PEAK AREA Lose Hiillll and Back Tor.. Photo::Peter JJudd.. NEWSLETTER

November 2020 [email protected]

Rocking Chair secretary, one National Council position, and Andy Reeve the clubs rep). Being frank, the low number of people putting themselves forwards for Here we are again at these positions can make the voting seem the end of the local like an empty procedure from the outside, area meeting year, and with it our but please do come along and vote local AGM. On a personal note, this (assuming you’re a member! Non-members will mark a year in the role of chair. are welcome to the meeting but please don’t It’s a bit early for annual retrospectives vote). It really means a lot to know we have so I can probably just about get away with the support (or otherwise!) of local saying ‘gosh this year has been very different members, and is one of the main ways you from what I envisaged’ without sounding too can exercise your democratic right. clichéd, but the truth of it kinda goes Sticking with the democratic theme, even without saying anyhow.The AGM is the if you only give so much as a cursory glance platform for local members to vote for who at the political machinations of how the they would like to occupy the officer roles BMC is run, you’ll know that it is currently which are vacant or where an officer’s term facing a loss of confidence amongst the is up for renewal (this year that is chair, membership as a consequence of the

Next meeting: Wednesday 4 November, 7.30 p.m. The Internet. Register HERE. turmoil at board level. Fixing these problems put forward an agenda of things we would will be essential for the ongoing usefulness like to see in the future so we could begin of the BMC for regular outdoor activists like to build public support for them – as we did you and me. However, it hasn’t passed me by when we campaigned for CROW. If you have that the focus on these issues is seen as ideas for improvements you would like to tedious by many people – and who can see – and I very much hope you do – please blame you! Ana and I are going to try and share them with Louise, Peter, me or Cath steer the meetings back to a fair balance so we can add them to the agenda. Our between the local issues and political and three principle suggestions were: restructuring aspects. And on that note, this month we have the • landscape features should be the basis gen on loads of local access issues (problems for future mapping, rather than detailed and progress!), planned hill walking events in vegetation cover on individual parcels of land. the Peak, and a reminder about bolting down This would mean that something like a Dove Dale, all taking centre stage. Derbyshire Dale (Chee Dale or Bretton Register for the online Peak Area meeting Clough for example) would be mapped as by clicking HERE. open access in its entirety rather than bits being included or excluded depending on tree cover or grazing intensity, while an Access News: General integral feature in the landscape, likeVixen Henry Folkard Tor on Dartmoor, would also be regarded as open access; Since the last area meeting there has • trees and woodland – a lot of trees have been a flurry of activity regarding been planted recently in the Peak, and aspirations for the long overdue review elsewhere, and usually at public expense. of the Countryside and Rights of Way There should be returns, in terms of public Act (2000) legislation, to which Peak benefit, for this use of public money: as things access reps have contributed.This stand if open country that is mapped as such activity was triggered by someone becomes wooded it would be excluded from called Guy Shrubsole who wrote a open access in any future mapping exercise. book Who Owns – described We think that where such environmental on the cover as ‘A formidable, brave improvements are made loss of access and important book’. Guy Shrubsole is should never be a consequence, especially a campaigner for Friends of the Earth. where the planting is of broadleaves or His book was very well reviewed, and mixed conifer/broadleaf. Allied to this we its certainly worth reading. Besides the think it should be incumbent on the Forestry BMC, the Ramblers, canoeists, cavers Commission (or whatever it's called now) to and others were involved. consider desire lines in its planting and felling One consequence of Covid-19 is that operations to facilitate access, perhaps not just now may not be the most opportune just access on foot but also to look to future time to raise issues like wild camping and trends in recreation and consider where wild swimming, besides which it is hardly better facilities for mountain bikers, for likely that there would be any parliamentary example, might be appropriate; time available for debate, with Brexit and • proposals should not be lumped everything else upon us. But we did begin to together as an all-or-nothing manifesto: we

