Bamford Edge has become very popular recently and the landowner has become concerned about over-use and climbers approaching the crag from the wrong point. Both of the current guidebooks - BMC Stanage and Peak Gritstone East ROCKFAX - have the wrong access point listed and this is causing problems. Please use the higher path marked on the map on page on page 74 of PGE and not the lower one marked 'Limited Roadside Parking'.
For a full explanation of exactly what the access situation is at Bamford, check the detailed notes contained in the thread below.
Thanks as well. Will you be adding this to the BMC access database, as this is what I normally base my access queries on, and for Bamford none of the above info is there.
Very well put. Could the BMC run to a couple of notices (if it hasn't already done so) attached to the 'traditional' access points directing people up the road ?
I'm puzzled by this sudden increase in traffic. I've climbed at Bamford a number of times in the past - you just had to ring up beforehand (like eg. Brandrith in Yorkshire). I was never refused access. Admittedly last time I was there was probably 5 years ago - am I out of date? Has there in fact been a substantial access problem over the last few years? Or are all of the excited new Bamford devotees unable to use a telephone? It's pretty amazing if that "barrier" was enough to keep it so quiet all those years - seems like a good idea for a number of other places! It's a nice enough crag, I hope the "craze" passes and the landowner doesn't get chance to become really fed up with us climbers...
I've not noticed any increase in traffic, when I went last year it was always busy, and it is now. The main advantage of the CRoW is that access will now be possible year round, not just from October to March.
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