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roych clough lane


gelf

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watch there are some idiots about....... someone i know went driving this lane, they had problems and breakages. the long and the short of it is that the truck had to left until they could get i recovered.

thing was when they went back someone had been at it........ weather they were not ment to be driving it i dont but mindless stuff like this is disgusting.

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I think it's awful that the vehicle has been trashed, however if the conditions had been more accurately assessed prior to entering the lane the situation may have been avoided. Myself along with several other volunteers assisted with the recovery of the party of both vehicles:

see here

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I think it's awful that the vehicle has been trashed, however if the conditions had been more accurately assessed prior to entering the lane the situation may have been avoided. Myself along with several other volunteers assisted with the recovery of the party of both vehicles:

see here

Nice work Dave, when I read they'd been rescued I wondered whether you were involved!

Full story here: click

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I drove the route the weekend prior, and the steps have deteriorated a lot over the past couple of years. If you get it wrong going down you will easily go onto three wheels (as I did). I have attached a photograph showing what it can be like in favourable conditions.

I think it is becoming a problem for most vehicles coming up to actually get up. It can be troublesome for some even with the use of waffle boards and piling of rocks.

Does anyone know if any of the greenlane groups (e.g. CRAG or/and GLASS) are aware of this problem and can say whether or not work is being planned?

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Snip

Does anyone know if any of the greenlane groups (e.g. CRAG or/and GLASS) are aware of this problem and can say whether or not work is being planned?

GLASS certainly are aware, and got rude responses when the local rep called for sensible restraint when the road was frozen hard and covered in compacted (iced) snow. This call was NOT nanny state before the event, it was AFTER the Disco had been blocking the road for several days.

PDVUG (Peak & Derbyshire Vehicle User Group) are also aware. They have created good liaison with Peak Park Planners and the local Constabulary.

Work being planned is more difficult. Derbyshire do not welcome, encourage, or use voluntary work parties.

I believe this is more a political decision than a restriction on practical grounds.

I have not heard, through GLASS or PDVUG, that any repair work is scheduled by the Council.

If people planning trips could agree that downhill was always the sensible route, as per Stanage Edge (Long Causeway), then it would help, as stuck vehicles could be just pushed over the steps.

Rattle the Councils cage too hard now and they would be perfectly justified in slapping a TRO on the route. The Police are active and would easily police it. Derbyshire Council are aware of the tourism benefits, and they do put money and effort into maintaining the non-tarmac roads, so they aren't anti 4x4.

But some common sense is required by drivers as well, so that PDVUG don't have the ground cut away from underneath them.

HTH

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I'm not sure that the reluctance to use voluntary labour is political. I was part of a voluntary team working on the steps, and further along by the frog pond, as part of a GLASS/TRF group in 1999. I speculate that it's on H&S issues but I'm not sure what was different back then.

I will remove the writeup of my trip over Christmas if it helps.

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I'm not sure that the reluctance to use voluntary labour is political. I was part of a voluntary team working on the steps, and further along by the frog pond, as part of a GLASS/TRF group in 1999. I speculate that it's on H&S issues but I'm not sure what was different back then.

I will remove the writeup of my trip over Christmas if it helps.

1999 was 10 years ago, you are getting older :-)

On a personal level, H&S is important. When it comes to an Official body (Council) organising a volunteer work party I tend to view H&S 'difficulties' as political. Perhaps that's the cynical view :-)

I haven't read your report, I assume it was a successful trip. On that basis I don't know that removing your report will make much difference. The lane is well known, and popular. Perhaps it is the current state that is 'unknown'. If so, an up to date report can only be beneficial.

Regards.

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I drove the route the weekend prior, and the steps have deteriorated a lot over the past couple of years. If you get it wrong going down you will easily go onto three wheels (as I did). I have attached a photograph showing what it can be like in favourable conditions.

I think it is becoming a problem for most vehicles coming up to actually get up. It can be troublesome for some even with the use of waffle boards and piling of rocks.

I really don't see what the problem is, the small step is easily driven with a reasonably prepared vehicle and a little driver skill.

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I really don't see what the problem is, the small step is easily driven with a reasonably prepared vehicle and a little driver skill.

Define "reasonably prepared" please. :)

From seeing the lane over ten years, the steps are bedrock and aren't changing except from the prevailing weather. Recently it's been cold, snowy and icy and it has caught two people out - that's all.

I think they are changing. I have noticed that material appears to be being washed away from under the step, making the step itself bigger.

Here are two video examples.

Video Taken 2007.

Video Taken 2008.

And a photograph from 2008.

I have unfortunately had to be towed up the step a couple of times being unable to maintain traction on the nearside wheels. I have witnessed one or two other vehicles suffer the same difficulties, with the same results. I do not think it is a case of the size of the step being the problem on its own, judging by how people cope with Pheasants Steps in Wales. I think the problem is the combination of polished rock and washed out material causing difficulties with traction.

Opinions may differ but those are my thoughts on it.

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Possibly the springs not flexing as much as they should? ph34r.gif

BTW: I drove the lane just after the Pennine Bridleway works were completed and the whole of that section up from the stream could be driven by a Series in two wheel drive. The filling/surfacing has pulled or washed out quite steadily over the past few years.

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Firstly let me say that it makes me sick to see what some idiots are capable of doing in the way of vandlism. I could almost understand stealing parts from a seemingly abandoned vehicle (although the Disco was off the track and probably nicely secured by the time it was vandlised), but that level of damage is total stupidity.

However, I feel compelled to comment that it is the driver of the Disco and is group that have potentially done so much to damage our hobby. This kind of event brings so much bad press and it would be quite understandable if the local council slapped a TRO on the lane. Having read the other forums and links, as far as I can see the original group:

1. Went out completely un-prepared. When i've been off road in the snow I've taken food, clothes, a full tank of fuel, ropes etc.

2. When conditions worsened they carried on dispite their lack of preparation and inadequate vehicles etc. Again previously I've done this, but only when in a group with winch equipt vehicles etc, which ended in an hour long fight to get my standard Disco out of 2 foot deep snow drift, but we wouldn't of been there had we not been amongst more capable vehicles.

3. Left their vehicle blocking a public road and relied on rescue from volunteers, risking more people's safety both in the rescuers and if anybody had tried to come up the lane behind them.

4. Tried then to round up more volunteers to move the vehicle, taking two trips to move it off the lane. Again more un-prepared drivers and vehicles in the first 'rescue' by the sounds of the descriptions, only the second 'rescue' was succesful

5. Then the story has been slapped over several forums and the peaks rescue website added to arguments to get lanes like this shut!

Sorry, rant over, it is sad that the guy's Disco got so smashed up, even with the issues above he didn't deserve that!

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