Author Topic: Rubbish and Litter on Wildcamp sites  (Read 3040 times)

bajers

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Rubbish and Litter on Wildcamp sites
« on: 13:19:01, 05/09/17 »
Hi,

After many years camping and walking in the Lakes and the UK, I have just completed my first 'wild camp' starting in Borrowdale valley using Chapel House Farm campsite as a base, walking along Sourmilk Gill to Green/Great Gable, Glaramara area, heading back to Borrowdale valley via Langstrath valley (lovely low level walk btw).

I don't think I am giving away any 'secret spots' when I say I stopped at Sprinkling Tarn and Angle Tarn for the nights!

Lovely locations but what I am really surprised at is the amount of litter and rubbish that had been left at flat patches at the tarns.

I had heard a few days before about this problem of wild camping in the Lakes and 'rubbished' it (excuse the pun) as nonsense, but my first choice of pitch at Sprinkling Tarn had an empty 500ml water bottle and a Tupperware type food container just dumped behind a rock. Unbelievably, a few feet next to it was a cheap, torn, rolled up foam sleeping bag, dumped.

Presumably with the sleeping bag, it did not perform as the occupant thought it would so just left it!

Now, I am no paragon of virtue, but what I carried into the area, I brought out and I appreciate, collectively we ought to try to collect other peoples rubbish, but I am certainly not prepared to carry wet, dumped sleeping bags down when my own pack was breaking my back.

At my second night stopover, a lovely flat spot at Angle Tarn was littered with McDonalds chip bag packaging, which I did tidy up. I cannot think how appetising the McDonalds would have been though, but I hope they enjoyed it.

The point of my post really is to bring this issue to other peoples attention before 'authorities' crack down on wild camping which I understand is only tolerated in the Lakes.

I am positive this is only a small minority of people doing this, but they could easily spoil it for the majority of responsible wild campers if the situation does not improve.

I hope to go on more wild camps in the future and am worried these idiots are going to stop me from doing this.

Rant over and please spread the word. O0

Thanks.

Barry.

harland

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Re: Rubbish and Litter on Wildcamp sites
« Reply #1 on: 13:26:29, 05/09/17 »
I would put money on that the type of "people" that do this won't be on this website, or I would hope that they aren't!  The way ahead is if you happen to be there remind them they have left something.  I do this when people in front "accidently" drop food wrappers - you have dropped this!  Being well over 6 foot it may assist my message.

Percy

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Re: Rubbish and Litter on Wildcamp sites
« Reply #2 on: 13:40:01, 05/09/17 »
These incidents are a worrying development. Seems to me there was a time when the kind of people who would litter like this were too lazy to get much beyond the car park so that is where you'd see stuff dumped. They are obviously becoming more adventurous.  :(


I've never picked up something as large as a sleeping bag but do litter pick when I'm out on the hills. There's less rubbish up there when I've been walking than there was before. Largest item collected was a broken walking pole on Steel Fell.


The worst thing is empty plastic bottles. How much do they bloody weigh? Nothing.  >:(









beefy

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Re: Rubbish and Litter on Wildcamp sites
« Reply #3 on: 19:57:26, 05/09/17 »

Lakeland Lorry recently posted about this here >

http://www.walkingforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=35131.0


these are the type of places we avoid the "wild camping hotspots" that attract all kinds of idiots, your going to the wrong places, we camp nearly every weekend and hardly ever encounter problems at our camping pitch, we choose them carefully  8)  43 wild camps last year  :)



« Last Edit: 20:05:22, 05/09/17 by beefy »
Leave only footprints, take only photographs, kill only time ...

Percy

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Re: Rubbish and Litter on Wildcamp sites
« Reply #4 on: 20:28:57, 05/09/17 »
Lakeland Lorry recently posted about this here >

http://www.walkingforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=35131.0


these are the type of places we avoid the "wild camping hotspots" that attract all kinds of idiots, your going to the wrong places, we camp nearly every weekend and hardly ever encounter problems at our camping pitch, we choose them carefully  8)  43 wild camps last year  :)
I think you're missing the point a bit.


Good for you that you know wild camping spots that haven't been littered but it doesn't mean the littering isn't disgusting wherever it occurs.

