BMC Representatives Meet Dinas Rock Landowners

From Stuart Llewellyn 5 July 2010:

Below is a summary of Elfyn's meeting at Dinas rock a few weeks ago. Appologies for delay in passing this on. Please feel free to forward this info onto interested climbers.

Hi Paul & Graham

Many thanks for yesterday’s extremely useful and hopefully productive meeting.

I agreed to summarise the discussions, issues and some suggested ways forward, so here goes...

The site is both an SSSI and an SAC, with internationally important geological exposures and flora. Formal arrangement already exist for the management of outdoor groups using the gorge, and there have been concerns that climbers could be damaging the site features.

The FC owned part of Dinas Rock is dedicated as open access, where recreation on foot (which includes rock-climbing) is an accepted activity. Rock climbing has been undertaken in various guises here for at least 40 yrs. In past years much of climbing was “traditional” or even “artificial” climbing, where climbers would use temporary wedges or pegs with a smattering of caving bolts to aid progress. At this time climbers would have topped out onto the loose tops and vegetation and walked or abseiled down from trees.

More recent activities have involved “sports-climbing” where fixed bolts of good quality have been placed in the rock, most of the bolts are on pre-existing climbing routes, and very little new areas have been developed. Due to the nature of the climbing now being undertaken all routes finish below the loose and vegetated tops of the rock-faces, and climbers descend directly from fixed anchors (bolts), protecting the vegetation and avoiding the loose ground. This is probably quite an advantageous development in preventing disturbance to vegetation and substantially reducing the possibility of climbers causing rock to fall onto the ground and path below. This development has led to this venue to be the premier inland climbing venue in South Wales.

In developing this site unfortunately some climbers have removed vegetation and cut some trees with no consultation or permission from yourselves. This is obviously not acceptable and has also incurred the wrath of many local climbers. The message has gone out to the local climbing community that this is just not acceptable and this will be re-enforced by adding information to various websites and a poster at the local climbing wall at dynamic Rock in Swansea.

Some erosion to ground flora is happening on approach paths below some of the rock-faces above the main path to the falls. These minor paths can be contained to one access point per buttress by blocking off the incipient paths using brash or boulders or similar. This work to be co-ordinated by FC?

Climbers are to be advised and educated that “wire-brushing” of lichen and vegetation from rock-faces is not to happen due to the protected nature of the site. Any vegetation removal is only to happen after formal consent has been granted by FC (in consultation with CCW). There are opportunities for vegetation removal to expose the geological exposures and remove invasive cotoneaster, where climbers could work with FC and CCW to improve the site.

Liability concerns due to falling rock. As already mentioned climbers regularly climbing routes tend to remove loose rock in a controlled manner, rather than await nature to remove the rock in a random and sometimes catastrophic manner. I believe that it’s highly unlikely that falling rock from a climber would occur (most routes are on very clean and steep faces) and even then it’s even more unlikely that no warning would be given to any bystanders, giving them warning to move away from any falling rock.

There are particular concerns regarding the stability of the buttress known as “Love of Ivy” due to a substantial part of the rock face being cracked. However climbers already avoid the cracked part of this face and the impact of climbing on the main block is minimal in terms of additional weighting (the block in question being well in excess of 50 tons!). Climbers could help by providing and reporting feedback on any changes here to yourselves.

Liability for the maintenance and safety of fixed climbing bolts was also a concern. Bolts have been in place on many cliffs in the UK (including such popular venues as the Great Orme, Malham Cove, etc.). however it is accepted practise that individual climbers are fully responsible for satisfying themselves that the bolts are suitable for their needs. Modern bolts are exceptionally strong and failures are unheard of. I do not know of any instances where the land owner has been or is liable for the safety of fixed bolts or where any cases of action has been taken against the occupier in the event of a piece of climbing equipment failing. I agreed to look into the legal situation on this a more.

The site is pretty much “worked-out” in terms of potential new climbing activity but nevertheless no new bolting or developments on other faces to occur without express consent form FC.

I think hope the notes above reasonably reflect the discussions, but please feel free to add or change any items.

Regards

Elfyn