Ash Dieback (split from Alum Pot thread)

[alanw]

Moderator comment: Off Topic posts move to new thread from https://ukcaving.com/board/index.php?threads/fallen-tree-at-alum-pot.34638/

Post in thread 'Alum Pot, South East Route'

Jan 19, 2026

As the CNCC page for Alum Pot says the ashes should not be trusted for belays, due to Ash Dieback.

Here's a photo of what it's done to the ashes above the Nature Trail and just below Trow Gill on the way up to Gaping Gill

• alanw

 

[wellyjen]

Post in thread 'Alum Pot, South East Route'

Jan 19, 2026

As the CNCC page for Alum Pot says the ashes should not be trusted for belays, due to Ash Dieback.

Here's a photo of what it's done to the ashes above the Nature Trail and just below Trow Gill on the way up to Gaping Gill

• alanw

Though, to be fair, a chainsaw did some of that too!

 

[Ian Ball]

That was possibly from Storm Amy a few years back in Decemeber, I remember walking up to GG near new year and the downed trees were quite saddening.

 

[alanw]

That was possibly from Storm Amy a few years back in Decemeber, I remember walking up to GG near new year and the downed trees were quite saddening.

Storm Amy was 2025, that photo was taken in May 2022.

Those were the estate, having inspected the trees, cutting them down for the safety of the people walking up the track.

Beck Head Stream Cave

Great work by a team of CNCC volunteers and local enthusiasts to restore the entrance to Beck Head Stream Cave near Trow Gill.

cncc.org.uk

Back in 2021, Clapham’s Ingleborough Estate was, for safety reasons, felling ash trees alongside the public footpath in the valley leading to Trow Gill.

 

[Pitlamp]

I suspect the storm in question might have been Storm Arwen. That felled some big oaks in the Clapham Nature Trail and cut power to some Clapham properties for up to a week.

 

[Boy Engineer]

Or use the other Peak District solution; cap the shaft and have access via Derbyshire Key!

I’d pay good money to watch that. Suspect even crossing sleepers would be a bit short in either location. It would make Alum a bit more weatherproof, and certainly prevent tree-related debris falling in. Perhaps one of those new pothole fixing machines would do the job? I’m sure we could license the security technology and allow you Northerners to call it a Yorkshire Key, using t’spanner (as I believe you would say).

 

[Ian Ball]

Arwen it was, 2021! blimey, I assumed it was all storm damage, the tree hanging from the cliff top, the three trunks crossing the path that needed crawling over, it felt really quite a significant event!

Ash dieback seems unstoppable

 

[Katie]

A few years ago everyone was very pessimistic about the future for Ash trees, however I think in recent years there is more hope.

I have read a few articles that suggest immunity to ash die back in ash trees is increasing and hopefully more will survive it.

The ash tree in our garden (which has always been the kids favourite climbing tree) has looked a bit rough for a few years, but after this winter it has come back looking better than ever. Not counting my chickens yet* but I am hopeful it will be one of the trees that fully recover

There is an Ash across the lane that looked dreadful for years - last year it looked completely dead, but has come back looking reasonable this spring!


* that's a lie. I actually count my chickens everyday. There are 19 of them (plus 6 chicks!)

 

[ChrisB]

I actually count my chickens everyday

Sorry for going off topic, but at least counting chickens doesn't put you to sleep like your other animals.

 

[Cantclimbtom]

I suspect the storm in question might have been Storm Arwen. That felled some big oaks in the Clapham Nature Trail and cut power to some Clapham properties for up to a week.

A few fell into Trow Gill just before Easter, won't be many left at this rate

 

[Katie]

Sorry for going off topic, but at least counting chickens doesn't put you to sleep like your other animals.

Counting sheep isn't actually that relaxing when you are responsible for them

 

[AR]

Counting sheep isn't actually that relaxing when you are responsible for them

"Yan, tan, tethera, methera..."

Going back to ash dieback, I've been watching affected trees in our village, Millers Dale and Lathkill Dale for the last few years and although some have completely succumbed, I've noticed the ones that didn't seem to be putting out more leaves - is dieback turning to fightback? I certainly hope so given the number of trees in the dales that are well colonised with moss and epiphyte ferns.

 

[Cantclimbtom]

"Yan, tan, tethera, methera..."
...

P Celtic of the Brigantes
Note the T/D consonant swaps between dialects and that Methera is often written Pethera, then counting 1-10 is a little reminiscent of Welsh.

 

[bagpuss]

We had a huge tree down right across our route to caving (up Bourton Combe) just before we passed through in the last heat wave. People think ash dieback falls are a risk during windy weather, but there's also a risk during drought conditions due to extra stress on the tree. We had a big one go a few years back very close to where we were hiking in another heatwave, the noise was deafening!

 

[Max bowen]

I remember reading somewhere that the initial estimate was going to be losing about 80-90% of ash trees. Some have apparantly shown a slight resistance to it so fingers crossed that figure drops.

 

[kay]

Moderator comment: Off Topic posts move to new thread from https://ukcaving.com/board/index.php?threads/fallen-tree-at-alum-pot.34638/

Post in thread 'Alum Pot, South East Route'

Jan 19, 2026

As the CNCC page for Alum Pot says the ashes should not be trusted for belays, due to Ash Dieback.

Here's a photo of what it's done to the ashes above the Nature Trail and just below Trow Gill on the way up to Gaping Gill

• alanw

To be fair, the strength of a tree is in the outer layer, it doesn't depend so much on the centre. That's why scaffolding poles are hollow.

 

[Boy Engineer]

To be fair, the strength of a tree is in the outer layer, it doesn't depend so much on the centre. That's why scaffolding poles are hollow.

And that makes them so much more resistant to Scaffold Pole Die Back.