Author Topic: More path erosion  (Read 2454 times)

phil1960

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More path erosion
« on: 09:31:04, 13/05/18 »
Well it’s not a new subject and it happens everywhere, but visitor numbers walking up Pen y Fan have doubled in the past five years. Huge numbers climb Snowdon every year and Pen y Fan is fast catching up, with the resultant damage to the paths, especially those on the tourist routes from Storey Arms and Pont Ar Daf. I rarely go up Pen y Fan these days much preferring the quieter parts of the Beacons, Mid Wales or Snowdonia, although I did take my daughter up from the Neuadd reservoir side a couple of weeks ago, only to get stopped and asked by several “walkers”, which one is Pen y Fan? Which is the way back to the A470? Which one is this? They didn’t know they were on Corn Du!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-mid-wales-44075921
Touching from a distance, further all the time.

gunwharfman

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Re: More path erosion
« Reply #1 on: 15:07:30, 13/05/18 »
Erosion comes with capitalism. As manufacturers, travel firms, transport, and all the other business develop and help make hiking, etc more popular these problem go hand in hand. I'm not knocking it, just a fact of life, now business is making some money repairing the damage. Unless the repair items were all given for free I notice the repaiers need gravel, a helicoptor, other equiment, gives work to journalists, food and drink is bout, etc, etc. Even something that might be seen as a negative will make new money for someone..

phil1960

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Re: More path erosion
« Reply #2 on: 17:31:03, 13/05/18 »
The public have donated a third of the money necessary for repairs, which is great I’m happy to donate my own hard earned too. I am concerned though, that with the ever increasing numbers using the paths for the more popular peaks, is it sustainable? It’s hard to believe the numbers of cars parked on the roadside near Storey Arms, you’d think there was a theme park nearby, which in a way, there is, sigh!
Touching from a distance, further all the time.

Rather be walking

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Re: More path erosion
« Reply #3 on: 12:20:17, 14/05/18 »
We are a destructive species.  >:(

Jon.
““The hardest part was coming to terms with the constant dispiriting discovery that there is always more hill.”
― Bill Bryson, A Walk in the Woods

Dyffryn Ardudwy

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Re: More path erosion
« Reply #4 on: 19:31:11, 16/05/18 »
Has anyone noticed the small donation box at the entrance gate at Ogwen Cottage.
Its specifically for those walkers who want to donate money for the upkeep of Cwm Idwal.
I was on the Glyders yesterday afternoon, and there was significant helicopter activity, with coming and going, ferrying heavy stones for path maintenance.

As for the Brecon Beacons, the erosion issue has been a huge problem for the last thirty odd years, and more.

Its been nearly twenty four years since ive been up Pen Y Fan, and they were repairing the Pont ar Daf path up Pen Y Fan that far back.

I posted a reply sometime back, about Mr Chris Barber of Blorenge Books in Llanfoist, who has a significant number of early photographs, showing the Cribyn and Pen Y fan paths up Pen Y Fan, covered in grass, with no erosion in sight.

I think the photographs were taken in the very early 1960s or 50s.

I can remember the erosion up Pen Y fan being a serious issue way back in the 1970s.

The main problem is that during very heavy rain, which the Beacons regularly receives, the soil has nowhere to go, other than downhill in a mucky sludge.

In the past decade or so, the traffic on the mountain has increased considerably, so erosion is inevitable.

Without proper funding being made available, the situation will only get significantly worse, and its impossible to limit the amount of walkers keen to reach the summit.

What the answer is, i have no idea, throwing more money at the repair of paths, is one solution, but we are talking about millions of pounds, only to alleviate a problem that will never go away.


Is there a small secure donation box at Pont Y Daf ?   If Snowdonia Park Authority has decided to install one at Ogwen,  maybe The Beacons could go down the same route.
« Last Edit: 19:35:34, 16/05/18 by Dyffryn Ardudwy »

phil1960

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Re: More path erosion
« Reply #5 on: 19:49:27, 16/05/18 »
Unfortunately no donation box that I’ve seen or aware of, but there is talk of charging to park and extending the car park at Pont ar Daf, how much of the money raised will go to path upkeep your guess is as good as mine. It’s true erosion has been happening for years, but not like it is now, some areas have degenerated into actual gullies.
Touching from a distance, further all the time.

Dyffryn Ardudwy

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Re: More path erosion
« Reply #6 on: 19:59:39, 16/05/18 »
Another one of Chris Barbers eye openers, was the lack of any erosion to the start of the Crib Coch Eastern path terminus from the PyG track.
Those of us familiar with the location can see erosion many feet deep,  that kind of erosion takes many many years to happen, and as we all know the route is incredibly busy, so any talk of preventing further erosion is out of the question.

Its quite possible that erosion on the scale we are talking about will never be held back.

Footfall on the popular summits of Wales, will never decrease,  and i noticed a week ago, that even the Northern Carneddau is getting more eroded.


 

 

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