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Erosion

Re: Erosion

Postby Giant Stoneater » Thu Nov 11, 2021 8:51 pm

One of the biggest factors with erosion is sites like Walkhighlands etc is funneling folk constantly on the one route up a mountain, not Walkhighlands fault as they are just following in the footsteps of earlier guide books.
Certain hillwalking sites on Facebook nobody can see past Walkhighlands as it is constantly referenced, is there a path up the mountain see Walkhighlands, Walkhighlands does not mention a path that way etc .
I know this may seem negative about this site and it is not meant to be but it is the way people become so blinkered to alternative routes up mountains.
Maybe rewilding is the answer and block the normal tourist route up hills and see how folk cope.
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Re: Erosion

Postby al78 » Fri Nov 12, 2021 12:13 am

Giant Stoneater wrote:One of the biggest factors with erosion is sites like Walkhighlands etc is funneling folk constantly on the one route up a mountain, not Walkhighlands fault as they are just following in the footsteps of earlier guide books.
Certain hillwalking sites on Facebook nobody can see past Walkhighlands as it is constantly referenced, is there a path up the mountain see Walkhighlands, Walkhighlands does not mention a path that way etc .
I know this may seem negative about this site and it is not meant to be but it is the way people become so blinkered to alternative routes up mountains.
Maybe rewilding is the answer and block the normal tourist route up hills and see how folk cope.


Another issue is that someone builds a car park at the base of the easiest route up a hill with a good view (e.g. Schehallion), and that funnels a lot of footfall along the same ground resulting in a hideous scar on the hillside on those routes that cross peat. Cameron McNeish has stated that the munros with the least footfall damage are those where there are multiple routes which are of comparable difficulty, and he disagrees with the notion that funelling the foot traffic up one route to try and limit the damage to one side of the hill is a good idea.
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Re: Erosion

Postby NickyRannoch » Fri Nov 12, 2021 12:32 am

Moriarty wrote:
NickyRannoch wrote:The hills are a fragile environment because of the practices of said estates.

The Scottish Highlands managed to sustain thousands of settlements for centuries with no issues.


In terms of the point in question, I don't think there's much historical evidence for thousands of Highlanders pulling on boots at the weekend in the 17th Century and slavishly following pre-defined routes up high Scottish Hills, so not really an exoneration. :wink:

If they'd been left in place? People being people it would be interesting to see how the Scottish environment would have been screwed up by an undisplaced population, I don't imagine Scots would have been the exception to the rule. :(

I do agree that the shameful overpopulation with deer and land management for the killing for fun industries almost certainly renders the ground more susceptible to erosion (and probably a lot easier to walk through).


True but there is plenty evidence of entire settlements and their animals decanting for the high ground for months at a time and making regular journeys up and down between the summer and winter settlements continuously throughout those summer months for centuries.

Maybe walking in bare feet is the answer.

Apart from the visual scarring I'm unconvinced of any major environmental impacts (ie impacts on non humans) these paths make anyway as a percentage of the land area on the hill.
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Re: Erosion

Postby NickyRannoch » Fri Nov 12, 2021 12:33 am

al78 wrote:
Giant Stoneater wrote:One of the biggest factors with erosion is sites like Walkhighlands etc is funneling folk constantly on the one route up a mountain, not Walkhighlands fault as they are just following in the footsteps of earlier guide books.
Certain hillwalking sites on Facebook nobody can see past Walkhighlands as it is constantly referenced, is there a path up the mountain see Walkhighlands, Walkhighlands does not mention a path that way etc .
I know this may seem negative about this site and it is not meant to be but it is the way people become so blinkered to alternative routes up mountains.
Maybe rewilding is the answer and block the normal tourist route up hills and see how folk cope.


Another issue is that someone builds a car park at the base of the easiest route up a hill with a good view (e.g. Schehallion), and that funnels a lot of footfall along the same ground resulting in a hideous scar on the hillside on those routes that cross peat. Cameron McNeish has stated that the munros with the least footfall damage are those where there are multiple routes which are of comparable difficulty, and he disagrees with the notion that funelling the foot traffic up one route to try and limit the damage to one side of the hill is a good idea.


Happy to punt not very well written books funnelling people up prescribed routes though.
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