Author Topic: Access to the Lake District must change as it it to focussed on the able-bodied  (Read 4052 times)

tonyk

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 Advances in technology and medicine will eventually allow some disabled people to access these areas.Sadly,mountain tops will always be off-limit to a certain percentage of this group and that is something people just need to accept.They need to learn to appreciate what they can see from the bottom of a mountain rather than the top.

 This article is pretty interesting when it comes to ethnic minorities in the hills.

http://we-english.co.uk/blog/2009/01/16/contested-countryside/

 If Mr Leafe's intention is to make money his Disney type attractions are the way to go.Nothing to do with PC or diversity but everything to do with the unacceptable face of capitalism and greed.

Pitboot

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Non-walking/off-topic posts removed.


Hooray!!!!!!!!! O0

myxpyr

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Advances in technology and medicine will eventually allow some disabled people to access these areas.Sadly,mountain tops will always be off-limit to a certain percentage of this group and that is something people just need to accept.They need to learn to appreciate what they can see from the bottom of a mountain rather than the top.

 
Much as I was trying to say

jimbob

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Well you could invite one of the people to go walking with you, you know the type he says are unable to benefit from the LD as it is.

Or you could help thwart him by helping fund inner city school walking trips. Or giving instructional talks on use of compass etc to local youth groups, getting them involved in what the National Parks have to offer.

Why not try walking him out of office by  proving him wrong.

Of much greater concern is the fact that this new government are considering making tresspass a criminal offence.

Too little, too late, too bad......

GnP

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A similar conversation is on going in Cairns, Australia . In regards to how far can they develop the tourist industry in and around the rain forest of Cairns.
Years ago a cable car was built to go up and over the beautiful rain forest up to Kuranda. There were many people totally against any development at all. Actually it looks pretty good and is a wonderful trip to take. Why deny people who cannot hike or walk very far this access to the glorious rain forest. ? I don`t have an answer to that.


There are people of power with huge vested interests vying to get access to the money that can be made by easing access to the Lakes, all under the banner of making access easier for the disadvantaged in society.

I`m sure there are many well meaning people who really believe in opening the Lakes up to a more diverse group of people, but there are those pushing for this to happen only to line their own pockets. I wouldn`t be surprised if Richard Leefe, although probably well meaning is just the sort of stooge that the business people who would benefit from more tourism, loves to have in that particular post.
I`m probably wandering off the point maybe but it boils down to the fact that human beings are destroying & altering nature to our own short term advantage. There really is no stopping it, I reckon. It is all way to late now, and in my big picture we are heading for extinction so none of this will matter in the long run.

Thankfully though, planet Earth will survive and new species maybe in an Eon will evolve. We do not think in terms that are long enough to save ourselves.
Personally I would hate to see more tourist development in the Lakes just as I dislike to see it in any beautiful natural place, but who am I to deny others when I have enjoyed some of these wonderful areas myself.


A night under silnylon. Doesn't have the same ring to it.

glovepuppet

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What we could do is knock all the mountains down and use them to fill in the lakes. That would make it more level, for more roads, more car parks and better access. It would also make it easier to build Disney Lakeland or create some outdoor theme park where we can see all the mountains that used to there in an iMax film, which would be much less affected by nasty weather and a lot safer too. Hill farmers can be preserved in aspic as some living museum piece - ideally, without the need to get a lungful of livestock ordure - to remind us that such oddities actually used to exist before all locals were employed in the new fast food restaurants.


Win:win.


 ???   

ninthace

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Advances in technology and medicine will eventually allow some disabled people to access these areas.Sadly,mountain tops will always be off-limit to a certain percentage of this group and that is something people just need to accept.They need to learn to appreciate what they can see from the bottom of a mountain rather than the top.

Much as I was trying to say



I wouldn't be so sure https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tcShYszPGs
Solvitur Ambulando

Mel

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What we could do is knock all the mountains down and use them to fill in the lakes. That would make it more level, for more roads, more car parks and better access. It would also make it easier to build Disney Lakeland or create some outdoor theme park where we can see all the mountains that used to there in an iMax film, which would be much less affected by nasty weather and a lot safer too. Hill farmers can be preserved in aspic as some living museum piece - ideally, without the need to get a lungful of livestock ordure - to remind us that such oddities actually used to exist before all locals were employed in the new fast food restaurants.


Win:win.


 ???   




^^^^ Best. Post. Ever  O0     ;D   Brilliant  :D

ninthace

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But where would you put all the houseboats? ;)
Solvitur Ambulando

Pitboot

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They can be put on wheels and parked on his lordship's vast estate.

Bigfoot_Mike

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The houseboats can be replaced with caravans on a new mega Butlins camp on the site of the former Scafell Pike.

happyhiker

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I have seen articles in the past arguing that tourist numbers should be reduced by charging people to enter the Lake District and/or banning cars and forcing people on to park and ride schemes yet here are proposals to artificially increase attraction by somehow being more PC. It's crazy.


The Lake District exists. Everyone knows it's there, given a modicum of education. It is open to all now and if visiting it is not attractive to some groups, so be it. Why try to generate a demand which does not naturally exist, if the Lake District is supposedly overrun with tourists already?


It is slightly different for those with mobility problems who may have the mindset to get off the beaten track but simply cannot. I would be quite happy to see some tracks adjusted to give wheelchair users better access. I don't think this would create a huge increase in numbers and all would benefit from better paths. I would draw the line at Tarmac though!

harland

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I saw a little earlier today the repeat of Britain's 100 most popular walks.  A quadruple amputee climbed Snowden, I think he said something like you can do what you set your mind to it.  It didn't look like the paths had been tarmacked!

Bigfoot_Mike

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I saw a little earlier today the repeat of Britain's 100 most popular walks.  A quadruple amputee climbed Snowden, I think he said something like you can do what you set your mind to it.  It didn't look like the paths had been tarmacked!
I saw this too. If I have got this right, I think he was trapped high in the Alps for several days in very bad weather and suffered severe frostbite leading to the quadruple amputation. His effort on Snowdon was amazing, but it might be different for someone who was never able bodied and in the hills. Norman Croucher was another double amputee below the knee who climbed some pretty high peaks after his accident. I don’t think we can make the summits wheelchair accessible, but there are ways for the less ale to get to some summits.


I also agree with the previous contributor about the folly of trying to attract even more tourists to an overcrowded area by changing its character.

rural roamer

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So should the ‘powers that be’ be doing more to encourage me to go to theme parks or say, somewhere like Blackpool or Clacton? Because I really have no interest in visiting them. Isn’t it the same in reverse?

 

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