2 Peak Area Newsletter November 2020 New fenciing at Stanage.. Photo::Mark Anderson..

might strongly support better access to who were climbing at Shooter’s Nab within the water, but would not want to lose any open access area were warned off first by a prospect of better rights for hill walkers and drone, which hovered overhead and shouted at climbers to landscape features because a them, and then by a policeman.The climbers fisherman in the Lords objected to canoeists. prudently withdrew, though it was subsequently established that they had been That’s just a flavour of what we said, but as I well within their rights. say above please do share any ideas you have In Longdendale, the status of boulders that with us to help build and strengthen our case. have been there for a while and make parking In the north of the Peak familiar problems difficult for Tintwistle Knarr, and are supposed prevail, though Mark’s diligence may be paying to be temporary, is being questioned. off along the A635 Saddleworth Moor road. Further south parking remains a problem Though some of the recent yellow lines have in many villages in the HopeValley, as does been put there by the Highways Authority, the speed of traffic through the villages, they have apparently not been responsible for about which local parish councils have been those in the lay-by opposite Upperwood complaining. Police have issued lots of House, and they have asked for debris blocking speeding fines recently. Louise is in touch some, but not all, parking areas at the side of with the Highways Authority about the the road to be removed – though nothing has particular problems atYarncliffe Quarry.At yet to happen. Elsewhere it is believed signs Millstone a loose boulder was removed. denoting a fall of shot area nearWest Nab are There are, and always have been, other actually outside the affected area, while the loose boulders there, and in places a lot of matter of the locked gate restricting vehicular loose stone around the top of routes. Loose access on the track to the shooting club rock is an inevitable hazard associated with building has been raised again. Some climbers climbing in the outdoors, and especially at

http://community.thebmc.co.uk/peak 3 places like Millstone where the nature of the and re-organisation at the geology makes brittle and shallow layering of National Park. As a result, investment plans for the surface rock liable to fracture. the hall, Cruck Barn and other assets on the There have been two cases where estate are on hold. agreements made by the BMC to protect The Management Plan review has begun, wider access, and shown on RAD, have been and BMC reps are involved in the sub-group breached. In one, at Rivelin, two separate that is designing new five-year objectives instructor-led groups of six were present at under the key management plan themes. the same time. It is now some years since that Under normal circumstances, the Stanage agreement was made with the owner Forum Open Meeting would have happened regarding use by groups, and there has been on 31 October, giving individuals and no contact with him since, but where we do organisations an opportunity to have their say make an agreement it is as well to keep it. on the future of the estate.That’s not possible Likewise, a sport route was established on this year, so instead the forum has created a Tissington Spires in , contrary to an short ‘newsletter’ update, and a website with agreement with the NationalTrust about presentations and reports on key themes and establishing new sport routes. Apparently, it is areas of work.There is also a Q&A facility on not at all a bad route, but the hangers are the website where you can ask questions or blatant and, according to one report, would be raise issues. If you have a view or question visible from outer space.The NationalTrust about the current situation of future plans for want them to be removed, and this is in hand, the estate, please take the time to review the but we have also requested that replacement information on the website and post your with a low-visibility alternative might be question.The site will go live on 31 October. considered. Once the offending fixtures have www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/looking- gone we hope to return to that request. after/projects-and- So much for 2020: what a year! Let’s partnerships/stanage/stanage-forum-2020 hope for something better in 2021. Matlock area There have been a couple of reports of Area-Specific Updates climbers in Dale Quarry,Wirksworth, being Louise Hawson confronted by a local resident who has also posted on UKClimbing.com concerning Stanage access. It would be helpful if anyone who Those of you who have been able to get out experiences further issues there gets in to Stanage recently will have noticed new touch with Ian Milward (or any other fencing along the path from Hooks Carr member of the access team). (Popular End), with heather brash along the Also, a reminder that Willersley Castle is fence, and some resurfacing along the path undergoing a change of ownership. Access itself. This is to stop path widening which to Wildcat and associated crags in the was leading to significant erosion and loss of Willersley Castle grounds may therefore vegetation and habitat. The fencing will come under scrutiny at some point, so the remain until the vegetation has re- existing ‘low profile’ advice to climbers established. See photo on previous page. accessing these crags should be closely The Options Appraisal has been stalled observed and any contact with landowners pending the outcomes of the budget reviews reported.

