BMC volunteers lay 25m of new, stone-pitched footpath in the Lake District

Mynediad Newyddion
13 Meh
2 min read

This June, 11 BMC volunteers took on a particularly boggy section of path along St Raven's Edge, above Kirkstone Pass in the Lake District.

BMC Hill Walking Rep, Steve Charles, says, "There was a very successful 'Get Stuck In!' event last week. We stayed at the Fell and Rock Club hut, Beetham Cottage, close to Brotherswater. There were 11 volunteers from a wide spread around the country: London, Hastings, Buckingham, Henley, Bristol, Warrington, Manchester, Bolton, Sheffield and Todmorden!

"A total of 25m of stone pitching was built along the top of St Raven's Edge above Kirkstone Pass, using very large rocks that had previously been lifted in by helicopter. We also created bunds, humps and hollows in the peat either side of the path to deter people from straying from it. This protects the peat from erosion, which in turn protects wildlife habitats and prevents carbon (locked up within the peat) from being lost. So what was a slippery, muddy bog is now a nice, sustainable path for hill walkers this summer."

Steve continues, "About 100m from this stone pitching is a pond that was made in September 2024 by myself and other members of the Fell & Rock Club (all BMC members). Previously here, there was an area of denuded peat, with the path beginning to merge with the mud. So, we dug out a hollow (which has now turned into a good-sized pond) and used the peat dug out to build humps/ elevated areas around the pond, covering with turf. This has combined effects of making people stick to the stone path (the more resilient surface) and keeping water in the peatland which stops the peat drying out and then losing carbon, increasing water quality, and increasing biodiversity."

Will you Get Stuck In too?

QUICK! There are still a few spaces left for the next Get Stuck In event in Eryri (Snowdonia) 15-17 September 2025.

Get Stuck In events are single and multi-day volunteer events in the Peak District, Lake District and North Wales. Hill walking fitness and experience, plus a packed lunch is required, but durable waterproofs and steel-toe-capped boots can be borrowed. On the multi-day events like this, volunteers do two days hard labour with the National Trust rangers on the footpaths of Eryri (Snowdonia) or the Lake District, while the third day is reserved for a rewarding group hike, climb or pub/cafe outing. You stay free of charge for three nights in basic, bunkhouse-style accommodation and there is a communal meal one evening. Single day events in the Peak District involve planting sphagnum moss and clearing invasive species.

Get Stuck In events are funded by the BMC's Access & Conservation Trust as part of the Mend Our Mountains campaign. Please give generously here and check out the latest volunteering opportunities here.

It took 11 BMC volunteers and several National Trust rangers two-days of hard labour to create a 25m stretch of stone path on St Raven's Edge
The finished stone path, 25m of bog-free walking above Kirkstone Pass, Lake District

St Raven's Edge pond

St Raven's Edge pond
The pond created by the Fell & Rock Climbing Club in September 2024 to encourage biodiversity and keep walkers on the more durable, less boggy footpath

Will you help us repair more footpaths?

The BMC's Access & Conservation Trust is currently fundraising for an exciting, new Apprentice Ranger role with the National Trust Footpath Team in Eryri (Snowdonia). These ancient path-making techniques are exactly the type of skills and knowledge they will be learning. They will also be leading more Get Stuck In volunteer footpath repair events. We have so far raised £14,000 for this role and need to raise £53,000 more for this two-year role. Please give generously here if the footpaths in Eryri mean something to you.

BMC Hill Walking rep and founder of the BMC Get Stuck In volunteer footpath repair events, Steve Charles, says, "I've been going into the mountains all my life and it's great to be able to give back and to feel that you're helping to preserve this precious environment. We need to make our mountain footpaths more resilient to increased rainfall and increased use. Our mountains need to be nurtured, because if we don't do anything, the uplands will be in a much poorer state when we hand them over to future generations.

"During 2023 and 2024, BMC Get Stuck In volunteers clocked up almost 500 man-hours of work in Eryri. They repaired over 520m of footpath, laid 187 stepping stones across marshy ground, reprofiled 80m of bare, eroded peat hags and cleared five helicopter bags full of plastic tree guards. What's more, there are four more Eryri footpath repair events planned for 2025, starting this spring. That will have a huge impact in the mountain environment. We would welcome another ranger in Eryri to help run even more Get Stuck In events going forward."

NEW Eryri Apprentice Ranger

Give generously if you love hiking, climbing and mountaineering in Eryri and appreciate this National Park's unique beauty and incredible wildlife

Why donate?

With 10.5 million visitor nights spent in Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park in 2023/24, and over 600,000 people climbing Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) every year, the 1,497 miles of footpaths within this 823 square mile park are seeing more footfall than ever before. This is compounded by an increase in extreme weather due to the climate crisis and quickly leads to the following horrors for hill walkers, climbers, mountaineers and outdoor-lovers alike:

  • Footpath erosion
  • Muddy and slippery routeways
  • Deep, ankle-turning gullies
  • Navigational difficulties
  • Trampled vegetation
  • Loss of habitat for wildlife
  • Decreasing biodiversity
  • Soil-wash into waterways
  • Increased flood risk
  • Nutrient imbalances downstream

So, wouldn't it be fantastic if you could do something really meaningful to combat this nightmarish downward spiral of footpath degradation in Eryri? Here's your chance to support a really worthwhile project to actively combat path erosion and educate more people to protect and preserve this stunning, irreplaceable National Park. Donate here.

BMC Hill Walking Rep volunteer Steve Charles (top left) organises the Get Stuck In events

Get Stuck In footpath repair events

Get Stuck In events are 1-3 day opportunities for BMC volunteers to give some love back to the landscapes we love to walk and climb in. There are a range of activities decided on nearer the time of the event according to the National Trust rangers who will be teaching you new skills, explaining more about their footpath repair and conservation activities and working alongside you.

Watch the video here

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