Climbers and walkers winding their way up the steep slopes of Ingleborough will find the trek a little easier thanks to the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority and the British Mountaineering Council.

The Authority and the Council’s Access and Conservation Trust (ACT) have teamed up to carry out repairs to the steep stone steps at High Lot on the path up to the summit from Chapel le Dale.

The Trust provided a grant towards the total cost of around £6,000, and the remainder was provided by the YDNPA.

Steve Hastie, the Authority’s Area Ranger for Ribblesdale and Three Peaks Project Manager said: “The finished result is a big improvement – it’s now back to top condition.

“The slope is very steep and the path gets tremendous levels of use. This combination resulted in the steps slumping over, which meant the section of path was becoming difficult to use.

“In addition, the path is within the Ingleborough National Nature Reserve, managed by Natural England, so it’s important to provide a good walking surface and protect the surrounding habitats.”

Malcolm Petyt, the YDNPA’s Member Champion for Recreation Management, said: “Working in partnerships with like-minded organisations benefits everybody and we’re very grateful to the Trust for its grant.

“The Three Peaks area needs extra help because of its enormous popularity. When you think that the area is visited by about 250,000 people each year, you realise the scale of work that is needed to keep the path network in top condition.”

The Trust aims to promote and safeguard sustainable access to cliffs, mountains and open countryside through education and conservation projects and its administrator, Cath Flitcroft, said: “The Access and Conservation Trust fully supports the objectives of the Three Peaks Project and is pleased to be able to assist the Authority’s work to maintain this important and popular footpath.” For more information on ACT please visit the website or contact Cath at Cath@thebmc.co.uk

If you have any questions about the Three Peaks Project or about the Friends of the Three Peaks, please contact Steve Hastie, the Three Peaks Project Manager, on 01729 825242 or on his mobile 07818 048767 or email him at threepeaksproject@yorkshiredales.org.uk
 

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