BMC volunteers repair Eryri (Snowdonia) 200m footpath this spring
The Watkin Path up Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) and the peat hags on neighbouring mountain Glyder Fach have benefitted from BMC volunteer improvement work on the latest Get Stuck In event, 15-16 April 2024. This was organised by Hill Walking Rep Steve Charles and Access & Conservation Officer (Wales) Tom Carrick as part of the Mend Our Mountains project, funded by the BMC Access & Conservation Trust.
The Watkin Path up Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) and the peat hags on neighbouring mountain Glyder Fach have benefitted from BMC volunteer improvement work on the latest Get Stuck In event, 15-16 April 2024. This was organised by Hill Walking Rep Steve Charles and Access & Conservation Officer (Wales) Tom Carrick as part of the Mend Our Mountains project, funded by the BMC Access & Conservation Trust.
Tom says, “On day one we saw a real mix of weather - sleet, hail, snow, rain and sun! A path has formed shortcutting across to the Watkin pools so rather than fight it, the National Trust has decided to go with it and put a proper path in place.
“So our job for most of the morning was to move aggregate from big piles across in wheelbarrows and load it on top of roughly 200m of path. The base layer of the path is locally-sourced sheep’s wool from the National Trust farm so that water can move freely and the aggregate above doesn’t sink into the mud. With the wool submerged in water it doesn’t degrade. Then there are small, flat stones, then the smaller gravel. The aggregate is locally sourced to match colour of landscape unobtrusively.
“On day two we went up the western side of Glyder Fach, up the Miners’ Path from the Pen-y-Gwryd Hotel (below, due south) to stabilise the peat hags in a process known as re-profiling.”
Hill Walking Rep Steve Charles explains, “Peat hags are a form of erosion in peatland that usually occur at the sides of stream beds that cut into the peat or when fire or overgrazing exposes the peat surface. Once the peat is exposed in these ways, it is prone to further erosion by wind, water, and livestock. The result is overhanging vegetation and peat. Hags are too steep and unstable for vegetation to establish itself, so they continue to erode quickly unless restorative action is taken. The exposed peat releases carbon, and reduces water quality downstream.
“Re-profiling the peat takes away the vertical face of the hag, reducing the angle of slope to be stable (ie 30 degrees), and the peat is covered by redistributing the vegetation. In large peat hags this might have to be done by a mechanical digger (if you can get one up there), but smaller hags can be restored by hand. It is tough work, but a large group can achieve a lot. That's where BMC volunteers come in!”
Tom says, “Both days were really well organised and it’s really good to have such good and increasing collaboration with the National Trust in the Mend Our Mountains projects. We’d like to thank all the BMC volunteers for their hard work in Snowdonia this April.”
Fancy a crack at path repair and peat hag re-profiling? Check out all the volunteer opportunities from the BMC here.
Gwirfoddolwyr BMC yn trwsio 200m o lwybrau troed Eryri (Eryri) ym mis Ebrill 2024
Mae Llwybr Watkin i fyny’r Wyddfa (Yr Wyddfa) a’r glesyn mawn ar fynydd cyfagos y Glyder Fach wedi elwa o waith gwella gwirfoddolwyr BMC yn nigwyddiad diweddaraf Get Stuck In, 15-16 Ebrill 2024. Trefnwyd hyn gan Gynrychiolydd Cerdded Bryniau, Steve Charles fel rhan o'r prosiect Mend Our Mountains, a ariannwyd gan Ymddiriedolaeth Mynediad a Chadwraeth Y BMC.
Medd Tom Carrick (Swyddog Mynediad a Chadwraeth y BMC (Cymru): “Ar y diwrnod cyntaf fe welsom ni gymysgedd go iawn o dywydd - eirlaw, cenllysg, eira, glaw a haul! Mae llwybr wedi ffurfio llwybr-byr ar draws tuag at byllau Watkin felly yn hytrach na brwydro yn ei erbyn, mae’r Ymddiriedolaeth Genedlaethol wedi penderfynu mynd gyda’r lli a rhoi llwybr swyddogol yn ei le.
