Swine Tail on Ingleborough
Time is running out for outdoor fans to pledge their cash to help a crowdfunding effort to repair some of England and Wales’s most popular mountain paths.
The British Mountaineering Council’s Mend Our Mountains campaign has just 12 days to run and is a little over half way to raising its target of £100,000.
The BMC said: “Mend Our Mountains campaign has already been the most successful crowdfunding appeal for mountain paths ever.
“Since its launch, more than 1,000 pledgers have helped to raise a current total of more than £55,000 for eight urgent upland repair projects on some of Britain’s most iconic peaks.
“But we are aiming for £100,000, and time is running out. The campaign closes on Monday 9 May. Watching the sunset from Snowdon, a whole season of mentored climbing or riding in a helicopter over the Yorkshire Dales are just some of the brilliant experiences still up for grabs as crowdfunding ‘rewards’.”
Working with eight national parks, the BMC aims to raise more than £100,000 to repair damaged paths on some of Britain’s most popular peaks, including the respective highest mountains of England and Wales – Scafell Pike and Snowdon.
The campaign also features Ingleborough in the Yorkshire Dales, Kinder Scout in the Peak District and part of the Brecon Beacons Horseshoe, as well as vital repairs to moorland on Dartmoor, Exmoor and the North York Moors.
Carey Davies, BMC hillwalking officer, said: “The response to Mend Our Mountains so far has shown that many walkers, climbers and outdoor enthusiasts care strongly about looking after the mountain landscape.
Julia Bradbury is backing the campaign
“It is a challenging time for the bodies which ‘look after’ some of our most important landscapes. Booming visitor numbers and smaller budgets, compounded by the extensive damage of recent flooding, means that many national park authorities are struggling to keep up with the ongoing challenge of erosion.
“But we want to send as loud a signal as possible that we are prepared to do what we can to stop mountain erosion. These hills are ours to climb and ours to care for. The more we raise in this campaign the stronger this message will be.”
Amounts raised so far for each of the projects are:
- Watkin Path on Snowdon £6,250
- Ringing Roger on Kinder Scout, Peak District £7,358
- Waun Rydd in central Brecon Beacons £2,920
- High Moor on Dartmoor £2,520
- Swine Tail, Ingleborough in the Yorkshire Dales £6,590
- Scafell Pike in the Lake District £6,880
- Lyke Wake Walk in the North York Moors £1,757
- Long Chains Combe in Exmoor Forest £1,170.
The general UK-wide fund currently stands at £20,635.
Television presenter Julia Bradbury said: “It’s easy to take the paths beneath our feet for granted when we’re walking in the hills, yet footpaths are the arteries of the hills when it comes to enabling people to access the mountains sustainably.
“I’ve been fortunate to walk along many footpaths that have formed part of our landscape for hundreds of years and which now need our help. I’m supporting the Mend Our Mountains crowdfunding campaign so that many more people, including families and young people, can enjoy our hills and mountains in the years to come.
“If you love walking in our national parks, please lend your support.”
Sir Chris Bonington: 'Together we can make a difference'
Sir Chris Bonington, renowned British mountaineer and BMC patron, said: “Footpath work is essential to look after our mountains.
“Without it many routes in places like the Lake District would become huge scars or rivers of scree. Mend Our Mountains is an innovative way for walkers and climbers to make a collective contribution to preserve the beauty of the fells at a challenging time. I fully support it and would encourage everyone to donate. Together we can make a difference. If the whole outdoor public comes together we can provide a financial lifeline for these vital environmental projects at a time of need.”
Another BMC patron Doug Scott, jointly the first Briton to successfully summit Everest, said: “In popular places the impact of our activities on the mountains can be profound, and the task of managing this impact is becoming harder and harder.
“I fully support Mend Our Mountains as a way of putting something back into the places that give us so much joy and fulfilment. In doing so this may concentrate the mind to tread more softly and leave less trace on the landscape.”
Donations can be pledged on the Mend Our Mountains Crowdfunder website.