4 Peak Area Newsletter November 2020 Tiier 2 boullderiing at Stanage.. Those were the days.. Photo::John Coefiielld..

Climbing News & Gossip Tell my wife and kids I love them, there’s half Dave Parry a carton of passata in the fridge that needs using by the end of the week, and the I write this as a fugitive, having fled the password to the wifi router is CKAG9PWJ. Tier 3 gulag of SouthYorkshire. The Big numbers first, and at Raven Tor government has rightly pegged the the iconic 1990s power testpiece Hubble rising cases nationally on outdoor received a couple of relatively rare repeats, at recreation, and specifically ’s the start of October from Mat Wright, and walkers and climbers for the many more recently from Buster Martin. Since this Stanage-related COVID outbreaks is 2020 and we’re a good decade-plus into of late. the kneepad era they both quite reasonably As such, we now can’t cross the county used a kneepad for an apparently marginal boundary into Derbyshire, instead having to kneebar, and both seemed to reckon it get our COVID-secure kicks at pubs/offices. doesn’t really alter the grade – So, for the time being, instead of frequenting and it should be noted they are both more the coronavirus breeding grounds of the qualified than most to comment on this. Eastern Edges, I have gone into hiding at Remarkably they both, Buster in particular, a safehouse on the outskirts of Barnard seem to have come in for criticism from Castle. Hence, I apologise for the quality some parties for this (despite kneepads now of this column – it’s hard to concentrate being totally ubiquitous), not least from under constant threat of a knock at the cellar former Peak Area news correspondent and trapdoor from the corona Stasi. If the column long-time committed anti-kneebar advocate reads as unfinished, you can assume I have Simon Lee. I must admit I’m not an active been victim of an extrajudicial rendition to member of the kneepad prohibition detention at a busy Rotherham hairdressers. community (and it is a community) so I only

http://community.thebmc.co.uk/peak 5 picked up on Simon’s criticism via the Irony On the impressive repeats front,one thing Watch Facebook group.But the road to that caught my eye of late was the report of redemption for Buster and Mat is clear – simply Billy Ridal repeating Superman Sit-start,Keen Roof forego climbing at other crags and spend years AND Fat Lip all on the same day.I know the sessioning Hubble with a kneebar-free sequence, latter two problems see a relatively large and be welcomed back into the fold with open amount of ascents these days (for the grade), arms (assuming their Companies House but to do all three in one day must rank as a records are all in order). pretty rare day in the Peak;to knock off a Font In less controversial limestone news, 8b+ and two 8bs? Still it’s not enough to cut relentless lateral crimping disciple Haydn Jones through the background din of armchair capped off the summer by repeating monster kneebar axegrinding on social channels,which is traverse Pedigree Chum (about French 8c+) at a shame as it deserves some recognition.Good Dog’s Dinner Buttress,along with doing a load work,Billy. of new problem development there.I hope a Also on the limestone,over at the Peak’s topo for this stuff appears at some point as it estranged Rotherham cousin Impossible Roof, really should be a more popular spot. Will Bosi has repeated MikeAdams’ Serenata at On the grit,prolific esotericist and crown Font 8c making that the fourth ascent.Now prince of the complex sequence Jon Fullwood normally you’d expect either this or the has added a few things of note at Cratcliffe. previous paragraph to be the most impressive Jimminy Cricket is a roof mantel at Font 7a+ at thing reported in a Peak newsletter but it’s a the north end of the crag.Hueco Arete (Font strong field at the minute,as the next paragraph 6c+) is the surprisingly overlooked right arete will make clear. of HuecoWall starting in the low break,unless Unbelievably trumping both the above items anyone owns up to it being done before? Down in the impressiveness front,the Best Day Out at the P Crack roof under the main bit of crag, Of TheAutumn So Far medal goes to on-form 73 (Font 7a) is the new direct sitter to 72, crimp magicianAidan Roberts,who on his way starting on a sharp fin feature.Jon has also to some big additions elsewhere in the country added an extension start to P Crack,starting up managed to‘tick Badger Cove in a session’. Yes, 73.Minted P is Font 7b+ and in doing this Jon you read that right.This includes Bewilderness has cleaned up P Crack,so it’s a good time to get (Font 8b+) and Dandelion Mind (Font 8b) in a down there and catch it clean.Finally,Brain Drain few goes each,having not tried them before. (Font 6c) is the slabby right wall of Brain Dead. This is literally mindblowing stuff.Off the scale. Also down Cratcliffe way,gritstone 8c He then did Superman in a couple of goes a few merchant and heelhook warlock Ned Feehally days later and did the sitter the same session. reports a few additions.He has done a sit start What you are witnessing here is British to Pincher’sWall (an existing good/tricky Jon bouldering being notched up to another level.It Fullwood Font 7a+) which goes in at Font 7c+. will be interesting see if there’s anything left On the Jerry’sTraverse block,Ned has added a sit which is hard enough forAidan in the Peak,or start at the middle,finishing along the traverse indeed the country.Incredible stuff. at 7c,and over at the Stride he has added a Right I’d better go and swallow my SIM card Font 7c+/8a problem in the Picalli’s Pickle cave. before they trace this connection. LH on a flake,RH in a pod and climb straight out via small crimps and a kneebar.Crucial beta Get in touch is‘not standing on the floor’,which will make Send your Peak area news, gossip or article sense when you’re there. ideas to me at: [email protected]