“Felly ein gwaith ni am y rhan fwyaf o’r bore oedd symud agregau o bentyrrau mawr ar draws mewn berfâu a’u llwytho ar ben y llwybr. Gwlân defaid lleol o fferm yr Ymddiriedolaeth Genedlaethol yw haen waelod y llwybr fel bod dŵr yn gallu symud yn rhwydd ac nad yw’r agreg uwchben yn suddo i’r mwd. Gyda’r gwlân wedi’i foddi mewn dŵr nid yw’n diraddio. Yna mae cerrig bychain, gwastad, yna'r graean llai. Daw'r agreg o ffynonellau lleol i gyd-fynd â lliw'r dirwedd yn anymwthiol.
“Ar yr ail ddiwrnod fe aethon ni i fyny ochr orllewinol y Glyder Fach, i fyny Llwybr y Mwynwyr o Westy Pen-y-Gwryd (isod, i’r de) i sefydlogi’r hagiau mawn mewn proses a elwir yn ail-broffilio.”
Eglura’r Cynrychiolydd Cerdded Bryniau, Steve Charles, “Mae hagriaid mawn yn fath o erydiad mewn mawndir sydd fel arfer yn digwydd ar ochrau gwelyau nentydd sy’n torri i mewn i’r mawn neu pan fydd tân neu orbori yn dirywio wyneb y mawn. Unwaith y daw'r mawn i'r golwg yn y ffyrdd hyn, mae'n dueddol o gael ei erydu ymhellach gan wynt, dŵr a da byw. Y canlyniad yw llystyfiant a mawn sy'n hongian drosodd. Mae'r corn yn rhy serth ac ansefydlog i lystyfiant ymsefydlu, felly maent yn parhau i erydu'n gyflym oni bai bod camau adferol yn cael eu cymryd. Mae'r mawn sydd yn agored i’r amgylchedd yn rhyddhau carbon, ac yn lleihau ansawdd dŵr i lawr yr afon.
“Mae ail-broffilio’r mawn yn cael gwared ar wyneb fertigol y gors, gan leihau ongl y llethr i fod yn sefydlog (hy 30 gradd), ac mae’r mawn yn cael ei orchuddio trwy ailddosbarthu’r llystyfiant. Mewn hagiau mawn mawr, efallai y bydd yn rhaid i beiriant cloddio mecanyddol wneud hyn (os gall un gyrraedd yno), ond gellir adfer hagiau llai â llaw. Mae'n waith caled, ond gall grŵp mawr gyflawni lot fawr. Dyna le mae gwirfoddolwyr BMC yn achub y dydd!”
Meddai Tom, “Roedd y ddau ddiwrnod wedi’u trefnu’n dda iawn ac mae’n wych cael cydweithrediad cystal gyda’r Ymddiriedolaeth Genedlaethol gyda’r prosiect Mend Our Mountains. Hoffem ddiolch i holl wirfoddolwyr y BMC am eu gwaith caled yn Eryri fis Ebrill yma.”
Awydd rhoi cynnig ar atgyweirio llwybrau ac ail-broffilio mawn? Edrychwch ar yr holl gyfleoedd gwirfoddoli gan y BMC yma.
Related Content
Mynediad Newyddion
On Sat 21 September, 40 BMC volunteers will climb Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) to rid the mountain of as much litter as possible in The Big Clean Up event, including the 'waterfall' of trash which has been stuck for decades in the steep and hazardous Trinity Gullies.
Dringo Creigiau
A peregrine survey by boat with high-quality photography organised by local BMC Access Reps Iain Peters and James Mann has helped to identify peregrine nesting sites so that a blanket ban on climbing at the Cornish climbing site of Carn Cowla can be lifted. A temporary ban had been put in place by the National Trust covering the cliffs between Tubby Head and Bawden Cliff, including major route locations up to and beyond the America Buttress. The ban has now been lifted so all sections are open, with only crag- and area-specific restrictions in place when necessary.
