User Comments
Like a flash back to the heydays of the 70s, there must have been 20+ teams up there.
Jon Read - 14/Jul/25
Could you name all the routes please? I did a couple of them in the 90s.
Cog - 03/Aug/25
Just my thoughts on this formed from conversations I've had with people who were there and my 30 years of climbing.
Mountain trad never was dead.
The hey days of the 70's appeared busier than they were as the same people went to new routes/buttresses. The same 20 people. Everywhere you go it seems busy. But it's the same people. New routes popping up everywhere. Word of mouth is the key to deciding where to go . Everyone rushing to the new.
Then guideboks improve, people get the internet, cars are more reliable and easier to afford and people spread out. If it wasn't raining today I could go to the Peak, Wales, Scotland, the Lakes, Northumberland in a day. In a weekend further, obviously. So I don't need to put up with marginal weather anymore.
I feel there are just as many people climbing mountain trad, but now spread out due to the massively increased amount of info, routes and areas available, combined with the rise of the car.
biscuit - 04/Aug/25
Mountain trad never was dead.
The hey days of the 70's appeared busier than they were as the same people went to new routes/buttresses. The same 20 people. Everywhere you go it seems busy. But it's the same people. New routes popping up everywhere. Word of mouth is the key to deciding where to go . Everyone rushing to the new.
Then guideboks improve, people get the internet, cars are more reliable and easier to afford and people spread out. If it wasn't raining today I could go to the Peak, Wales, Scotland, the Lakes, Northumberland in a day. In a weekend further, obviously. So I don't need to put up with marginal weather anymore.
I feel there are just as many people climbing mountain trad, but now spread out due to the massively increased amount of info, routes and areas available, combined with the rise of the car.