As twin forces of increased footfall from an influx of tourists and extreme weather batter the beautiful Lake District with erosion, i spends the day with a Fix the Fells team working tirelessly to protect the mountain paths and landscape
“But even though it’s not the main driving force, hearing positive comments like this is nice as we like seeing people enjoy the Lake District.”battering the landscape are exacerbating path erosion and damage, explains Isabel Berry, partnership manager for Fix the Fells.the wet weather can have disastrous consequences. “The ground is already churned up so when millions of visitors come to the Lake District, serious path erosion happens very quickly.
“Our work is from a conservation point of view to protect the fellside,” explains Pete Entwistle, Fix the Fells area ranger, who has been doing the job for 28 years. “You can’t protect it unless you provide paths.” Natural rocks are chosen to blend into the environment from surrounding fellsides, before being flown in by helicopter. “We fill bags with rocks we want from the other side of the valley and the helicopter flies them to where we want on the path.”
Leo Walmsley, footpath ranger for Fix the Fells for 16 years, says social media has brought a new, younger generation of visitors to the Lake District In popular Lake District spots such as Scafell Pike, Old Man of Coniston, Cat Bells and Helvellyn, rangers and volunteers face a near constant battle to maintain 410 miles of pathways.
After left: Armboth Fell in 2022 after Fix the Fells worked hard to repair and conserve the beautiful landscape With the shift in visitor demographics, the teams began working on paths they would never have considered tackling 10 years ago. “We’re finding more erosion on smaller paths as they are becoming more attractive because people don’t need to climb as far for stunning views,” says Mr Entwistle.
Jonathan Skinn, Fix the Fells upland ranger, says they want people to come to the Lake District and appreciate its beauty – but they want to protect it from damage
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