UKC

I was at Wasdale Head over the weekend for a couple of nights, staying in self-catering apartment and observed some unpleasant behaviour by Three Peaks walkers: urinating near the car park against the wall at midnight.

I would be interested to hear what the learned assembled company thinks about their actions, and what I should do (if anything).  I had a chat to the person on reception at the Inn the following morning, and I should underline that I am in no way complaining about the Inn, nor did the episode detract from my stay on this occasion, and I have always unfailingly had a great time there.

I am a walker, I have walked the Three Peaks (both National and Yorkshire Dales) and done lots of other walking in this country and abroad, and I am saddened by this behaviour.  I am aware of the controversy surrounding Three Peaks walkers in areas such as Wasdale.  I also live in the Yorkshire Dales near Settle and am familiar with the issues surrounding challenge walkers on the Yorkshire Three Peaks.

Here's what happened:

I was staying in one of the self-catering apartments of the Wasdale Head Inn, in an apartment above the Barn Door shop, with windows facing over the lane, across the fields towards Lingmell.

A minibus (I have the reg number) arrived around 7pm on Sat 1 June, parking on the hotel’s gravelled parking area.  Most of the minibus’ occupants set off walking in the direction of Scafell Pike around 7.30pm, around half a dozen walkers.  The group looked like an organised outing as some people who were not walkers (perhaps drivers or volunteers) waited with the van.  The group of walkers returned around midnight, making a certain amount of noise: not excessive, but in the relative quiet of the valley, their conversations were easily audible, with the van’s sliding door opening and closing frequently.

On looking out of the apartment’s upper window around midnight, having been alerted by the noise of the returning group, I observed, separately, three of the walkers (two male, and one female) go a few yards up the lane towards the farm, then urinate against the wall, underneath a hotel window, in clear view of and fully illuminated by the floodlight on the end of the hotel building.  This is not really acceptable.  The public toilets on the Village Green are currently unavailable whilst being replaced but that still doesn’t make urinating against a wall in public acceptable.  Some Three Peaks walkers are fund-raising, but if this was the case of the group in question that wouldn’t condone such behaviour either (and any charity concerned surely wouldn’t want to be associated with such activity).

[Ends]

I'd be surprised if someone who has done so much walking in this country and others hasn't themselves found the need to piss against a wall now and again.

Are you sure you’re not misinterpreting some dogging action?  All that opening and closing and nocturnal noises?

I hear “wild dogging” is all the rage these days...

If the toilets are currently closed, what would you suggest? The organising company may not have known and as such, not planned alternative stops. Once the toilets are open then the issue will remedy itself.

Not that I agree with people urinating in public, but the litter and emissions of the N3P groups are probably a far greater issue.

I can't believe I read that whole post only for the bit I should be angry at to be so (pun intended) piss poor.

Can you not post a few more details to make this a bit more controversial? I feel robbed of the feeling of outrage I was expecting.

What more do you need to be enraged about ? Op mentions three peakers several times. So its probably a troll.

Speaking as one who has regularly been caught short following leaving a pub at midnight I don't really give a toss. You say yourself that the toilets are closed what do you expect people to do?

What bothers you, that they peed where they could be seen? If so then I would agree its not the best option if there was a dark green area, trees, bushes or wall available but it is only having a pee after all, it's not shouting, singing, playing loud music for ages or fighting. So does it really matter? 

In France, I've seen a boy do a poo on the pavement in Bergerac, and an old woman hitch up her skirt and do a pee by the side of the road.  Sh*t happens

only solution is to bring back capital punishment for actions as despicable as this, its almost as bad as people that let their dogs urinate in the great outdoors

Shouldn't that be called "wolfing"?

As I understand it, the unacceptable situation at the moment is that the public toilets have been closed and very inadequate portaloos provided ... for the whole of Wasdale Head. And that the National Trust has only approved of a new public toilet block a few days ago. This sounds disgracefully dilatory at the height of the tourist season.

 "disgracefully dilatory" - great turn of phrase ! 

I guess they expected to be unobserved at midnight?

A couple of people I know have talked about the potential impact on the soil when festivals are running of lots of people urinating in the same place(s). If there is a wall in a discrete place to urinate on, one solution might be to 'aim high' on it while moving from side to side, so that virtually none/less of it reaches the soil. 

They should have had a wee somewhere more appropriate, people might be offended by the smell the next day if it didn't rain and they passed by the wall you refer to.. probably not worth making a post about it though tbh.

Blimey, you really need to find something real to get upset about.

Are you really suggesting that we should be the only animal in the world that's not allowed to urinate outdoors?

‘Not in my back yard Jim!’

Regarding the op - apparently some of these ‘3 peakers’ even broke wind, in public, I know! 

Just be careful if you ever go to Canada, they have a real issue with toilet facilities for bears in woodland. 

I think you're a pervert.  Staying up to midnight to peek at people out of your window across the car park.  Disgusting.

A right net curtain twitcher, aren't you

Yes, I was out in Wasdale Head with friends and we finished our walk very late. Just before jumping in the bus and heading home we took the opportunity to ease ourselves then one of the group noticed somebody watching us from an upstairs window.  What kind of person does that?