6 Peak Area Newsletter November 2020 BMC vollunteers on a recce near Kiinder.. Photo::Peter Judd..

Hill Walking News Mend our Mountains Peter Judd,Austin Knott &Vikki Hughes It’s over a year since Peter attended the most recent on-site consultations with Hill Walking Area Reps’ Annual Report project managers (Moors for the Future In February, we joined other BMC Partnership staff) for each of the two BMC volunteers helping National Trust with tree Mend our Mountains campaign-funded planting at Burbage; we prepared and recced footpath repair tasks.At that time it was an area walk from Hayfield (ultimately hoped work on both projects would start stymied by the pandemic, see below); we that autumn and be finished earlier this year, organised a clean-up around Dovestone however a whole host of problems (planning Reservoir for the BMC’s Hills 2 Oceans applications, landowner permissions, need campaign; we kept in touch with the project for further archaeological investigations to managers responsible for both the Peak name but a few) meant this wasn’t to be. It’s District Mend our Mountains path repair been a long wait. projects; we supported and promoted Great Ridge: the project officer tells us locally the BMC’s #NoMoorBBQs campaign; they now have planning approval and he has we represented Peak Area hill walkers at the also secured all the necessary access BMC’s access reps’ information gathering agreements to undertake the work. He is conference calls (held regularly by the office finalising plans to protect any sensitive during periods of lockdown); we archeology that risks being disturbed too represented the BMC at a Sheffield Moors (did you know that there are a number of Partnership meeting; and we helped our possible prehistoric burial cairns dotted access volunteers contribute to a number of along that ridge?).They’ve not yet been able local and national consultations on a variety to set a firm work start date, but say that of access topics. they are aiming to have all aspects of the

http://community.thebmc.co.uk/peak 7 work completed by the end of April 2021, Another upland conservation event which is good news! Some of you will remember our very Cut Gate bridleway: the project officer successful sphagnum moss planting day, held for that one tells us she believes work will with National Trust, last autumn up above start, at the National Trust end (that’s the the Upper Derwent. Indeed, some of you Slippery Stones end that climbs up onto kindly took part! We very much hoped we Margery Hill), in November – great news! could do something similar again this Hopefully, we’ll be able to get some photos autumn, but this has proved not to be of work in progress to show all the possible.As you will probably know National contributors where their money has gone. Trust (along with many other charitable bodies) is facing significant financial losses, Area Hill Walk and job losses too, as a consequence of the We’ve been teasing about an area hill walk continuing pandemic. (May we record here since the start of this year, indeed we had a our sympathies with, and concern for, all the walk (set to be from Hayfield) all planned excellent local National Trust staff with for April, only to have to postpone as the whom we have had the pleasure of working first lockdown restrictions bit down.With in recent years, during this difficult time for the easing of restrictions over the summer them.) This situation has made it hard for we thought we would give it another go this our National Trust contacts to identify an autumn. Having studied the BMC’s additional opportunity to take up our offer of help. guidance for event organisation in the light They have told us they cannot offer an of Coronavirus (complying with this satisfies opportunity to help with sphagnum planting one of the permitted exceptions to the this year (partly because the chosen planting government’s rules that would otherwise sites this winter are so remote and current limit group sizes to just six), revised and circumstances mean they cannot just pile us recced our route (it’s a good’un), secured all into Land Rovers to move us closer to formal event approval from the BMC office site).They have, however, suggested that and we were all ready to announce this walk opportunities to do some upland tree would go ahead just a week ago when news planting or maintenance, at more accessible broke that Greater Manchester and South locations, may be on offer later in the winter. Yorkshire were to be moved to ‘Very High’ We’ll keep you posted. alert status and have Tier 3 restrictions imposed! Tier 3 restrictions include a A little bit of tidying up request to avoid travelling into and out of Lastly, a big thank you to one of our access Tier 3 zones (other than for a few limited volunteers, Mark Warwicker, who joined reasons – work, education and caring Peter for an evening’s BMC #Hills2Oceans responsibilities).While the walk itself isn’t in clean-up around Dovestone Reservoir just Tier 3 (yet!), many of our likely walkers, and after the last area meeting. Between us we at least one of our leaders, do live in Tier 3 filled four H2O sacks with rubbish cleared areas. So, this has led us to decide that it from near Binn Green car park and below would be better, yet again and with heavy Ashway Gap. Peter has a stock of six BMC hearts, to postpone.Argh! One day maybe, supplied litter pickers if anyone fancies one day … organising their own socially distanced H2O clean-up, simply get in touch with Peter to borrow them.

