The money raised through the Mend Our Mountains: Make One Million appeal has started going into work on the ground, after a dramatic helicopter airlift helped path repair work to get underway on Yorkshire’s highest peak this week.
The £46,000 needed to repair the heavily damaged Bruntscar path on the steep flanks of Whernside has been successfully raised after members of the public, businesses and charities responded brilliantly to the Mend Our Mountains appeal and the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority’s ‘Pitch in for Whernside’ campaign, which ran in tandem with Mend Our Mountains.
After a year of fundraising, it is the first project of 13 across the UK supported by Mend Our Mountains: Make One Million to hit its target, a landmark which has been followed rapidly by the start of practical work.
The BMC encourages outdoor enthusiasts and people who value Britain’s hills and mountains to help other projects hit their target by donating through the campaign’s website:
mendmountains.thebmc.co.uk
VIDEO
Making a difference
Since its launch in March 2019, the Mend Our Mountains (MOM): Make One Million appeal has raised around £620,000 over the course of a year packed with spectacular events, magnificent individual efforts and big pledges of support. Read more about
the highlights of 2018.
The work on Whernside is a demonstration of how this money will be spent. Around 130 tonnes of high quality Greywacke gritstone donated by Ingleton Quarry owner Hanson is in the process of being airlifted on to Whernside and will be used by expert contractors to rebuild the stone pitching on the 200 metre section of heavily eroded path over the next three to four weeks. The previous stone pitching, which had become loose and haphazard, has been removed.
The resulting path will provide a more secure route for around 60,000 walkers a year, many of whom will be completing the 24 mile Three Peaks, one of the UK’s most popular walking challenges. It will also help to heal the aesthetically and ecologically damaging scarring which has grown around the route as the current path has deteriorated.
Stone airlift being coordinated at the foot of Whernside. Photo: Andy Kay / YDNPA
Work goes on
Carey Davies, the BMC’s hill walking officer and lead for the Mend Our Mountains campaign, said: “It is great to see that the pounds people generously gave to Whernside are now turning into paths. This was always the end goal of the appeal – making a tangible difference by supporting work on the ground.
“Every project that this appeal helps sends a loud and clear message to decision makers that as outdoors enthusiasts we are prepared to support the hills and mountains, and we expect them to do the same.”
Kate Hilditch, Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority Area Manager, said: “We are really grateful to all those who have made donations, large or small, to ensure we can repair the Bruntscar path on Whernside. We hope the work will improve the experience of all the walkers tackling Whernside and the Three Peaks whilst protecting the immediate environment too.
“Once the Bruntscar path is completed, the work to maintain the Three Peaks footpath network will go on, of course, so if you would like to help support that work, please go to
www.yorkshiredales.org.uk/donate3peaks .”
Stone deposit by the helicopter beside the deteriorated path. Photo: Andy Kay / YDNPA
We want to say a big thanks to every BMC member who continues to support us through the Coronavirus crisis.
From weekly Facebook Lives and GB Climbing home training videos, to our access team working to re-open the crags and fight for your mountain access, we couldn’t do it without you.
Did you know that we've just launched a new U27 membership offer for just £1.50 / month? And with full membership from £2.50 / month, it's never been easier to join and support our work:
https://www.thebmc.co.uk/join-the-bmc-for-1-month-U27-membership
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