SOME 50 climbers took to the Symonds Yat rock face for an extreme litter pick – hundreds of feet above the ground over the weekend.

Another 20 volunteers also helped clean up around the base and top of the crags as part of the April 1-2 YatFest clear up.

Co-organiser Graham ‘Sven’ Hassall of Summit Mountaineering said: “We removed more than 20 full bin bags of rubbish, thanks largely to the numerous non-climbers who turned out to help us.

“We carried out a litter pick of all climbing areas, the area between the cliff top and the car park/path, all of the main car park and disabled car parks, all of the way-marked trails, the viewpoint and bridge, the picnic area, the Iron Age defences and all paths leading down to the river.”

The climbers also replaced nearly all of the in-situ ‘thread’ climbing protection ropes that have been in the cliff for many years to make climbing significantly safer.

“We removed the red valerian and non-native invasive species on a number of established climbing routes, and conducted other supporting works agreed with the ecologist,” added Mr Hassall.

“And we have also put in place a voluntary out- of-bounds area for climbers in order to support the rare carboniferous hawkweed’s growth on the crags.”

Fellow organiser Bob Thomas of Contour Outdoors added: “It all went fantastically well. We had volunteers from as far away as Dorset and Shropshire and we cleared every bit of litter from the area, with the minimum of disruption to flora and fauna.

“Some of the equipment on the face hasn’t been changed for years. So thanks to crag owners, the Forestry Commission, for letting us go ahead with the clean up, and perhaps we can make it an annual event.”

The limestone crags attract climbers from all over the country, with more than 500 routes on the rock face with names like Motorway Madness, Big Daddy, Funky Gibbon, Water Torture, Fly on the Wall and Jackal’s Wall.

Volunteers from the Wye Valley AONB youth rangers were among those helping out with the clear up.

Organisers talked to more than 100 members of the public making them aware of the activities and the rare flora in the area.

Climbers were also able to take part in climbing workshops and received freebies supplied by sponsors Summit Mountaineering, Contour Outdoors and Trekitt.