I had a wee outside once. It would have been near Capel Curig in late 1988. 

10/10 for provoking the reaction!

(or you're my line of clear, low-thermal-expansion borosilicate glass)

There are apparently websites that cater for the viewing of such pass times. Especially if those who are carrying out the act are female and using "she wee's". Apparently.

It's nothing new. Take a walk around your area and notice the clumps of nettles along footpaths, farm gates, verges and anywhere that people walk. The nettles are thriving on soil that's rich in nitrates thanks to centuries of humans stopping for a tinkle.

Oh how I'd love to live in a world where the sight of somebody in the outdoors urinating outdoors evokes me to create a 451 / 2642 character complaint letter to my peers on a climbing forum. Life must otherwise be going swimmingly.

Have you managed to atone for your sins in the 31 years since?

Someone's taking the piss . . .

T.

And nettles are fantastic for bees and other pollinators so let's all keep on contributing to those nitrates.

Still smells of asparagus

No way? It's harmless enough, I guess. 

it was me who did the pee

My pee smells of sugar puffs.

I actually got charged in court for “Urinating in a public place”

It was quite difficult to deny the offence, as the Police pulled along side me and I couldn’t get it to stop.

The 8 pints of lager didn’t really help matters but I was young and still don’t think it was a bad thing. My dog does it all the time lol

In Sunderland whilst sat in a stationary taxi going to a bar, a bloke came up and pissed up the headlight. He said ‘tha yer go man, ave cleaned it fer ya’. Driver said nowt. Everyday occurrence. 

Get checked for diabetes.

I guess dog bladders are smaller, and if it was allowed for humans to do it, there'd be people peeing in lots of places, and being indecent maybe too. I don't think it so bad either with care.

I would have taken a piss before I got into town, onto grass, where my piss would quickly be broken down by soil bacteria, and fertilize the ground. Rather than pissing in the street where it will stink.

Not really that hard to figure out.

Somebody round up all those peeing sheep and charge them with a public order offense.

In my day we just called it dogging.

Responsibility if a company was "organizing".  No excuse for bad behaviour.

Top troll - you put the up front effort in and it paid off

Presumably you never need to piss, it just boils dry.

Totally agree Gordon.

I wonder where all the dogging is nowadays. Does anyone know any good locations?

A good friend would like to know.

I gave you a like but you raise an interesting point about urinating outside.

First of all humans aren't the only creatures doing it sheep, cows, foxes, dogs, rats, rabbits, and so forth are doing it all the time and in many respects it is far more ecologically sound than pissing into a toilet that is then flushed away although it should be born in mind that as urine has a high nitrogen content and is acidic it will have an effect upon soil chemistry so peeing continuously on the same spot is probably not advisable, spread it around a bit

https://www.greenlivingtips.com/articles/taking-your-pee-outside.html

On the other hand we humans (and probably cattle too) have a somewhat modified impact compared to other animals, namely pharmaceutical pollution from excretion of the chemicals we ingest.

http://humanurine-environment.weebly.com/negative-effects.html

In spite of all the drugs I'm taking I still reckon my liquid offerings are good enough for the compost heap.

I used to know a London cabbie who told me a story about a driver who was stuck in traffic in central London and absolutely desperate. Then he remembered an ancient statute that gives cabbies the right to urinate against the wheel of the cab so he got out and exercised his right. Along came a Police Constable (remember those?) who asked the cabbie what he was doing and when the cabbie replied "exercising my right under the 18-(whenever) traffic act" was surprised to find that the PC knew the law better than he did when he took out his notepad, licked his pencil and asked: "Right then - so where's the bag of hay for your horse?"

When I studies Law 'A' level our lecturer also mentioned this statute but IIRC he pointed out that it was specifically only the nearside rear wheel that was allowed.

In reply to Tom V:

Makes a good activator for Comfrey 'tea' too.

Lol

Its not up there with human excrement on a bus shelter seat. 

That was there for a few weeks as I walked my dog on the other side of the road. 

Surely it is extremely unethical to wee in any sort of toilet that flushes or uses running water? I see lots of wealthy walkers doing this without a thought or care in the world for the environment, whereas climbers and wild campers tend to be more responsible and p*ss on whatever is to hand, promoting plant growth and saving the planet at the same time. Shame on the wealthy walker brigade!

Assuming this isn't a troll....

Of all the things to get your knickers in a twist about when it comes to the 'The 3 Peaks Challenge' I think someone having a slash against a wall is waaay down on the list!

We’ve three loos in this house, how come whenever we’re getting pissed up the lads always go outside and slash in the fish pond!

Please can you direct me to said websites. This I need to see for myself.

I'm afraid your rant pales into insignificance in the great scheme of things

youtube.com/watch?v=xJjCnWm5cvE&

I had to take a wee on the way down from the Ben once.

A passing walker told me it was indescent.

Well yes, I replied. I didn't get a chance to stop on the way up.

I don't get to sleep at night, the guilt every time I flush the toilet for my waste to be deposited in someones back garden keeps me awake.

3 peekers?

Only if you flush it.

I had to poop in the forest at Wintours Leap recently. Just wanted to share that.