UKC

I'm sure this is a topic which has been debated many times, but I'd love to hear what other people think. I walked up the Pyg Track on Snowdon last weekend for the first time in ten years during the Easter sunshine and I was impressed by the quality of the track, the wonderful cheap Sherpa bus service and the new (to me) restaurant at the top.

But I was a bit disappointed by the amount of litter every few hundred yards along the track and all over the zig-zags. Although much of it is small (tiny fragments of wrappers, banana skins, apple cores), after a while it does become a bit depressing.

So what's needed and who'll do it?

In reply to Alex Hofmann:

People round here go out and pick it up.

Saddleback/Blencathra has someone or several dog-types who enjoy leaving bags of dogsh1t by the path.
Other just let their dogs sh1t everywhere on the path, the verges, the parking.

In reply to Alex Hofmann:
We picked up some litter from the zig-zags two years ago, took it back to Pen-y-pass. I went to put it in the bins for the Three Peaks events (which were almost overflowing) and was told by some officious woman that I couldn't put it in there, even after explaining that it wasn't our rubbish, it was some we'd picked up on the way down. !!!!
Some incentive to collect rubbish off Snowdon then....

In reply to Alex Hofmann:

>So what's needed and who'll do it?

Decent people need to pick it up.

>and who'll do it?

Dunno. How did you get on with it?

jcm

In reply to johncoxmysteriously:

I picked up a fair bit and taught my 5 year old to do the same. But it should not be the job of decent people to clear up after the inconsiderate, so here's three suggestions:

1. Put up signs at Pen y Pass which say 'Take your litter home - other people do' http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/9d7d31a4-aea8-11e3-aaa6-00144feab7de.html#axzz30B...

2. The local council / the owner of the Pen y Pass car park / the car park attendants could hand out little transparent plastic bags (like airport security cosmetic bags) at the foot of the hill and tell people to take their rubbish home

3. A charity could hand out these little bags at the foot of the hill in return for a small donation. If it doesn't work, try something else!

In reply to Alex Hofmann:
people are stupid lazy and stupid and will always drop litter

When Im out walking Ill usually take a spare carrier bag in my backpack and pick up litter.

I once had a bin bag as a liner in my rucksack doing a circuit of snowdon and back down the llanberis path and managed to fill a black bin bag.

Thats really the only answer - decent people have to make up for the rest

The Snowdonia society do litter picking a few times a year also but obviously that cant compete with the amount of visitors there are.

On another note - Id rather all the tourists stick to one area and make a mess than go to more remote places and do it.

In reply to Alex Hofmann:



Given what happens to dog shit, wouldn't that just result in lots of clear plastic bags full of orange peel all over the hill?

In reply to MG:

I'm not sure it would. In New Zealand, before you are allowed on one of their national trails, you get a stern lecture from a ranger at the foot of the hill telling you to pack out what you pack in. While I'd hate to have anything so draconian on any other mountain in the UK, Snowdon is an exceptional mountain which attracts 1000s of visitors each day who don't know any better. A quick word from a man or woman in uniform at the foot of the hill would surely reduce the amount which gets left behind?

In reply to Alex Hofmann:

there are some excellent tramps (hikes in NZ) and definately need to follow the old adage of Take nothing but photos leave nothing but footprints (faeces?) , as you say I dont think it would be worth employing someone to monitor the snowdon llanberis path

In reply to Alex Hofmann:

In a free and liberal society, each individual has a responsibility, in this case not to leave litter.
Obviously, if individuals do not honour their responsibilities, ultimately the only solution is a more authoritarian approach, in this case e.g. like a warden or guardian or big sign appealing for NO LITTER!

In reply to Alex Hofmann:

As my ultimate pet hate, because it is so un-necessary: I advocate the use of snipers for one week per year, in any location at any time. Within 5 miles of a McDonalds Drive thru for example.

On the hill, if I am working, I issue all my clients with a rubbish bag. I also try to educate people that banana skins do count as litter. Apple core I am not to bothered about as long as there are sheep nearby.

In reply to Alex Hofmann:

I was up Penyfan yesterday evening and picked up over 20 bags of dog muck and loads of bottles etc, it's pure bone idleness and ignorance of certain people.

Shame, luckily it's usually only on the busy tracks, off the beaten track its clean and tidy... probably because the ignorant are to ignorant to see beyond the path.

Jase

In reply to Alex Hofmann:
Last year a small collection of mountain professionals and casual walkers joined forces to take part in cleaning up the three national highest peaks. I assume the same will be happening again this year, if you want to get involved, I can put you intouch with the guy who organised it or alternatively, if you want to join on to one of the clean-ups the Snowdonia Society perform each year, I can get you their details too (or just google it).

I both work and play on snowdon many times each year and I make it my duty to at least carry out more rubbish than I create (which I also carry out).

It's too easy to get upset about the amount of litter and I believe only a small amount of it is from people who don't give a damn - you'd be hard pressed to stop these individuals.

My hypothesis is that the majority of rubbish is that which falls out of people's pockets, blows out their hands or generally fumbles it and fails to retrieve it.

The majority of these events are avoidable and I will often tell people their water bottle looks unsecured or they've dropped a milky way wrapper when they pulled out their camera.

However, the number of people who think banana skins and orange peel are going to just rot away by discarding it worries me the most. Many people I've talked to are surprised when I mention the amount of time it takes a banana skin to rot away, so there's a lot to be said for education in this instance.

Regards

Anthony

In reply to Alex Hofmann:

Unfortunately it's only the inconsiderate who leave any litter, and only decent people who would consider picking it up, so that's just always the way it's going to be.

In reply to deepsoup:

It's not only the inconsiderate that leave litter. I've left litter on the mountain before - completely unintentional but avoidable litter.
Some people don't realise what is litter and leave it anyway because they think an apple core, say, isn't litter - it's not them being inconsiderate, just ill-informed.

In reply to higherclimbingwales:

Hi Anthony, Let me know when the next group walk to clear litter will be and I will see if I can join you. Thanks, Alex

In reply to Alex Hofmann:

I occasionally work on Snowdon guiding groups, I make it clear before setting off that anything they take up they have to bring down.

I also try to encourage them to pick up the nicer rubbish you find on both the way up and down. A couple of weeks ago I filled the spare space in my bag and two of the group members bags with plastic bottles.

All we need is everyone to do the same....

Mark