April

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Re: Rubbish and Litter on Wildcamp sites
« Reply #5 on: 20:51:02, 05/09/17 »
Sadly there is a lot of litter strewn about everywhere and not just at wild camping spots. When we were in Langholm last weekend we saw a loads of plastic bottles, food wrappers strewn along the Langholm to Newcastleton road. We assumed this rubbish must have been thrown out of car windows. It is disgusting wherever it is and I cant comprehend the mind set of the people who go to a beautiful place and think nought of leaving a pile of trash behind  >:(
Hate will never win

beefy

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Re: Rubbish and Litter on Wildcamp sites
« Reply #6 on: 20:58:52, 05/09/17 »
I think you're missing the point a bit.


Good for you that you know wild camping spots that haven't been littered but it doesn't mean the littering isn't disgusting wherever it occurs.
Oooooh...  :-\
actually i think you are missing the point a bit
i wasnt suggesting that littering doesnt occur or wasnt a problem,





Leave only footprints, take only photographs, kill only time ...

Percy

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Re: Rubbish and Litter on Wildcamp sites
« Reply #7 on: 21:02:56, 05/09/17 »
Oooooh...  :-\
actually i think you are missing the point a bit
i wasnt suggesting that littering doesnt occur or wasnt a problem,
So what was your point?

beefy

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Re: Rubbish and Litter on Wildcamp sites
« Reply #8 on: 21:09:20, 05/09/17 »
So what was your point?
i thought that was obvious, ::)
but i was merely saying that littering is a big problem that you cant escape,
so choose your wild camping places carefully,

Leave only footprints, take only photographs, kill only time ...

Percy

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Re: Rubbish and Litter on Wildcamp sites
« Reply #9 on: 21:20:52, 05/09/17 »
i thought that was obvious, ::)
but i was merely saying that littering is a big problem that you cant escape,
so choose your wild camping places carefully,
If you can choose wild camping places that aren't littered then you can escape it, can't you?


What seemed most obvious to me was that you were showing off a bit. Like: I'm in the know so it doesn't affect me.

beefy

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Re: Rubbish and Litter on Wildcamp sites
« Reply #10 on: 21:26:05, 05/09/17 »
If you can choose wild camping places that aren't littered then you can escape it, can't you?


What seemed most obvious to me was that you were showing off a bit. Like: I'm in the know so it doesn't affect me.
oh shut up..  >:D
go away your boring me
seems to me your just jealous and want to pick an argument
end of conversation...

Leave only footprints, take only photographs, kill only time ...

Percy

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Re: Rubbish and Litter on Wildcamp sites
« Reply #11 on: 21:31:09, 05/09/17 »
QED

gunwharfman

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Re: Rubbish and Litter on Wildcamp sites
« Reply #12 on: 09:44:35, 06/09/17 »
Sorry, wanted to put my contribution in, but without thinking, I started another thread. There might always be a temptation to suggest that a particular 'age group' did it, that a 'nationality' is to blame, its an 'underclass' problem, those that practice a particular 'religion' are at fault and so on, but to me I personally blame individuals!!!

adalard

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Re: Rubbish and Litter on Wildcamp sites
« Reply #13 on: 10:44:22, 06/09/17 »
Sorry, wanted to put my contribution in, but without thinking, I started another thread. There might always be a temptation to suggest that a particular 'age group' did it, that a 'nationality' is to blame, its an 'underclass' problem, those that practice a particular 'religion' are at fault and so on, but to me I personally blame individuals!!!


 O0 O0 O0

jimbob

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Re: Rubbish and Litter on Wildcamp sites
« Reply #14 on: 11:06:50, 06/09/17 »
How do we solve the problem?

Maybe we need a "citizenship" class in every school every week.
OR  more public information ads on TV, they can be powerful. ( Who of a certain age does not remember The Coughs and sneezes information?)
As for educating our youth then maybe a few more TV shows like the Wombles help instill a message deep from a very early age. ( Womble up your rubbish etc)
Walking shows and survival shows need to instill the message since they encourage people into the countryside, they should actively educate also.

I personally have made a conscious decision to carry a few dog poop bags and a mitten and daily try to pick something up, rarely encounter dog poop but discarded drinking bottles and wrappers and tissues are rife. , not bothered who is watching, it might encourage them to do the same or at least not drop their rubbish.

In April I walked the Camino from St Jean to Santiago and picked up a fair bit of rubbish daily, mainly plastic bottles.
Too little, too late, too bad......

 

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