News
The BMC is pleased to announce our membership of Sports for Nature (S4N) - the first mountaineering organisation to do so. S4N enables and encourages sporting bodies to champion nature and contribute to its protection and restoration, an initiative that aligns completely with the BMC’s values, including our ongoing access and conservation work, aims for net-zero emissions by 2040 and new Climate & Sustainability Action Plan.
Mynediad Dysgwch
If you're a BMC member or if you have made a donation to the BMC Access & Conservation Trust (ACT), you are directly supporting our Mend Our Mountains campaign which is funding Fix the Fells again this year. Your contributions enable rangers like Caroline Mercer to consistently repair and manage the Lake District paths that we love to walk on. We caught up with Caroline on a path above Derwent Water, near Keswick, to find out about a typical day in her life - it's pretty hard work!
News
The sphagnum season is upon us again! Now that the ground-nesting birds have stopped ground-nesting, it’s time for BMC volunteers to start planting this incredible, carbon-sequestering moss at strategic locations across the Peak District moorland. Can you help us?
Dringo Creigiau
A climbers’ meeting this week expressed their opposition to the continued ban on climbing at Symonds Yat, Herefordshire, imposed by Forestry England.
Olympics
With four GB Climbing athletes heading across the channel for the Olympic boulder and lead competitions starting Monday 5 August, not only are they bringing their A-game in terms of performance but, as part of the BMC, the whole team is supporting Paris 2024 in its bid to be the ‘greenest ever Games’.
News
This weekend the BMC joined Avon Access Rep Ben Darby and his team of volunteers near Bristol to install 28 new belay stakes on Main Wall so that climbers no longer need to rely on the wobbly old iron fence as an anchor point. Vegetation was also cleared and a thorough litter pick was carried out.
Mynediad Newyddion
Yesterday, former Olympic gold medal-winning cyclist Chris Boardman CBE met with BMC staff in the Peak District to highlight projects that are successfully fighting the climate crisis.
Mynediad Newyddion
Proposals to make ordinary trespass a criminal offence have alarmed outdoor groups, including the BMC. Ahead of a debate in Parliament on the issue and the possibility of Government publishing the Police Powers and Protections Bill, Ed Douglas calls for the Government to think again.
Mynediad Newyddion
There are concerns that government are considering moves to turn trespass from a civil offence to a criminal one. In a public consultation that is currently out for comment, it has been suggested that police powers could be strengthened to force people to move on from unauthorised encampments. The BMC is concerned however, that there could be unintentional consequences of the proposals around issues such as wild camping.
Mynediad Dysgwch
Access to the south side of Cheddar Gorge is fragile and relies upon climbers following the agreements in place with the landowner.
Rock Destinations
Climbers have a responsibility to understand the relevant access and conservation issues associated with the places we climb. Here are a few pointers to help you enjoy these areas sustainably.
Hill Walking Articles
The health and well being benefits of physical activity are numerous. Apart from the obvious physical benefits, there are many mental health and social perks to hillwalking and climbing too.
Rock Climbing Articles
In this booklet for managers and landowners, the aim has been to address a range of common questions and concerns about rock climbing in disused quarries. Covering all aspects of access and liability, through a selection of case studies, it showcases the benefits not just for climbers, but for the wider public and land managers themselves. Benefits which can be realised with assistance from climbers and the BMC, through the repurposing of disused quarries as rock climbing destinations.
Cerdded Bryniau Dysgwch Sgiliau
Camping ‘wild’ is a different way of spending the night outdoors but it isn't allowed everywhere - with a responsible approach however, there are many remote areas where you can still rest your weary head under a star-filled sky.
Dringo Creigiau Newyddion
The stats are in from the Bangor University Mountaineering Society's (BUMS, excellent acronym) crag clean up at Penmaen Head, a limestone sport climbing venue in North Wales, near Colwyn Bay.
Dringo Dan Do Dysgwch Ger
We take a look at the culture of tight climbing shoes. Just how tight is too tight - and are we creating problems for the future?
