BIVVI TALK

Star Letter
The winning letter published this month in Bivi Talk to receive a Victorinox “SwissChamp” Swiss Army Knife (RRP £49.95) is ‘Mr Angry of Penge’.

Cairn Gorm

Dear MCofS

I read with interest the article about Cairn Gorm by Cathy Mordaunt. What a sad admission, by Cathy, that a few people going past the summit of Cairn Gorm necessitates a complete closure of the system. 123,000 people used the chairlift in 1973 and 39,000 people used the chairlift in its last year of operation. Throughout history any survey has shown that only 10-15% of people reaching the summit via the chairlift went onto the plateau. My experience after nearly fifty years of walking the high tops was that comparatively few people left the paths. That percentage figure would probably reduce if the funicular were opened, because of the type of passenger being carried.

The 1998 survey showed that an average of 42,000 people each year were accessing the plateau on foot. Compare that with the relatively small number of people that accessed the plateau from the chairlift and it can be seen that the closed system will not make an iota of difference to any perceived damage to the terrain. The closed system has not been justified and was a political fix to allow the funicular to be built.

I notice nothing is said about a large herd of reindeer grazing on the plateau, they don’t live on fresh air. These same animals have also damaged almost all of the regenerating Caledonian pine trees in the Northern Corries, some of the highest regeneration in the country. They are also feeding on the expensive reseeded areas.

I would remind readers that it is not illegal to leave the Ptarmigan station. Let the train take the strain and visit the summit Cairn Gorm and soak in the magnificent views. You will see that, apart from the paths, the Cairn Gorm massive is almost untouched by man. Vast exaggerations have been made about environmental damage in recent years.

Ray Sefton

Unfair Book Review

Dear Sir

I read with interest your short critique of Ian Mitchell’s book, ‘Isles of the North’. I agree that Mitchell’s views are decidedly not of the majority, but ‘singular’? I’m not so sure.

Mitchell is not the first commentator to express concern at the tendency of conservation/ environmental/ planning bodies in general (and the RSPB in particular) to disregard the interests and aspirations of rural people and to implement single issue policies that in the wider sense potentially do more harm than good.

There are however some honourable exceptions (as Mitchell freely acknowledged in his previous book ‘Isles of the West’) - notably the John Muir Trust who a few years ago and to their considerable credit, took squarely on the chin the criticism that they were excluding the Torrin crofters, and did something about it.

The main point of Mitchell’s latest book (and what made it worthwhile for me) is to highlight the benefits gained by remote communities in Norway through the much greater degree of autonomy that they enjoy in all aspects of local government, and to contrast this unfavourably with the situation in the highlands and islands of Scotland. PS Great magazine - keep up the good work!

Roy Smith

The Maintenance of Mountain Footpaths

Dear MCofS

Most of you will have started your days hill-walking or climbing on a mountain footpath and you may have noticed that on some a lot of work has been put into stabilising the surface. Many of these paths have evolved, usually from a convenient roadside parking area and are not contour friendly, but the footpath teams have tried to overcome this problem by creating side drains, cross-drains, water-bars and the dreaded stone-pitching. Their objective – to keep the rainwater off the surface of the path.

I work in the north-west Highlands and one of my tasks is to maintain the mountain paths on Beinn Eighe, a very enjoyable task as it happens. I have noticed however, that when I visit other improved paths they are not always maintained. If the paths are not maintained then the rainwater will takeover and the path will revert to its old, eroded self.

I have a solution. Suppose a spade and a mattock were left at the bottom of the path, the walker could then clear a couple of cross-drains or water-bars on his way up the hill, leave the implements, the next party could do the same. Eventually the top of the path would be reached and the exercise repeated in the opposite direction. Alternatively, climbing groups or mountaineering clubs could adopt a specific path and maintain it. Something to do on a very wet day and cheaper than the pub. What do you think?

Terry Doe, Gairloch

Doggy Munro Bagger

Dear MCofS

In response to the letter in Issue 25, enquiring about dogs and Munro bagging. I am a Jack Russell Terrier, affectionately known as JRT, I was brought up to Scotland at the age of 8 in 2000 and at that time was unfit and a bit podgy.However, not long after, and much to my disgust,I was marched up Ben Wyvis and this was my introduction to Munro bagging for dogs. I have since completed over 100 Munros, yes on my short little legs, and sometimes 6 in one day. I have been dragged out in all manners of weather conditions, I have fallenin fast flowing streams, fallen through soft snow, and fallen off slippery rocks,at times I have been cold and hungry and twice I have had to make an undignified return in a rucksack. However, it as been great fun and kept me fit and healthy.My worst experience was a day out on the Cullin Ridge. The Gabbro is very coarse and it took the skin of my paws and made them a wee bit sore for a few days.So I would recommend to any dog owners reading this please, don't take your faithful friend on to the Cullin.

Sadly dueto a ruptured cruciate ligament in my back legmy days on the hills are now over and I will miss them dearly.

JRT

Note from the Editor:
Following Audrey Wallace’s letter in Issue 25, Irvine Butterfield was inspired to investigate known doggy Munro completers and those interested in all things doggy and hills may be interested in his forthcoming article in June. Meanwhile, If your dog has ever done the Munros or Corbetts let us know its story.

The misused Apostrophe

Dear Editor

It has finally become too much. The irony overcame me while reading theinteresting article on style in Scottish mountaineering: so many words spent on style in one field while ignoring the basic rules - let alone style - of another.

I refer to this magazine's appallingly slack use of the apostrophe. An apostrophe should be used to indicate a possessive, or an omitted letter: i.e. Fred's rucksack, for a rucsack belonging to Fred; or he didn't, for he did not. It should never be used in plurals: i.e. both "do's and don'ts" and "CD's" are wrong. It's bad enough seeing it in shop windows (Potato's 20p), but to see it almost as a matter of course in an otherwise perfectly acceptable magazine is too irritating. In fact it happens so frequently (I'm not quite sad enough to have counted but, believe me, it is especially bad this issue) that I wonder whether it really is an endemic shortcoming of mountaineers, or whether an errant editor is 'correcting' copy.

You don't even have to print this letter, if only you'll try to excise the errant apostrophes (or should I say apostrohe's?) ... but if you do print it, howzabout a knife?

Neil 'Angry of Penge' Reid, Kirkcaldy.

Lost & Found

A walking Pole was found on Drumochter in November 2004. For return please return 01862 894 256 with a description.

Wanted On the Edge Magazines

I am looking to get the following two back copies of OTE: Issue 77 and Issue 132. If anyone has spare copies that they are willing to sell or exchange (I have many duplicates), could they please contact Kevin Howett at: 01738 638 228 (daytime) or rockart@tesco.net (evenings) to negotiate!