UKH

Should the 21st Century version be:

Try not to leave foot-prints, take only photographs but show no one?

We may as well scrap the whole notion. Not much point as a philosophy if you're only going to pay lip service to it.

Unfortunately not. Walked along the top of Stanage edge on Tues and there were names scratched on several rocks dates 22.06.2020. Large letters as well and well scratched in - several feet high. Just pure vandalism.

Lots of people out enjoying the evening, but it only takes a few.

'Thou shalt not wreck the place' has always been the ideal I try to aspire to. Can be applied in most cases. Unfortunately, there are lots of people whose only aim in life seems to be self-gratification without thought.

Charity begins at home. There is only one option. Collect religiously all the micro-plastic in your garden, every tiniest piece. Burn it.

Then do the frontage, the street, then your home village or town, then your home area - plastic on verges, laybys, litter. The more you collect, the cleaner it is, the cleaner it stays.

Inevitably you will collect other people's sh1t, but the drip drip drip effect works. We do this around my village in the Lakes and across the area. Unpleasant work sometimes but if each person just collects one piece of plastic or litter, soon there will be none.

Then attack the bracken .. .. .. 

DC

I used to pick up rubbish when I’m on trails. Bottles, wrappers, cans... I learnt not to get angry when I see rubbish, but feel good for leaving the outdoors in a better state. 

I stopped doing this since March as I would need a separate bag for rubbish, then sanitise my hands. The anger of not taking action, unfortunately, is coming back . 

Yes, I stopped picking up litter at the same point for fear of covid. I'm out on a local circuit before I go in for a late shift. It's very noticeable the increase in litter on even minor roads since travel restrictions were lifted.

I picked up a face mask from Bamford last weekend. To say I was displeased would be putting it mildly.

On the subject of photos, what is with the obsession of people getting their friends to take 'impressive' photos of them perched on the edge of the crag? Or rather, how long will it be before someone falls from the top of Gun Buttress* and squashes a poor innocent party at the bottom of the crag?

* - replace with name of your favourite tourist photo  trap at your favourite crag.

Slightly off topic, but there is a series on channel 4 at the moment which you can get on catch up called "Devon and Cornwall". Lovely wee series, and in one episode there is a guy rolling braken. He has a special roller which is pulled by a horse. It crushes braken but not sapplings. I think he said it takes 3 seasons of crushing it to get rid of it/ get it under control. Worth a watch!

The clue is in the word 'selfie'. The sense that their face or fat behind is the main reason for taking a picture at all. Everything else is background with the sole purpose of glorifying their social media output. This attitude of 'ME' is right at the heart of so much of our problems.

No selfies, rather an endless stream of tourists getting their mates to take dramatic photos perched atop the 'tricorn' block at the the top of Gunpowder Crack. Often accompanied by a refrain of 'oh my God, this is terrifying'. I realise the hypocrisy of criticising one risky pastime while halfway up the crag practising another – but I suspect most climbers aren't climbing and taking risks solely to impress their Facebook or Instagram buddies.

That said, there are some lovely people out there too. Same day, same crag, a group of young adults decided to have a picnic directly above the route I was on. One of them poked their head over the crag, realised I was there, and asked whether I was okay with them being there or whether it would be distracting or off-putting. 'Sure, no problem at all, just please don't drop anything on my head!' – but I genuinely appreciated that they asked as soon as they realised that I was there and were prepared to move if I'd not been happy.

I totally agree that that self-centred attitude is at the heart of many of society's ills. I just wish that there were a solution.

If you're or anyone is a fan of David Sedaris there is an episode on BBC sounds with him out on litter patrol near his house. He has done this obsessively for years.

Endless beach cleans to do here but we're also on the nc500 litter magnet so there will be a lot more litter back after lock down to go at. 

Happy to see other walkers say they pick up litter on their walks, and sad that they've felt unable to do it during lock down for fear of infection.  I'm the same.  I litter pick on my favourite local routes in the Dales, but haven't done so since covid19, but would like to get back to it.  Sadly, I think we're singing to the choir.

Indeed, that is exactly what the LD National Park Authority should be doing, it's what the farmers did for years and generations.

DC

Junk mail brings lots of plastic wrappers, food shopping does same. Good to use these as gloves, double layer for litter picking - no problem with touching anything toxic, just watch for needles and glass.

V important to burn after. I use it for firelighters, or burn in garden, but to be honest when there is too much I let the bin men take it. We get free bin bags for keeping all the laybys free of litter, saving the council work.

DC