High Rocks, near Tunbridge Wells, before woodland managementA £10,000 fund has been set up to look after climbing crags in England and Wales.

High Rocks, near Tunbridge Wells, after woodland management
Bob Moulton

Half of the Crag Care Fund, established by the British Mountaineering Council, will be used for work on crags owned and managed by the council. The rest will be used for practical projects on other rockfaces.

Cash will be used to repair rock, help stop ground erosion, clear excessive vegetation and pay for outside experts such as tree surgeons or ecologists, when needed.

Among venues which will benefit are the BMC’s Horseshoe Quarry, Craig y Longridge and Bwlch y Moch. Council members, affiliated clubs and area committees can apply for a share of the £5,000 available for non-BMC crags.

Dave Turnbull Chief Executive of the BMC said: “There’s a lot of enthusiasm amongst climbers to help protect and revitalise their local crags.

The High Rocks site before management “Over the last few years, there have been many initiatives at local level to reverse the ‘decline’ of various crags. This work at grassroots level, supported by the BMC, has been very positive. The Crag Care Fund secures funding to support these good works. 

The High Rocks site before management
Bob Moulton 

“We’ve made it simple for clubs and individual climbers to get involved without being out of pocket, so we look forward to hearing your ideas for practical work to care for our crags.”

Any requests for cash need approval before work starts. Contact BMC volunteers officer, Martin Kocsis, on 0161 438 3336 or by email at martin@thebmc.co.uk.