**FDQ WARNING!**

MonkeyCaver

New member
THIS IS SERIOUS! PLEASE TAKE NOTE!

For anyone who might be planning a trip through the "Falls" route, Monkton Farleigh Quarry (Browns, FDQ) a dangerous situation has been discovered at the Southern end of the falls. The present advice online at the present is to please avoid the Falls for the time being for your own safety (and for the safety of others, as you could make things more unstable).

There is a potentially massive amount of material of varying sizes reported by those climbing it, and seen by myself just last night. The rocks which everyone has previously found okay to stand on, are showing signs of movement. I have seen the severity of this and if one bit pops out, the rest could follow suddenly.

If a person on top triggers this reaction then obviously anything can happen to them. But if there are others inside the network behind them, then they could be crushed as this heap collapses and be totally unaware of any danger.

It may not be possible to improve the situation quickly and credibly, without putting at risk the lives of those doing it, so please avoid the area for now.

You may find mention of this elsewhere online (depending what "login" you have). I was there last night for a different reason quite by chance, and we received warning from someone well known to caving who had just emerged from there, with great concern about what had been found.

We have a few photos but they are not going to show exactly what the specific problem is unless you know it, only the general character of the place.

Stay safe everyone please."
 
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People from several groups worked together to make the southern end of the falls safer after noticing a moving boulder on the main climb down at the southern end of the falls.

Several loose boulders have been dropped and a buttress built giving easier access up the climb.

So the falls is useable again.

As you face the climb the area on the left has always had lots of loose boulders. It is wise to avoid this area and keep to the right. The buttress makes it easy to do this.

Building the buttress used a lot of stone from near the climb. There is a risk that the area of big roof falls has become unstable as a result. We have checked but the risk can be avoided completely by using the well trodden trails between the climb and the picnic area that was.
 
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