Trail (UK)

Lindsay Buck

The Wasdale Womble

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“Between my 59th and 60th birthday I tried to do as many safe ascents of Scafell Pike as I could and, instead of asking for presents, I asked if people would donate to our local Mountain Rescue team, Wasdale. My final total was 201 and the response was brilliant, with over £2500 raised.

“I’ve lived in Gosforth since 1994 and seen Scafell Pike get much busier in the last 10-15 years. The Three Peaks Challenge has taken off and a lot more people are getting out. Of all the fells round here, it’s the one where litter has the biggest impact. But if just two people in a hundred drop something, and there’s several thousand going up, then it’s not surprising.

“When they lifted restrictio­ns after the first lockdown it was carnage – there were people camping, Lindsay celebrated her 60th year by making as many ascents of Scafell Pike as she could, picking up litter along the way and raising money for the local Mountain Rescue Team. Donations welcome at justgiving. com/fundraisin­g/lindsayssc­afell-pike-litter-pick

leaving cheap tents and food containers everywhere. Having said that, the amount of roadside rubbish generated by locals was nothing to be proud of either.

“The other thing is that the top of Scafell Pike is a war memorial and there’s a lot of people for whom climbing it is a really big deal.

I don’t see why they shouldn’t come and see it at its best.

“But it’s no good just moaning about stuff. If people see others picking up litter, they’re simply more likely to do it themselves. We’ve got a really good local community who do as much as they want or can. Some do loads, some do a little, but the more people that pull that way, the more we’re going in the right direction.

“Going up the Pike, you meet so many different people. I met somebody from Manchester the other day who said, ‘the kids on my estate, they don’t know anything about this. They don’t know they need a map, what to do with a compass, they don’t know about the rubbish, no-one’s ever taught them.’ Unless we properly educate people and make it easy for them to enjoy the hills in a responsibl­e way, then I think it will just keep happening.”

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