This is a bit of a rant!
We had to go to Bolton last night to mind the grandsons (long story), so this morning I got up early, drove to Horwich , parked by the Jolly Crofters and went for a run. All was well until Winter Hill summit but then I started getting cross. I took the path towards Noon Hill which had been churned up by mountain bikes, making running awkward. Now this morning was dry and the ground was about as dry as that path ever gets, so it was manageable. However, in less clement conditions it would have been very difficult. The path between Noon Hill and the Pike had also been used by MBs, although it was not as churned up (yet).
Because I do most of my running inside a National Park where there are Rangers and Wardens, I don't come accross this problem at home. However, for all you good people and all other fell runners in Horwich, it must be a right pain. I thought MBs could only go on bridleways and other designated tracks, not on footpaths. Is there no way of rectifying this problem?
End of rant.
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This is the on-line journal of a small ill-defined group of mostly geriatric runners who share a love of the fells. It also covers a sub-group, best described as drinkers with a running problem, who struggle to combine dwindling athletic ability with an increasing thirst for cheap alcohol. A sort of "Last of the Summer Whine" (sic) in Walshes. Posting limited to registered contributors, but comments welcome.
5 comments:
This ciearly states what is and is not permissable on open access land:- https://www.gov.uk/right-of-way-open-access-land/use-your-right-to-roam
It would seem that cycling is not permitted on Winter Hill, not even on the mast road, which is not a designated highway or bridleway.
United Utilities (the land owner?) will be well aware of the problem and we (you, Chris) should be asking what they are doing about it. As well as the issue of erosion, there is an issue with the aggressive nature of some of the cyclists; recently a group, in single file each rode directly towards me in turn as I climbed up the Pike Race route, only swerving at the last moment to avoid me. I recommend that anyone a bit younger and bigger than me who is threatened in this way, should straight-arm the last rider across the throat.
Perhaps any of our group who is familiar with individuals who ride on Winter Hill would like to seek an opinion on their take on the issue.
I now run less and less on Winter Hill precisely because of this. The path from WH to the San Marino (Wrights Arms as was) is barely runnable (especially for someone who is as crap at descending as I am).
I have even sent to UU photographs of quad bikes on that path with the registration pate clearly visible : they do nothing. The no cycling signs are a waste of time as they are totally ignored by who you would hope are normally law-abiding citizens.
Individual action appears to be ineffective, so we need a different approach. I don't know how many runners subscribe to the Winter Hill FB page, but I guess quite a few. If we all got on to UU perhaps they would listen. Much easier to ignore an individual than a group.
Sorry to be defending the opposing side here, but I don't think mountain bikers are wholly to blame, especially not on Noon Hill. I have never seen any mountain bikers there and, speaking to my other half (who, as you may know, is a mountain biker) he has never been there as he said it is a pointless route for mountain bikers as there is no decent descent off it. I have never really noticed any mountain bike type erosion on the Noon Hill route, just that it is totally boggy around there, no matter how dry the weather has been.
I do think crosser motorbikes and 4x4s have a lot to answer for though. Also, especially in the case of San Marino, the wet weather has caused a lot of this to be washed away.
As for footpaths, I agree that technically mountain bikers shouldn't be there but we're all guilty of causing erosion ourselves. Only today when running with ETU, YJ and t'Yorkshireman going from the road over to Spitlers, nobody was running on the newly laid paths and instead were further eroding the terrain to the side of the paths (sorry to grass you up there fellas).
Also, Duncan has said in the past that walkers/runners are also guilty of widening out the erosion by going around big puddles/bogs whereas MTBs tend to jump over them.
I'm not saying MTBers are completely blame free, just that we all need to respect the countryside and should all be able to enjoy it.
Duncan said that he tends to stick to bridleways but does occasionally ride on footpaths but goes slowly and is courteous to walkers (he said that you have to be nice to walkers as they are the ones who pick you up when you fall off so you don't want to p*** then off ha ha).
Duncan has just sent me this link in defence of MTBers although I haven't had time to read it yet myself
http://www.mbr.co.uk/news/research-reveals-walkers-do-more-damage-to-trails-than-mountain-bikers-335785
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