Fell pony Solo carrying heli-bags for the Fix the Fells project

Workers repairing Lakeland footpaths were helped by some extra horsepower.

Five Cumbrian fell ponies were enlisted to carry heavy bags a remote fell in the West of the Lake District. The ponies managed to carry 150 bags in three hours – a feat that would have taken their human helpers from the Fix the Fells project five trips up and down the fell.

The bags are special helicopter-lift containers that will be filled with stone for use in repairing the path at Scale Force, the Lake District’s highest waterfall, overlooking Crummock Water. The five equine helpers carried the bags from Whins Farm in Ennerdale to Starling Dodd, a journey of 5½km (3½ miles), with a climb of 430m (1,411ft).

Each pony, from the Kerbeck Stud, carried 30 of the bags on its pack saddle.

Paul Delaney, upland path supervisor for the National Trust said: “The whole team, not least the ponies, had a fantastic day. So much was achieved in such a small period of time. Cracker, Thor, Prince, Solo and Serenade did a brilliant job and very obviously enjoyed every minute.”

Keira Holt, communications officer for Fix the Fells said “This is a perfect example of organisations working together for a joint cause. Seeing the National Trust, the Lake District National Park Authority, skilled contractors and even a local riding centre working together to help protect the environment and keep our countryside accessible, really gives us hope for a more sustainable future.”

Fix the Fells is a five-year partnership project run by the Lake District National Park Authority, the National Trust and Natural England. Support and funding comes from the Heritage Lottery Fund, Friends of the Lake District, The Ramblers Association and Nurture Lakeland. It is due to run until 2011.

More than 10 million people use the Lake District’s paths each year. Fix the Fells has so far carried out repairs on 150 footpaths, and has another 70 still to fix.