Climate Articles
Want to know more about how you can reduce your own personal carbon footprint and lessen your impact on the environment? We’ve tried to make it simple for you by producing three separate checklists – for yourself, your workplace and for any events you might be arranging.
Governance
On this page, you will find links to recent BMC annual reports and annual accounts.
Hill Walking Articles
Diversity conversations in the outdoors can’t leave anyone out. At ESEA Outdoors UK we’re celebrating the fact that East and Southeast Asian people go outdoors too, in spite of historical erasure and lack of representation in outdoors media. Here’s what you need to know:
Climate Articles
The BMC has welcomed another conservation project into The Climate Project portfolio, planting seagrass with Seagrass Ocean Rescue in conjunction with the North Wales Wildlife Trust. This is in addition to the current sphagnum moss planting and peatland restoration with Moors for the Future in the Peak District that you can also get involved with here.
Mynediad & Chadwraeth
This April saw the BMC’s first volunteer day in Pwllheli, North Wales, partnering with the Seagrass Ocean Rescue project and the North Wales Wildlife Trust as part of the BMC’s The Climate Project. Two more dates are planned for May and August, read on for dates and how to get involved.
Mynydda
The Julie Tullis Memorial Award is a small grant to assist deserving female mountaineers or any disabled climbers or mountaineers, both male and female, to achieve their climbing or mountaineering ambitions.
Mountaineering Articles
An introduction to BMC and MEF mountaineering grants
Rock Climbing Articles
Mynediad & Chadwraeth
With the general election announced for Thursday 4 July 2024, get behind the British Mountaineering Council (BMC) as we lobby for more access to nature, outdoor education and more protection for the places we love to walk and climb in. Pick one (or all!) of the below and ask your election candidates if they will back it and why it’s important to them.
Mountaineering Articles
Are the Alps falling down? IFMGA Mountain Guide Andy Perkins has a stark warning about the impact of climate change on the Alps: “I don’t have children but if I did I wouldn’t persuade them to be mountain guides. I’d be saying ‘Get your yacht sailing ticket...'" Katy Dartford interviews Andy to find out more.
Mynediad Dysgwch
If you're a BMC member or if you have made a donation to the BMC Access & Conservation Trust (ACT), you are directly supporting our Mend Our Mountains campaign which is funding Fix the Fells again this year. Your contributions enable rangers like Liam Prior to consistently repair and manage the Lake District paths that we love to walk on. We caught up with Liam on the very popular path up Scafell Pike from Wasdale Head to find out what a typical day in his life is like - it's quite demanding!
As part of LGBTQ+ history month we asked members of the BMCs Equity Steering LGBTQ+ sub-group to share their stories about getting into climbing and walking.
Mynediad & Chadwraeth
As the general election date draws nearer, the British Mountaineering Council (BMC) have reviewed the manifestos from each party to help you make a more informed choice when it comes to protecting the landscapes and crags that we love to walk in and climb on.
News
As the world’s garment manufacturing industry moves to a more sustainable business model, what we’re wearing in the hills in three years time will be very different to today’s unsustainable, un-recyclable, polluting garments, predicts Mike Parsons from the Outdoor Gear Coach. But why is change needed? And what is going to happen? Mike explains in this article.
News
The first of four films in The Landscape Project has just been released on BMCTV, a fascinating new series that brings climbing and natural history together. Starting with the Lake District, presenter Nathan Chrismas, a biologist and ecologist, shares his deep knowledge and passion for the geological and ecological highlights of four hugely popular climbing and walking areas.
Mynediad & Chadwraeth
The Labour Party has announced three policies to help connect people with nature. The British Mountaineering Council has advocated for greater access to nature for many decades and welcomes action to promote this – we’ve therefore taken a look at each policy individually.
Here’s a rundown on ten of the best places to boulder outside for beginners.