8 Peak Area Newsletter November 2020 CPRE Update future of Longdendale aims to capture a broad perspective of views on the future of Our tempo of work has not lessened the valley. during Covid-19, in fact we are Climate emergency: Through virtual exceptionally busy, but unfortunately meetings we continue to engage with the the ‘traditional’ fundraising northern transport activists, Derbyshire opportunities have all but dried up. Climate Coalition, HopeValley Climate Here are updates on some of our work, Action Group and others on addressing the for more, please visit our website: short- and long-terms impacts of Covid-19, www.cprepdsy.org.uk and the climate emergency. Sheffield Green Belt: in addition to Glover ‘Landscapes Review’: a year responding to Issues and Options Paper of has passed since the Glover Review was the Sheffield City Plan, we also provided published, and we remain part of a wide specialist support to the Friends of the body of environmental organisations LoxleyValley in their campaign opposing a pressing DEFRA for action on the plan for 300 homes to be built on the old recommendations therein. Hepworths Site. Stanage Futures: PDNPA reported the Environmental damage: We have findings of its consultation on future options continued our support of the PDNPA in for the built assets of the North Lees Estate. enforcing the enforcement order on the In general, most respondents favoured a illegal track across Midhope Moor. model of investment and continued NPA Pylon undergrounding: The application ownership though our concerns regarding by National Grid and strongly supported by the lack of a holistic plan and the need for us to remove several kilometres of pylons wider partnership was echoed by many adjacent to the TransPennine Trail at Dunford others. More refined options will now be Bridge was approved. This is the culmination developed, albeit even more slowly because of a 10-year campaign for pylon removal in of Covid-induced resource limitations, with our finest landscapes. decisions being made by the authority Climate change: We continue to liaise sometime in 2021.We are working closely with and be supportive of HopeValley with the Stanage Forum and others to find Climate Action who are hoping to gain answers. government funding (via the Rural Archive project: with Heritage Lottery Community Energy Fund) for an options Fund support we continue to archive the analysis of wind and solar in the HopeValley. history of the charity which, amongst many We also engage with them on sustainable other things, includes the original maps of the transport initiatives. planning process for establishing the National Renewables: Sustainable Hayfield have Park, and thousands of photo slides of people also found a second potential solar site and and place from the 1930’s to the present day. asked us for a ‘screening opinion’.Their Peak District Boundary Walk: we have scoping work for their ideal site in BirchVale had a flurry of interest in the walk both from is ongoing. day walkers, continuous rounders, and ‘fastest Transport – ‘Low CarbonTravel for known time’ runners. We’re beginning to Longdendale’ (alternatives to A628 look at a second edition of our guidebook to dualling): we continue to fundraise for our the walk.We have also had a short film made project here, our online survey about the to promote the walk. Cont ...

http://community.thebmc.co.uk/peak 9 Peak Area Meetings: 2020

4 November, 7.30 p.m.,The Internet. Register HERE.

Engagement: during these extraordinary times we have had new and renewed BMC Peak Area Contacts conversations and engagements with a broad church of people and organisations in the Peak Peak Area Chair:Andy Reeve. District and SouthYorkshire across all manner [email protected] of topics from ‘the usual ones’ like litter, Secretary:Ana Wass. parking, and overcrowding, to renewable [email protected] energy,Vigo the vulture, and what a post- Brexit and post-Covid landscape looks like. Peak Area Reps (your voice on the BMC Back to the future: the charity was National Council): founded in 1924, and in 1927 it became a David Brown and Alison Cairns. branch of CPRE. For a variety of reasons, we have ‘returned to our roots’ and our Access Reps Co-ordinators: membership, and all of our web and social Henry Folkard and Louise Hawson. media presence will be as CPRE Peak District [email protected] and SouthYorkshire aka CPRE PDSY. [email protected] We’d be really grateful for your support. www.cprepdsy.org.uk Peak Area Hill Walking Reps: Peter Judd,Austin Knott andVikki Hughes. [email protected] Forthcoming Events [email protected] http://community.thebmc.co.uk/peak [email protected]

Due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, Peak Area Newsletter Editorial: most events have been cancelled or Dave Parry and John Coefield. postponed. For the latest information on [email protected] forthcoming events in the Peak Area, please keep an eye on the BMC's community pages.

The British Mountaineering Council (BMC) is the representative body that exists to protect the freedoms and promote the interests of climbers, hill walkers and mountaineers, including ski-mountaineers. Find out more: www.thebmc.co.uk/bmc-governance