I love running on the fells round here, and my runs are greatly enhanced on occasions when i have a chance encounter with wildlife which finds it's habitat in those fells. If we're advised to run a race, a month or two later in the year so that this may continue, then i'm happy to do that. Thanks and well done to the organisers for their decision.
Ahh, that's nice...
It seems you all (well, all three of you) believe Natural England have the best interests of the countryside at heart and that they pose no threat to any of our freedoms. I hope your faith is not misplaced.
Fellhound - I am pretty angry at your reaction to this. Unless you're trolling (and it would be a shame if this forum became a place where this happened). I think you should reassess your reaction.Originally Posted by Fellhound
Impact on rare birds nesting? Are they taking the p... or what? This is the thin end of a wedge which has very serious implications for our sport. I hope dialogue is taking place between the FRA (on our behalf) and all these self-appointed guardians of the countryside.
Firstly, NE and the LDNAP have asked for a postponement, not a cancellation, so you can still partake in this event. You can go and run the old crown round on your tod any day of the week. It is not as I see it a threat to our freedoms. How about a little bit of give and take!
Despite it being a small event, it could still have a damaging impact. Even 20 runners all running close past a nest could mean that nest fails. Compund that across the country due to similar intrusions and thats another species on the endangered list. Some of our upland birds not to mention our so called common garden birds are in sharp decline.
They also have the LAW on their side. It is illegal to disturb any birds nest once it has signs of new nesting activity until the feldglings have left the nest. So technically if you were out running and disturbed a nest - even by say by acccidentaly treading on it - you are breaking the law. If you left your fell shoes out in the garden to dry for a few days and a blackbird nested in them - that's it no more fell running with them on until its young has flown the nest.
I don't know who you are or your background, but I came into fell running from hill walking and mountaineering so for me one of the highlights of fell running is being out on the fells and that you can see wildlife along the way. Climbers have long accepted bird bans placed on crags which can be from banning climbing on a few routes around the nest to the entire crag for the nesting season. These bans are not always implemented consitently, e.g. a peregrine on one crag may mean its banned out right, and another peregrine on another crag might just mean a few routes are out. BUT climbers accept this as part and parcel of access, because its all very well having the beautiful views but with no birds or other wildlife these places would loose a significant part of their attraction.
If you are not bothered about appreciating what nature has to offer start running on the roads. You won't find many birds disrupting your training plans there.
Kat
Very well put Kat, I agree totally,I wasn't going to post as I think it sometimes inflames the matter
As well as the moral/commonsense/love of the outdoors side of things, we should be working alongside the different bodie's rather than winding them up or ignoring them. This will surely be beneficial to the countryside and its wildlife and also help improve relationships with fellrunners and other outdoor users
Ken
Oh, please... give me some credit.
I too came from a hillwalking (etc etc etc) background and have probably doing this stuff in the Lakes for a lot longer than you have.
What I see is a very small sport with a very low impact on one side and a large organisation with a very different agenda on the other. This is not about the Old Crown Round or some genuinely rare birds nesting in a genuinely sensitive area. It's about a growing trend to curtail our freedoms in the name of conservation, whether justified or not.
Where it is justified I can have no argument but this is the latest in a string of similar curtailments that I am aware of and I simply do not believe many of the restrictions are justified. Natural England seem to have a policy of "where possible, say no" and that's not good enough for me.
It's as simple and as reasonable as that.
And if all the other people who participate in "small" sports and recreational activities that use the same patch of countryside also take the same attitude as you, will the birds get any peace to bring their fledgings up successfully?
Fox Avatar "Protected" by Hester Cox - Printmaker
I am fully in support of the organisers and Natural England. I'm not sure that my inconvenience matters as much as conserving what little (rare or not) we haven't already destroyed.
I think that might be eight of us.
Anyone answered this one yet, am looking at info and route ready for Saturday and not 100% whether its the 'marshalled summits' or all 10I'm in for this one n'all, looks to be a cracker
A possibly dim question for Wandering Aengus or anyone else who knows: on the website with details of the route it lists 10 'summits traversed'; do all ten have to be visited, or just the five beery ones? I'll probably do a recce when I'm up in the Lakes before Christmas so want to get it right!
I read it to mean that only the 'beer' summits have to be visited and routes between them are up to you but there are compulsory sections to/from the start and between the Whitewater Dash track and Cockup - I think to avoid people being tempted to cross the farmers fields. Shame because there is a better line which avoids the fields altogether but its a bit rough and some might consider it a little 'risky' involving a steep traverse on some very loose ground - however I dont think the designated route will lose an awful lot of time, I've never gone round that way but the route looks much easier going overall and this will probably almost cancel out the extra time.
Funnily enough I visited High Pike the first time I did (or in fact didn't) do the original OCR - I had been given some duff gen and went Carrock, High Pike, Cockup and Skiddaw.
Have a good run, see you somewhere on the way round!
Cheers Cougar, I noticed the more obvious short cut to Cock Up too. Seems a shame we need to go down & round the tracks. Must be a good reason though.
I was trying to plot my route earlier but got busy at work
Enjoy your run too, hope weather is kind.
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