The (not so) great outdoors: Bikers and hillwalkers clash in the wilds
Peace pact between the two groups is being mapped out after lack of ‘etiquette’ leads to confrontations, writes Martha Vaughan
THEY are traditionally a place to go to escape the pressures of life and benefit from the wonders of nature, but a war of words has reportedly been breaking out in Scotland’s wild places.
Confrontations have been taking place between hillwalkers and mountain bikers as the cyclists go further into the wilds.
So now a new pact between the two groups is being mapped out after a lack of “etiquette” was blamed for confrontations and damage to the fragile environment.
Organisations representing mountain bikers, hillwalkers and Naturescot recently held an online meeting to discuss the “ethics of biking in the wild”.
“The starting point for discussion was that mountain bikes are going further and going wilder, which has relevance to walkers and runners too,” said David Black, access and conservation officer for Mountaineering Scotland, who attended the meeting.
“Scotland has world-class mountain biking potential, and development so far is a fraction of what may still come.
“Multi-sport use of the mountains requires an understanding of the perspectives of different outdoor recreation user groups, which is where the ethical perspective comes in.
“The panel agreed that there is now a generation of riders, brought up in the more controlled environment of trail centres, who are seeking more natural trails, with technological advances in bikes opening up the ability to access wilder areas of the uplands.”
Writing in Mountaineering Scotland’s members magazine, Scottish Mountaineer, Mr Black said that while the Scottish Outdoor Access Code was the main source of guidance there is “now a need for supplementary advice for a specific audience of new entrants transitioning from centre-based biking to wild biking”.
“Most hill-goers will be well-meaning and amenable, and awkward situations arising when riders meet others may not be because of bad intentions, but simply not knowing the right etiquette,” said Mr Black.
“There is definitely a need to build a culture of behaviour in the wild and to communicate that effectively.
“Shared use of hill paths is a new experience for all users. Hillwalkers have for decades been used to more or less exclusive use of narrow hill paths.
“With the numbers riding wild going up, there are increasing chances of groups of riders and walkers meeting, and seeing bikes on paths once only used by walkers and runners is likely to become more common.
“Although hill paths may be narrow there is room for everybody, and we all need to be respectful of others’ rights to be there, and to bear in mind that the community of interest around the outdoors is a diverse community and we all impact on shared space.”
Mr Black said it was “not just the social etiquette” of meeting and passing on trails that “raises challenges for all involved in outdoor recreation” – but the impact of “boots and feet” on trails were also taking their toll and riders and walkers faced the shared environmental challenge of protecting those paths.
“There is a pace of change here, with more people enjoying the outdoors, and the landscape may not be able to absorb the boots and wheels; all soils and vegetation have a carrying capacity, beyond which damage becomes inevitable,” he said.
Mr Black said the question was raised if riders should not be going to certain environmentally sensitive places – allowing routes to recover – “what might be called a trail amnesty?”
But he said: “This is a delicate argument, and cannot be an outright restriction to going places. Folk can’t be stopped from exercising their right of access to a particular location, as long as it is done responsibly.”
Voluntary restraint by riders “may be a responsible option”– similar to climbers avoiding certain routes where protected birds are nesting – given the slow vegetation recovery rate in the Highlands.
“There are a lot of questions with no easy answers. However environmental protection is an essential part of outdoor recreation. Whatever we do, let us enjoy it and share the feeling that being out in the wild brings us,” added Mr Black.
Daredevil Scottish stunt cyclist Danny Macaskill has greatly popularised trail riding in Scotland with his videos on Youtube attracting millions of views.
Technological advances in bikes are opening up the ability to access wilder areas of the uplands