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[admin]

Concerns that disposable barbecues could spark a potentially fatal fire in the Mournes are mounting as the heatwave continues.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/barbecues-in-mournes-could-turn-tinderdry-woods-into-an-inferno-29431811.html

[phil_b]

And lots of people using the woods now who obviously dont care much about them. This was 1 of 3 campsites I passed up the glen river last Sunday morning.


Donard by philip blair2011, on Flickr

[ChuckMcB]

(/whispers) Surprised we haven't had more fires so far. Shanlieve and Murlough so far. (/whispers)

Belfast Telegraph: "Barbecues in Mournes could turn tinder-dry woods into an inferno"

(emphasis is mine.)
Inferno 

Mr McMullan (from the Mourne Mountain Rescue Team) said....."Police are doing patrols along with enforcement officers from Down District and Newry and Mourne councils.

"But if you think of one or two police officers and you have got thousands of acres of forest – where do you start?"

I have the deepest respect for anyone in or connected with the MMRT but he's just being silly Donard Wood and Annalong Wood would be a good start. I really can't wait to see how the by-laws last year get enforced.

Anyhow grumpy old man rant over 

Anyone up for another NI-Wild litter lift sometime?

[Rumblebum]

And lots of people using the woods now who obviously dont care much about them. This was 1 of 3 campsites I passed up the glen river last Sunday morning.


Donard by philip blair2011, on Flickr

Frig me that's a disgrace!
Sadly that's the kind of idiots that we have to share our countryside with, if it was dumped in their own front lawn they'd be calling the police, tubes.

[Mourneman]

It's getting to be a familiar seasonal issue all the rubbish dumped across the Mournes & not only part goers straying into the woods,last week I watched some D.O.E throw their lunch wrappers on the ground as they ate,I shook my head In disgust,thanking them for contributing to the environment,they looked back at me as if I had done them an injustice.

It's hard to find the right answer to this issue- ok we all know ideally the right answer is ,take all rubbish home,leave no trace,but some folk will never learn & never want to learn either.unfortunely some of us have to carry more responsibly for our mountain environment than others.YES on the litter lift.

[Wolf_Larson]

And lots of people using the woods now who obviously dont care much about them. This was 1 of 3 campsites I passed up the glen river last Sunday morning.


Donard by philip blair2011, on Flickr

I wold loved to be payed £200 a week for life to find these ****** and fine the ***** out of them !!!!

[LandyLiam]

These abandoned campsites are indeed a disgusting site, one of them was right beside the main Glen River path, as I walked up the rubbish got progressively worse until I met the campsite, everything from broken booze bottles to underpants  . I believe many of these are caused by your average kids, who wouldn't normally drop so much as a sweetie wrapper on the street, but when they get together with their mates and have a few wkds they turn into super slobs, probably too hung over to even consider a cleanup the next morning/afternoon! Maybe the official presence of a roving warden may deter this, but then again, they struggle to manage the official campsites at Tollymore and Castlewellan, what chance have they in the forests    Ironically Donard Forest seems to have escaped the wildfires to date, despite having probably the largest amount of unofficial campfires, maybe its an accident waiting to happen.

[Rich.H]

I wold loved to be payed £200 a week for life to find these ****** and fine the ***** out of them !!!!

The tragedy is that the forestry commission/national trust/etc etc has as many free staff as they could ever want just waiting. If these land owners would just see sense and offer up the right to camp responsibly in any forest I am sure most folks would happily volunteer as part time wardens for free. For me I would be more than happy to offer up a fehours a week but instead they choose to have a blanket ban then wonder how big ass fires get going over the hills when no one is allowed on them to see anything.

[spin]

And lots of people using the woods now who obviously dont care much about them. This was 1 of 3 campsites I passed up the glen river last Sunday morning.


Donard by philip blair2011, on Flickr

tsk, tsk. That is not cool.
Was there anything that was left behind in that area worth taking and using or selling?

[ChuckMcB]

@Rich.H: Donard Wood is owned completely by the Forest Service and Nation Trust (the latter owning the bit between the wood and the Glen River, right up to and including Donard). The other two hotspots for wild camping littering (IMHO), Lough Shannagh and Annalong Wood, are both owned by NI Water. So no third party land owners involved.

Was there anything that was left behind in that area worth taking and using or selling?[/b]

Always some good stuff In years gone by I've had folks take ground sheets and poles off me (someone was making DIY bivvy shelters out of them a while back). I'm partial to the peg and pole bags, find them very handy but most of it just crap only fit for the dump.

