Mountain litter louts? Don’t get me started...
“Take a bin liner and make the focus of your day specifically about making a difference.”
Ascenario, I imagine, familiar to all of us. A beautiful day in a beautiful place. The pleasant illusion of feeling that I was in a pristine landscape, the first to ever walk this way. And then, just as I reached the perfect viewpoint, I came across a circle of scorched earth and the blackened remains of someone’s campfire. I hate it when this happens, and it happens a lot. I could not fault the departed camper’s choice of site. Nor could I deny that a fire enhances an evening under the stars. My issue was the failure to leave no trace!
I do not intend to reopen the old and complicated campfire debate in this short article. I will say that I personally often have campfires – but only when I can do so in a safe way that will leave no trace. When I posted my irritation about fire circles on social media (#LeaveNoTrace) I was surprised by the disagreements it caused. (For the record everyone on Twitter agreed with my condemnation, most people on Instagram did, but only about half on Facebook.)
So what annoys you most about the outdoors and the way people use it? Go on, have a good rant. Let me know on Twitter (@al_humphreys) and I’ll compile a ‘Top 10’. Bend someone’s ear! Let it all out! Feel better now? No, you probably don’t, because you’ve said it a hundred times to a hundred different people, and they all agree with you – but nothing ever changes. Right?
And here’s why: most people, and surely all Trail readers, are decent folk who are savvy about the outdoors. We know that orange peel left on a summit will linger for years. We know that only absolute morons leave bags of dog poo hanging from tree branches. So there is little point in me sounding off to you right now. More positive is for me to suggest that we each take more responsibility to care for the hills.
The New Zealand All Blacks rugby team talk about leaving the jersey in a better place than when they were chosen to wear it. You don’t own it: you merely cherish it for the next generation. Care for it, improve it, pass it on.
It is the same with us. Many of us routinely pick up a little litter and shove it in our packs. This month I’d like to suggest we go further. The next time you go to the hills take a bin liner with you, and make the focus of your day
specifically about making a difference. Tell everyone you meet what you are doing and why. Evangelise, educate, inspire. See who can collect the most junk, or tidy the most fire circles. Make it a game; make it a challenge. Make a difference! Preaching to the converted or moaning among mates is pointless. Take action and set an example!
Finally, here comes one of my favourite times of year. Whether you soak them in vinegar, bake them in the oven, plant seedlings, ward off spiders, or simply roll them round in your hand, don’t miss out on the joys of conker season.