News
As part of Volunteers Week 3 - 9 June we have Cotswold Voluntary Warden Walk Leader Margaret Reid sharing her inspiring experience. Margaret organises and leads walks in the Cotswolds National Landscape for people from the Friendship Cafe in Gloucester. Activities like this are made possible with funding from the BMC Mend Our Mountains project from the BMC Access & Conservation Trust (ACT) charity.
Mynediad Newyddion
Wildlife and Countryside Link—a coalition of over 80 charities including the British Mountaineering Council (BMC), RSPB, The Wildlife Trusts, the National Trust and WWF UK—is challenging all political parties to set out how they would halt wildlife decline by 2030, ahead of the General Election.
News
This week is Volunteering Week 3 - 9 June so why not get involved with one of the many BMC volunteering opportunities? There are loads to choose from, including helping out at climbing competitions, leading hill walks at events and litter picking nationwide, planting seagrass in Wales, repairing footpaths in the Lake District and restoring peat bogs in the Peak District.
Article
In National Walking month this May we’ve teamed up with BMC Official Retail Partner Cotswold Outdoor to bring you all the info and advice you need to care for and repair your favourite pair of walking boots. Not only does this save you money, it also saves the environment - the less we consume and throw away, the better.
News
BMC volunteers from the Get Stuck In programme joined Fix the Fells last month in Wasdale on Lingmell Breast, one of the main routes up to Scafell Pike. They spent the day helping to maintain part of this hugely popular footpath up to England’s highest mountain.
News
BMC member Madalin Cristea, known as Cris, from Romania, has become the first person to summit both Aconcagua and Kilimanjaro from sea level and back again. He is currently attempting to be the first person ever to climb up and down each of the world’s seven summits (the highest mountain on each continent) from sea level - climbing every metre of the mountains up and down.
News
BMC member Wayne Andrews from Bettws, South Wales has started a hill walking group for people who suffer with their mental health or an addiction, called Forever In The Hills.
News
Right now, this May, it’s National Hill Walking month, but not everyone finds it easy to access this hills, whether that’s due to physical, financial or knowledge-based barriers. That’s where the BMC’s Mend Our Mountains charity campaign comes in - this year funding a new Grants & Access officer for the Cotswolds Natural Landscape (formerly known as Cotswolds AONB). The newly appointed Nina Stubbington is now leading the ‘Access for All; Removing Barriers’ programme, improving access to the area for people of all ages, abilities and from all backgrounds.
News
This May is National Walking month, so to celebrate the power of a good old stomp around the UK’s countryside, nine of the BMC staff have shared their favourite hike. From fossil-hunting in the Peak District and airy Scottish scrambling to the Via Alpina in Switzerland, one of these is bound to tickle your fancy this spring or summer. Better still, with the BMC collaborations with Komoot and HotelPlanner, you can plan and navigate your route and find your accommodation for your trip for less!
Mynediad Dysgwch
Grabbing your attention with this beautiful picture of a Kestrel (Cudull Coch)! Now that the rain has subsided a little, it's a good time to remind everyone that we share our crags with many other creatures, notably our feathered friends who like to nest where we like to climb.
Mynediad Newyddion
This April, local climbers have cleared overgrowing vegetation on the main crag at Wildcat, a popular collection of buttresses near Matlock Bath with a good selection of classic long, mid-grade routes.
News
The BMC’s volunteering arm, Get Stuck In, donated £1,500 to Fix the Fells this week to buy footpath repair tools to enable our teams to quite literally get stuck in to fixing the mountain footpaths in the Lake District.
News
The sphagnum-planting season has come to an end to allow the ground-nesting birds to, well, ground nest! Thank you to all the volunteers that have helped the BMC to plant over 16,000 plugs of this super soggy, carbon-locking moss this winter, helping to restore the Peak District peat bog.
News
Mend Our Mountains is back for 2024 with six incredible access and conservation projects across England and Wales. This project is funded by the BMC’s Access and Conservation Trust charity (ACT) and we would like to thank all our members, supporters and volunteers for making vital work like this possible. Here’s what is happening this year as a result of your funding, including volunteering events you can get involved with.