'Pack It In, Pack It Out'
- Leave no litter behind; even biodegradable items like banana skins and teabags these take years to disappear
- Pick up litter when you see it (be cautious when handling waste)
- Take care not to cause any pollution. Human waste should be buried, at least 30m away from watercourses; take home, or carefully burn, used toilet paper and hygiene products
Environmental Considerations For Walkers
- For environmental and safety reasons keep group numbers small. Ideally group size should be less than 10 people and should never exceed 15.
- Avoid taking dogs on the hills at any time
- Walk on rock, stones or the most durable surface available, rather than on vegetation or soft ground
- Be imaginative in our route choice, taking care to avoid using eroded paths
- If we must use an eroded route, walk along the centre of the path to avoid widening the damage. If this is not possible keep at least 10m away from the eroded route
- Wearing gaiters makes it easier to follow a muddy path line
- Avoid taking short cuts on zig zag paths as this creates new lines for run-off of water and increases erosion
- The building of cairns detracts from the wild character of the hills; new cairns can mislead other walkers
- Have respect for all natural things and take care not to disturb plants, birds and animals.
Guidelines For Wild Camping
- Where possible seek the landowner's permission before wild camping
- To avoid Mountain Rescue being called out unnecessarily inform a nearby resident or the Gardai / PSNI if you are leaving a car overnight
- Choose unobtrusive sites at least 500m away from roads and buildings
- Keep the group as small and discreet as possible
- Use a stove for cooking; campfires leave their mark and fires in the countryside can be very destructive
- Bury human waste; latrines should be dug at least 30m away from watercourses
- Wash at least 15m away from watercourses; minimise the use of soaps and detergents
- To prevent damage to vegetation, tents should not be left on the same spot for more than two nights
- Leave no litter behind 'pack it in, pack it out!'
- Ensure that you leave the site as you found it.
Putting Something Back
We use the land of the local communities where we walk and climb, in return we should make a conscious effort to contribute to that community. When locals see some benefit from our activities, we will be more welcome. This also shows that we care for the area.
Consider
- Using the local shops and filling stations
- Eating in a local restaurant, or staying overnight in the area
- Stopping for refreshments in a local café or pub after our activities (bearing in mind the drink-driving restrictions if we are driving home afterwards)
- Using facilities that have been developed for walkers - eg car parks
- Supporting local events and charities, eg tidy towns committees
- Always asking ourselves "If I lived here, how would I feel?"
We can also put something back on another level. Walkers and climbers contribute to erosion; consider spending a day repairing this damage. Organisations like Mountain Meitheal are doing this work and need more volunteers.