UK Opens for Climbing

Many major climbing locations have opened over the weekend. Range East in Pembrokeshire opened for the first time after a major sheep moving operation at the end of last week, and the Peak District is now broadly open for climbing, including the Burbage Valley. Further south, all of the normal access points to climbing in Dorset are open.Major areas still unlikely to be reopened in the near future are centred around Yorkshire, in particular, Malham Cove is still firmly closed, being close to a recent major outbreak of the disease. The Lake District is also, mostly closed. In Scotland, The Mountaineering Council of Scotland has welcomed revised arrangements for carrying out risk assessments as announced by Sarah Boyack, Scottish Executive Minister earlier this month: "It will be regarded as the norm for all paths and land north of the Clyde- Forth lines (the Provisionally Free Area) to be freely accessible for recreational use. Any landowner, farmer, or crofter who considers that his land should be closed to access must complete a simplified risk assessment and seek the agreement of the local council and the District Veterinary Manager. If they agree the matter has to be referred to the Scottish Executive before an official closure order is granted. The arrangements for access in Central and Southern Scotland (The At Risk and Infected Areas) remain unchanged with an expectation that restrictions will be eased as the outbreak diminishes."