Author Topic: TR The invalid goes to Thirlmere and Great How Sat 25 Nov 17  (Read 1851 times)

April

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There was only one place I wanted to go to on Saturday and that was Thirlmere. With the horrendous Zip Wire planning application now registered with the LDNP I had to come to see Thirlmere. We got the bus to Swirls and headed for the shore path. It was a bit cloudy, very cold but not a bad day really.

Someone was selling these in the car park opposite Swirls


Fisher Crag and where the proposed 8 zip wires will cross the lake. No thanks. Not needed or wanted


We headed toward the dam end of the lake. Watsons Dodd and Stybarrow Dodd with a bit of snow on them


What we noticed was how peaceful it was and we wondered what the noise would be like with people screaming down a zip wire.

Brown Cove Crags and the route up to Helvellyn from Swirls


We got near Great How and we thought we would go up it. I've never been on the top, neither has beefy and it looked like some trees had been felled on the summit so we thought it would be a good viewpoint.

Helvellyn and Thirlmere from Great How


Beefy on the summit of Great How


We dropped down a little to a bench which had an even better viewpoint and was out of most of the bitingly cold wind so we could get some lunch.

It was a super view, no need to have any zip wires across it!


We descended from the top of Great How, difficult for me, my neck was hurting and I am struggling to look down for any length of time and this was needed on the descent. Perhaps not the best hill to do at the moment, it is rough and steep in places, the path had snow in places and was wet, tree roots ready to trip you up, hard work and I was pleased to reach the forest track. We walked toward the A591 at Little How then walked in the direction of Fisher Place. We’d seen a sign on the way from the bus and we wanted to get a shot of it.

99% of the people who live in the local parish have a message for Tree Top Trek


They don't want the zip wire and neither do people who love the Lake District for its natural (or man made!) beauty. Lakeland doesn't need this sort of adornment to attract people, especially not Thirlmere. Its asset is that it is tranquil, non commercialised and although the reservoir is man made it is very beautiful, so please leave it as it is.

Our walk was Swirls - Dalehead Hall - Great How - A591 near Little How - Fisher Place bus stop. 6.4km with about 200m ascent.

Here is the link to the planning application for the Zip Wires
http://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/swiftlg/apas/run/WPHAPPDETAIL.DisplayUrl?theApnID=7/2017/2298

Friends of the Lake District have good advice on how to put your thoughts forward about the proposal to LDNP - send an email to [email protected]
Referencing application (7/2017/2298) and include your name, full postal address and the date.

Friends of the Lake District website link
https://www.friendsofthelakedistrict.org.uk/Pages/Site/thirlmere/Category/thirlmere-zip-wires

Zip Off petition here
https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/say-no-to-zip-wires-across-thirlmere?source=facebook-share-button&time=1511534681
Hate will never win

beefy

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Great pics Ape  O0
I think they speak for themselves
It was rather cold wasntnit  ;D
Leave only footprints, take only photographs, kill only time ...

adalard

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Great pictures, April - so lovely to see the dusting of snow on the fells.  :)


Hopefully the zipwire plan will be refused. I've signed the petition.

Ridge

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Great photos April, particularly the Fisher Crag one, surely the planning committee will see sense.


You are such a Lake District novice, first hill my kids walked up was Great How just to give them a taster before we tackled Catbells the next day. It is a bit rough and slippery for an invalid.

April

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It was rather cold  ;D

It was a bit cad

Hopefully the zipwire plan will be refused. I've signed the petition.

I hope so, thank you but please send an email to the LDNPA as well  O0

surely the planning committee will see sense.

I would like to think so

You are such a Lake District novice, first hill my kids walked up was Great How just to give them a taster before we tackled Catbells the next day. It is a bit rough and slippery for an invalid.

 ;D I do need to get out there a bit more  :)

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henryb

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Great report and photos April, nice to see THirlmere from this angle, haven't seen it before from Great How :)

karl h

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Great to see you out and about A. O0


Yet another Birkett for Mrs "I'm never doing the Birketts"  ;D


Letter sent, petition signed, fingers crossed ;)

April

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nice to see THirlmere from this angle, haven't seen it before from Great How :)

Neither had we  :)

Great to see you out and about A. O0

Thanks K, I feel like a little old lady at the moment, scared to go out on my own in case I slip on the ice  :-[ The weather is lovely everywhere as well! I might try get out tomorrow for a short walk.

Yet another Birkett for Mrs "I'm never doing the Birketts"  ;D

I'm not doing them bleddy boggy Birketts  :D

Letter sent, petition signed, fingers crossed ;)

Good man  O0

I've been on you tube today, searched for "zip wires" and I've listening to the noise the zip wires make, add the noise from the people screeching, screaming and whooping as they go down them, it is incredible that anybody could think they would get planning permission for these wires across Thirlmere. It is so noisy! There are places people can go to if they want this sort of theme park ride, there is no necessity to put these wires across Thirlmere. Why ruin the area for the usual visitors to Lakeland who want to go walking, cycling, climbing, scrambling, it would put these people off coming to the Lakes and staying in the hotels nearby. I have stayed at the Kings Head at Thirlspot before, I doubt I would go there if there was a zip wire in place not that far away that was open from 8am - 9pm.
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Welsh Rambler

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Good to hear you are up and about April and some more lovely photos. well done  O0


Maybe you should have bought one of the wooden animals and had a ride down the hill  ;D


Regards Keith

Dovegirl

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Beautiful photos April   :)

adalard

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I hope so, thank you but please send an email to the LDNPA as well  O0


Done!  :) O0

barewirewalker

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My sympathies to the invalid,  Beefy's VR shows how much pain you are walking with. Always enjoy the picture you and Beefy show of your walks.


There is a line of reasoning that should be used against putting further attractions into an already successful tourist area and that is the overload there is already on 'hill safety'. I have often thought that the incomplete and corrupted access network in the safer environment of the lowlands does not allow the volume of people wanting to take exercise and those, who should be encouraged into physical activity to safely learn their physical limits.
By putting low brow, thrill seeking entertainment so close to areas, where a little lack of preparation can put someone in danger and therefore increase the pressure on mountain rescue. Are the companies that are financing these enterprises prepared to fund MRT in the likelihood of increase volume on their services.


 






 
BWW
Their Land is in Our Country.

April

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Thanks Welsh Rambler and Dovegirl  O0

Fab that you have sent an objection letter adalard  O0

@ barewirewalker - the pain in general is much better, it's still quite bad at times down the right side of my neck and shoulder when I overdo it

By putting low brow, thrill seeking entertainment so close to areas, where a little lack of preparation can put someone in danger and therefore increase the pressure on mountain rescue. Are the companies that are financing these enterprises prepared to fund MRT in the likelihood of increase volume on their services.

I read this on the Zip Off facebook page, I'm assuming it is from one of the helicopter rescue services, I couldn't find the original post, just this copy.

Here is a copy of what was on the fb page
“During Storm Desmond, in winds of upto 85 knots we conducted a rescue in Thirlmere where a bus driver and two members of mountain rescue probably had their lives saved.

Given the wind strength it was a one way route - we could not have turned round.

If the zip wire is permitted that rescue could not of happened. And, in the same conditions we would not be able to enter the Thirlmere valley at all.

Given the repeated nature of flooding in Thirlmere we will be needed again but will be unable to assist - it will simply be too dangerous given the combination of wind, low cloud and multiple wires spanning the valley.

This proposal will put lives at risk on a repeated basis.”

So it isn't just the zip wire users who would be at risk, anyone else in the area who needed rescue may not be able to be helped.
Hate will never win

 

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