[LandyLiam]

I have collected poles, groundsheets and pegs in the past, occassionally a complete tent but usually they are ripped. Once spotted 3 decent looking (but cheap) sleeping bags in one abandoned camp, but no way could I have carried them back. Usually its just abandoned clothes, beer tins, and worst of all, broken bottles    Can anyone think of a good use for the poles? seems a shame to bin them.

[Kayakgirl]

If a DofE group have dropped rubbish, you need to notify the award body and they can investigate it further.. Part of the expedition is leave no trace.
I called the National Trust re the mess left at Bloody Bridge from the sun bathers. They apparently have wardens to 'manage' litter louts, however they didn't seem to be managing them much until I called! There was broken glass, hats, beer cans, bottles, disposable BBQ's and the loveliest aroma of urine..
Totally grinds my gears that folk just throw stuff at their ass!!

[Rich.H]

If a DofE group have dropped rubbish, you need to notify the award body and they can investigate it further.. Part of the expedition is leave no trace.
I called the National Trust re the mess left at Bloody Bridge from the sun bathers. They apparently have wardens to 'manage' litter louts, however they didn't seem to be managing them much until I called! There was broken glass, hats, beer cans, bottles, disposable BBQ's and the loveliest aroma of urine..
Totally grinds my gears that folk just throw stuff at their ass!!

I would imagine most of the wardens have a large patch to cover which includes a few forest/mountain areas. As such I wouldn't lay the blame at their feet, obviously the real issue is idiots dumping this stuff. But as I said before if bureaucrats hadn't brought is such stupidity as the by laws about wild camping etc then some of these situations wouldn't happen. If folk were allowed to wild camp freely then you would in effect have an army of free wardens who could quickly alert the relevant authorities to this sort of behaviour, and thus issue fines etc to the guilty parties.

Of course this requires someone in a suit behind a desk to listen to that part of their brain that spews common sense, as opposed to simply making new knee jerk laws and filling out forms in triplicate. To be honest as sad as it is I would expect this sort of sight to do nothing but grow larger and more frequent until council folk wake up to reality that you can't police this sort of thing with bans.

[ChuckMcB]

If a DofE group have dropped rubbish, you need to notify the award body and they can investigate it further.. Part of the expedition is leave no trace.

+1 Or their school if you can find it out craftly I've seen groups being forced to do conservation work because they were reported doing this, or lose their DoE award.

[Kayakgirl]

As an assessor I have failed groups for that

[Rugged Track]

Cable Car ride up Donard by Rugged Track [March 29, 2023]

Lough Shannagh by Scribble [March 22, 2023]

Where has everyone gone? by Glenn B [March 02, 2023]

Lake District wild camp taking in Great Gable and Scafell Pike by Rugged Track [January 18, 2023]

Slieve Meelbeg and Slieve Meelmore overnighter by Rugged Track [January 18, 2023]

Overnighter 2nd July 2022 by No time for anything [June 13, 2022]

Hello 👋🏻 by RedLeader [March 13, 2022]

Overnighter on 21st August by Wolf_Larson [November 02, 2021]

crabbing by Glenn B [July 19, 2021]

Slieve Bearnagh Day Hike by ScotsRambler [July 04, 2021]

Slieive Binnian Hike by Rugged Track [November 06, 2020]

Silent Valley by Binnianboy [June 28, 2020]

Is it safe... by Rugged Track [June 02, 2020]

Be careful on water when going to camp Islands by Rugged Track [March 10, 2020]

Widow of retired PSNI man who died on Mournes keeps reliving trauma of it all by RedLeader [February 03, 2020]

When will the christmas camp be this year? by Andy-D [December 30, 2019]

You've got a mention... by NorthernSky [December 12, 2019]

Hammock Wild Camp Annalong Wood by Rugged Track [November 28, 2019]

Hen Mountain Wild Camp by Rugged Track [November 28, 2019]

Happy Valley by Binnianboy [September 30, 2019]

My Photo was picked for the Irish Mountain Log by AndyWeb [September 17, 2019]

THE DEVIL'S COACH ROAD........... ! by AndyWeb [September 17, 2019]

Rams Island Camp - 17th or 24th August? by Rugged Track [August 31, 2019]

Mourne Mountains: Who owns the County Down mountains? by NorthernSky [August 28, 2019]

Seven Sevens 10th August by RedLeader [August 20, 2019]