Information update for the Dales
We?re now through the first weekend of the post lockdown period and I wanted to let folks know how things are in the Dales. I hope this will help caving visitors make better informed decisions. On Saturday, with Pegasus, I checked out both Devils Bridge at Kirkby Lonsdale and Ribblehead to see what the general level of visitors was like. There was probably half the normal number of bikers at Kirkby and surprisingly there was an ice cream van feeding them. At Ribblehead there were more bikers enjoying the fine weather and many cars although nowhere near the numbers of a busy bank holiday weekend. There was both an ice cream van and a tea wagon in operation and social distancing protocols were varied at both locations. I expect if anyone is to draw criticism from the weekend it will be the bikers. People just haven?t got used to the noise again.
A chance conversation with the police attending an [amicable] incident at Ingleton suggested the weekend had gone well, they were coping but acknowledged the rules on what you can and can?t do were confusing. Talking of Ingleton, the waterfalls walk is closed. There were quite a few cars parked nearby suggesting people had walked elsewhere when they found the gates shut. The co-op is open both in the village and at the petrol station. A couple of the eateries are doing take away meals but I think this is on pre-order only. Most amenities are closed.
Comments from the YDNPA seem to suggest the weekend went well too. https://www.yorkshiredales.org.uk/a-busier-weekend-in-the-yorkshire-dales/
I visited a few of the usual caving haunts, Bull Pot farm, Leck Fell, Kingsdale, Chapel le Dale. Leck was quiet but there were a few cars at the other locations mostly with people walking but perhaps a few had wandered into Yordas and the like. The best that I can tell is that a few people have been caving and no issues have been reported to me. It does look like the general advice about being respectful and cautious is being heeded. Therefore the information in our statement last Wednesday remains the same. See here: https://cncc.org.uk/covid-19
Going forward the message from the local community is going to be mixed: Some local residents can be worse than the visitors, some will welcome the business visitors bring, many will be indifferent, a few will be feeling very vulnerable and frightened and some just don?t like visitors at the best of times.
I?m working on opening up the on-line booking system to help those who choose to go caving. We should like to help cavers with social distancing issues and spread any activity as widely as possible. Already I have met the owner of most of West Kingsdale who is ok with caving resuming up there. There will be other areas where discrete, low impact caving can take place ? just don?t be having an accident and please follow the government guidelines.
As the government is so keen on slogans I thought perhaps we should have one to get our own message across.
CAUTION ? CAPABILITY ? CONSIDERATE
Be cautious, cave within your capabilities, be considerate to all you meet.
Some photos below from Saturday.
Tim Allen
CNCC Access Officer
