Fixing or ruining fells?

[Ilkley Swimmer]

The time has surely come for footway builders to stop ruining the fells?
Yesterday I ran the Langdale Horseshoe route in the sunshine. Already many of the paths, including (what was) the lovely path up the left of the valley to Stickle Tarn, are blighted by stone-paved footways. But I put up with them with the thought that at least the whole of the route had not been built over. Then, after navigating beneath Esk Pike and over Bowfell and Crinkle Crags, I was looking forward to the long run down before the last climb up Pike o Blisco. But as I descended the path an awful sight greeted me. Large black sacks were scattered everywhere. They looked like huge versions of those bags which some dog-owners leave lying around (don't get me started on that topic!). Closer inspection revealed they were full of stones in preparation for yet another wholly unnecessary footway building exercise. And, inevitably, there was a sign to tell us that they were "fixing" the fells. But this obsession with building stone footways EVERYWHERE isn't "fixing" the fells. It is ruining them. Surely it now has to stop.

[Daletownrunner]

I agree it's ruining, where will it stop, an escalator to the top of old man anyone?? Stone paths a complete eyesore that stick out like a sore thumb

[Knightrunner]

Anyone who's been on top of Pen Y Ghent recently will agree, they've dealt with the peat bog path by installing a pavement, I'm not exaggerating. Where does the wisdom and advice come from on this, let alone the authority to change so greatly a landscape of which we are custodians?

[mr brightside]

Walking and running breaks the turf and exposes the loose soil and stones beneath which get washed away leaving trenches behind. I'd rather they closed footpaths that were damaged and opened alternative routes personally. Jenkin Hill is a good example of serious damage; on the Skiddaw race you are not allowed to descend Jenkin on the path because of the increased erosion risk. Flags take you off into the deep and steep stuff for a mile or so, the race permit is conditional on this i think.

[mr brightside]

Anyone who's been on top of Pen Y Ghent recently will agree, they've dealt with the peat bog path by installing a pavement, I'm not exaggerating. Where does the wisdom and advice come from on this, let alone the authority to change so greatly a landscape of which we are custodians?

Peat bogs are a special case. Erosion causes new water channels which carries acidic and brown tinted water into the reservoirs, which then has to be treated. New channels also drain the bog and decrease biodiversity, there's no real alternative really other than to close the footpath.

[Dave_Mole]

whilst I agree the paths can be ugly and certainly detract from the "wilderness" element of the fells, there are serious problems with erosion which do need attention, else you end up with a huge scar across the landscape, which only gets worse and worse. In the Black Mountains there is a paved section of Offas Dyke which is pretty horrible, but this ends at a massive area of erosion which has cut down about 3ft. I imagine they're going to pave that too....Hard to see what else could be done in an area like that, where there's a lot of visitors on a fairly narrow ridge, except closing the path, which isn't an option.

[Ilkley Swimmer]

The point I am making is that stone footways are being built everywhere even in places where there is minimal if any "erosion". The building work I encountered on the Langdale Horseshoe is a very good example of this. There are many many others. It's as if the footway builders are on a mission to keep on building regardless.

[Derby Tup]

Turkeys don't vote for Christmas. There are hundreds of miles of paths that see little if any foot-traffic in Lakeland. Also there are tons of opportunities to go off-piste. It's what fell running is all about. There is brilliant running within a mile or two of the Bowfell and the Crinkles, where you'd be unlucky to meet ten people in half a day

[Eddie D]

Compared to the visible path erosion in the 'central' Fells 20 years ago, a number of sore sights do seem to have disappeared. One assumes that somebody does know what they're doing.

Considering the traffic, I'll buy a few staircases - up the fell anyway, like Great Gable on the Borrowdale.

The wilderness starts at The Great Glen and gets even better north of the Ullapool Road. I said that.

Eddie

[PeteS]

No doubt there are areas in the lakes that do need "fixing" but the methods employed are more about "reinforcing". In places (Gt Gable) this is a benefit but in areas where there is a grassy alternative, I've noticed the grass is now starting to show wear as this is proving to be a preferable surface to walk or run on rather than the irregularly placed stone blocks. What will they do when this needs fixing too? More stone?