/or labour intensive. I'm also not sure who owns the land, which might create complications for this and the option of building a new path.

Maybe your friend could benefit from walking poles?
 

Number one on your action list should be to contact the local/ bmc access rep and let them  involve the landowner.

A lot of the problem may be due to neglect during lockdown.

One possible reroute would be a traversing path to the top or bottom of the usual descent path on the right of the crag.

This would come off the Xmas crag approach and give a greater choice of parking spot, either the traditional parking or the one for Quayfoot.

Probably due to lack of traffic over the past 4 months. Let things return to some sort of normality before making hasty decisions. 

Hope your pals recovered. 

Good suggestion. National Front own the land. I think this has built up over the years as the trees have grown. Could mention to BMC rep yes.

If the land is owed by the National Front, I’d guess they’d want the path on the far right?

7 posts in and nobody has suggested an abseil point yet, I’m impressed!

They do own the land, it’s why the problems on the Bowderstone  now have Front grades. 

I've only been down the path once, it wasn't too much fun in the dark. A concerted effort to dig out and restone with crushed rock would probably be the most stable path but having helped do that on the local canal towpath I know it's also proper hard work. Overall usage levels must be an issue when only a few parties can get up there each day with the parking issue on the road. That reduced footfall allows nature to reclaim the land with a bit more ease, and the much reduced usage since March with a very productive growing season will have made it worse for us bipedal things.

Usage levels can’t have reduced that much. It’s easy enough to walk in from Grange.

First approach should be to the NT

I’m pretty appalled by the Agent Orange suggestion.

Is it really that bad a path? I've never had any issue coming down it and yes before anyone asks I've been down it in the last few months. 

I've not been down it in years and can't remember it being bad, but it could have got worse due to reduced footfall possibly.

Definitely contact the BMC first.

Chemicals should never be the answer, likewise felling the trees. 

I can't remember if there is an in-situ rope already, but a hand line could be helpful if not. 

We shouldn't be creating new paths through the old forest (something that is sadly rare in the Lakes), but trying to make the existing paths more useable.  

I must admit to being rather astonished by this post. Since when have climbers been unable safely to negotiate a made path because it's a bit slippery? Of course, I'm not happy that someone has injured themselves, and certainly a heads up on such issues is never a bad thing. But surely we shouldn't look for a fault in the environment that needs rectifying every time someone slips? There are loads of places in the Lakes where a slip could have serious consequences - the path down from Harrison Stickle via Dungeon Gill, for example - so where would you begin? People sometimes suggest chains, as on Alpine paths, but I'd have thought most people on this forum would deride such a response. 

This  is all SSSI woodland so consent will be needed for any works. Spraying and extensive felling might not be options 

Rog,
No comparison whatsoever between the Black Crag path and Stickle Ghyll.
The fault is not in the environment - the path is a man-made death-trap unlike any others in the area.
No one is suggesting chains.
Glad you appreciated the heads up.
DC

I can't recall the details of the path construction but from what you say I'm guessing it's made of flat slabs, which can get get greasy or icy. I much prefer the construction which uses bits of slabby rock on edge, which all the best paths use IMO.

BTW, I wasn't talking about Stickle Gill.