The Three Peaks Project

In 1987, a report by the Institute of Terrestrial Ecology claimed that the path network around the Three Peaks was the most severely eroded in the UK. Some paths across the more fragile parts of the route had grown to 50m wide in places. Since then, a great deal of effort and money has gone into conservation and restoration projects, including the careful addition of duckboarding and cinder paths on the notoriously boggy section over Black Dub Moss, between Pen-y-ghent and Ribblehead (see above, in the bad old days). In 2009, the Yorkshire

Three Peaks Project was set up to encourage voluntary finance and support as government funding dwindled. You can either make one-off donations, or become a Friend of the Three Peaks.

Friends pay an annual membership fee of £10 and agree to help with conservation work, path repair, litter-picking days and other projects. To find out more, go to bit.ly/3peaksfriends