Horseshoe Quarry made accessible to emergency vehicles and wheelchair users

Land and Property Manager, Phill Hargreaves, reports:

"Thanks to a grant of approximately £8,000 from Farming In Projected Landscapes (FiPL) and the Peak District National Park Authority, this March, the BMC have replaced the two large boulders at the main entrance of the BMC-owned site of Horseshoe Quarry with a wheelchair accessible kissing gate and a car barrier that allows access to emergency services and Mountain Rescue."

Phill explains, "On the advice of Leeds Paraclimbing Club founder, Lucy Keyworth, from the GB Paraclimbing Team, we left one large boulder in place in front of the gates to stop cars parking right up next to them and making it impossible for wheelchair users like Lucy to get through. We have also rollered the path heading into the quarry, making it smoother for access on wheels.

"The kissing gate works as normal and will fit smaller wheelchairs and prams through. In addition, using a RADAR key (that many people with disabilities possess), you can open the gate towards you, making it wide enough for wider wheelchairs and all-terrain mobility scooters. We will look into leaving a spare Radar key in a local outdoor shop, with details on the Regional Access Database (RAD). And for the emergency vehicle access we will look to leave a key with the local Mountain Rescue Team."

Phill continues, "We are improving the base of the crag in the Toilet Sector, a section of the wall that paraclimbers often use, there will be a small ramp to access the crag and the area will be smoothed off to make it more accessible. We are also planning to place extra bolts near the top of the crag to allow chair-hoist climbing too."

Vicky Binks, who runs Anyone Can with her husband Chris, providing accessible activities, trips and holidays all over the UK and abroad, says, "We've just come down here to meet the BMC and seen what a fantastic job has been done at Horseshoe Quarry, and we're fizzing with excitement.

"Last time we came it was a bit rough to get in with quite a few puddles and now it's completely levelled out and people with a huge range of disabilities will be able to climb here. You can get an electric wheelchair in here or for someone who just gets tired walking in, it's going to save so much energy for people accessing this crag. There are about 10-15 climbs that people can access along here now so we're very excited and very grateful."