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| Lake District climbers prepare for Castle Rock endgame | Lake District climbers prepare for Castle Rock endgame |
| (6 months later) | |
| For romantic novelist and poet Sir Walter Scott it was a massive fortress which was at the heart of his epic poem,The Bridal of Triermain. For news reporters in 1939 it was 'The Lakeland Everest' which was 'conquered' when local climbing hero, Jim Birkett and his team made the first climbing ascent of its intimidating north face. | For romantic novelist and poet Sir Walter Scott it was a massive fortress which was at the heart of his epic poem,The Bridal of Triermain. For news reporters in 1939 it was 'The Lakeland Everest' which was 'conquered' when local climbing hero, Jim Birkett and his team made the first climbing ascent of its intimidating north face. |
| Now the imposing Castle Rock of Triermain, which has magnetically drawn visitors to the Lake District for centuries, looks likely to suffer a serious disfigurement of its impressive northern facade, as a crack on the face - which was first reported in 2011 - has reportedly widened to the extent that some are predicting the approaching winter freeze will finally prize a massive shield of rock from the face. | Now the imposing Castle Rock of Triermain, which has magnetically drawn visitors to the Lake District for centuries, looks likely to suffer a serious disfigurement of its impressive northern facade, as a crack on the face - which was first reported in 2011 - has reportedly widened to the extent that some are predicting the approaching winter freeze will finally prize a massive shield of rock from the face. |
| Local climber Stephen Reid, who runs an outdoor shop in Keswick and is an active guidebook writer and Lakes activist, and British Mountaineering Council representative Steve Scott, first alerted the climbing public to the potential danger through climbing forums and the British Mountaineering Council website when the fissure first appeared 18 months ago. Writing on the UK Climbing Forum they warned at the time that the area should be avoided until the situation was assessed. | Local climber Stephen Reid, who runs an outdoor shop in Keswick and is an active guidebook writer and Lakes activist, and British Mountaineering Council representative Steve Scott, first alerted the climbing public to the potential danger through climbing forums and the British Mountaineering Council website when the fissure first appeared 18 months ago. Writing on the UK Climbing Forum they warned at the time that the area should be avoided until the situation was assessed. |
| Since then, climbers have returned to the crag and continued to climb classic routes such as North Crag Eliminate, Overhanging Bastion and Zig Zag, which feature amongst the most popular rock climbs in the district. | Since then, climbers have returned to the crag and continued to climb classic routes such as North Crag Eliminate, Overhanging Bastion and Zig Zag, which feature amongst the most popular rock climbs in the district. |
| Situated above the A591 Ambleside to Keswick road at St John in the Vale, the imposing 91.5m (300ft) volcanic citadel is owned by United Utilities. The company has erected warning signs below the crag and installed tell-tales which detect rock movement. When I contacted Stephen Reid for and update and asked him to outline the extent of the problem and the potential impact of a rock fall he warned: | Situated above the A591 Ambleside to Keswick road at St John in the Vale, the imposing 91.5m (300ft) volcanic citadel is owned by United Utilities. The company has erected warning signs below the crag and installed tell-tales which detect rock movement. When I contacted Stephen Reid for and update and asked him to outline the extent of the problem and the potential impact of a rock fall he warned: |
| If it goes it will affect all the routes on the left-hand side of North Crag as well as the two girdles. This includes North Crag Eliminate and Overhanging Bastion. It may also affect Zig Zag as I imagine there will be debris all over the easy ledge pitch. | If it goes it will affect all the routes on the left-hand side of North Crag as well as the two girdles. This includes North Crag Eliminate and Overhanging Bastion. It may also affect Zig Zag as I imagine there will be debris all over the easy ledge pitch. |
| He ended by telling me: | He ended by telling me: |
| It would appear that the tell-tale is showing an outwards movement of almost a centimetre since July which is worrying. | It would appear that the tell-tale is showing an outwards movement of almost a centimetre since July which is worrying. |
With other climbers reporting definite movement in the crack, there is a strong possibility that the autumn of 2012 might well be the last time the classic North face climbs will be ascended in their original form. One of the effects of water accumulating in rock fissures in winter is its tendency to freeze and expand. In effect, the expansion acts like a hydraulic jack and prizes flakes and boulders away from the main face. Witness the expansive scree slopes which lie beneath most mountain crags. | With other climbers reporting definite movement in the crack, there is a strong possibility that the autumn of 2012 might well be the last time the classic North face climbs will be ascended in their original form. One of the effects of water accumulating in rock fissures in winter is its tendency to freeze and expand. In effect, the expansion acts like a hydraulic jack and prizes flakes and boulders away from the main face. Witness the expansive scree slopes which lie beneath most mountain crags. |
| Hopefully any catastrophic rock fall at Castle Rock will be in the depths of winter when climbers will be absent from the crag. For further updates on the situation check the British Mountaineering Council and Fell & Rock club websites. | Hopefully any catastrophic rock fall at Castle Rock will be in the depths of winter when climbers will be absent from the crag. For further updates on the situation check the British Mountaineering Council and Fell & Rock club websites. |
| John Appleby is a Liverpool-born artist and outdoor writer based in north Wales. He writes on art, rock climbing and conservation for the Footless Crow blogazine. | John Appleby is a Liverpool-born artist and outdoor writer based in north Wales. He writes on art, rock climbing and conservation for the Footless Crow blogazine. |
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