Unthinking Tourists

[Hugo]

Campers in tourers and tents take over children's play area in Gwynedd
Two campervans and around half a dozen tents were seen at the site.      It seems that every where has some problem with the influx of tourists


https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/campers-tourers-tents-take-over-24769182

[Helig]

I have noticed that many potential camp, or caravan parking sites, are taking precautions so that it is impossible to get on to them. Councils will need to make plans to tackle this problem which looks set to get worse in future. It only takes a couple of bollards, or an entry with a height restriction to stop the caravans.

[SteveH]

A FB message to FOWS ....  from morons to angels

Hi folks, Friends of the West Shore just an FYI in case someone else finds them, all left and dumped 10 minutes walk along the beach from the cafe.
I actually saw the culprits enjoying themselves on Sunday evening. What a devastating mess there this morning, wildlife of course has had a rummage too. There?s sharp metal from disposable barbecues and with two dogs with me I didn?t  collect anything myself unfortunately. Sooo much glass, cans, plastic bottles, chairs, balloons, disposable cutlery and plates, kids toys, x2 tents and a gazebo! - you name it
 I phoned the council and that was a ?not our area? from them so it?s now in the hands of Natural Resources Wales, I suggested the help of the What 3 Words app so they will hopefully pinpoint them easily. 
Take care out there folks, it?s a few hundred yards from where the dune fire was- same night too.

followed by this message  ....

I saw a post earlier about the mess the beach was left in, so I took my daughter and her friend down there to help collect the rubbish. They picked up plastic, clothes , bottles, foil trays and even other people?s poo bags. We filled 2 bin bags, sadly I couldn?t carry the tent too otherwise I would have.

[Nemesis]

Try Louise Emery, she got the mess which included dirty nappies, waste food and other rubbish cleared from outside 'The Moorings' earlier this year.

[SteveH]

Rare Snowdonia ponies came within metres of being burnt alive
They were put at risk through the 'sheer stupidity' of people leaving a disposable barbecue unattended which sparked a major fire in sand dunes near Talacre

cont https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/rare-snowdonia-ponies-came-within-24896222?IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589

[SteveH]

Snowdonia rescuers urge people not to judge Boxing Day 'idiots' stranded on mountain in darkness
After plucking four men to safety, their saviours said 'everyone makes mistakes'

As darkness fell, and equipped with just two torches, they found themselves cragfast on Tryfan, a 917.5-metre peak on the Glyderau range. All four were safely brought down by five members of the Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Organisation (OVMRO).

On social media, the team was praised for its skill and expertise in completing a tricky rescue in pitch darkness. But the four hikers were condemned by some for their ?foolish? behaviour and for endangering the lives of others.

?Absolute idiots starting out at midday knowing darkness comes on at 15.30,? said one person. Another added: ?This is yet another unnecessary rescue .... you guys yet again risked your own lives to rescue idiots.?

But OVMRO cut the four men some slack. Despite making errors, they had subsequently made some good decisions, said the rescue team.

cont https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/snowdonia-rescuers-urge-people-not-25847774

[Hugo]

Thankfully no member of the Mountain Rescue team was hurt rescuing those idiots,  but it could have been so different as others have found out to their cost unfortunately
Accidents can happen even to experienced walkers who also have the right gear but setting off at midday is a definite no no.    I hope those people who have been rescued will realise just how lucky they are and make a sizeable donation to the MRT
Let's hope that we don't have a repeat of this on New Year's day

[SteveH]

People are being urged not to take unnecessary risks at beauty spots to post photos on social media after a group had to be rescued from an unstable quarry ledge.

Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team helped three people after two became stuck at the Dinorwig slate quarries, Gwynedd.

The incident happened at about 13:00 BST at Sinc Galed quarry hole, known to climbers as California.

The team is urging inexperienced people to avoid exploring quarries.

Posting to Facebook, the rescue team said: "With no set plan in mind, they decided to scramble to the top of the eastern wall of the quarry hole up towards Pen Garret.

"This is an area of the quarry that even experienced rock climbers have avoided, being described as 'hideous' and 'harrowing'," the statement said.

The rescue team added the group were "wise" to call for help after two people became stuck on an unstable ledge about 35m (115ft) from the top of the cliff.

Twelve team members attended, and one was lowered on a rope to the group's location.

The team then set up a two-line hauling system at the top of the cliff and each person was hauled safely to the top in separate lifts.

cont https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-65149932?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA&IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589

[SteveH]

Woman gets stuck on Snowdonia cliff after falcon attacks her pet parrot
The woman was left stranded after climbing the upper cliffs of Glyder Fawr to rescue her lost bird

A woman had to be rescued from an Eryri cliff yesterday after her pet parrot was attacked by a falcon. The woman was part of a group of parrot owners from Derbyshire who had come to Glyder Fawr to fly their birds.

When a peregrine falcon swept down to attack the group, one of the woman's two pet parrots flew away towards the cliffs higher up the mountain above Cwm Idwal. With her second parrot perched on her rucksack, the woman climbed up to the perilous position to retrieve her bird after locating it on a tracker.

cont https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/woman-gets-stuck-snowdonia-cliff-27391914

[SteveH]

Beauty spot selfies are tempting more people to take on challenging routes of Wales' tallest mountain, according to a national park official.

Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team said a rising trend of callouts at Yr Wyddfa, also known as Snowdon, could become unsustainable.

Volunteers were sent to seven incidents in a single day during this summer.

Angela Jones, from Eryri National Park, also known as Snowdonia, said "social media has caused over capacity" at popular locations leading to issues including erosion, as well as pressure on car parks and rescue services.

"Social media certainly encourages people to go to different areas... or to try certain things that maybe they wouldn't have just thought about themselves," she added.

About 600,000 people climb the peak annually with the wider park seeing an influx since the Covid pandemic.

cont https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3geglz0qy4o

[mull]

Wonder how long this problem can go on for before something gives.

Mountain Rescue Teams are finding it hard to keep up with demand. Most members have other jobs and rely on their employers releasing them to attend call outs. To give you an idea of the pressure, the following figures are the number of call outs this year  up to last weekend by some of the busiest teams, and it is still only mid August.

Llanberis  186
Lochaber  101
Keswick     81

Last weekend Oban Team were requested to assist Lochaber in the search for a missing walker in the Glen Moidart area. Area is so remote it takes 2 hours driving just to get to the RV Point from Oban.

[Hugo]

Man flown to hospital after falling while trying to jump Tryfan's Adam and Eve rocks
People are said to gain the 'freedom of Tryfan' after jumping between the summit stones

I suppose it seemed like a challenge at the time but it's just another statistic for the over worked Mountain Rescue Team.    I have climbed on both the rocks but resisted the urge to jump from one to the other because I've seen the drop on one side and it could be fatal if you fell over that cliff


https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/man-flown-hospital-after-falling-27533089

[SteveH]

On the face of it, this is a good article in the Echo for the area, but no mention of the harm visitors could do if they get to close to the seals.       do not join the unthinking tourist group................

Peaceful seal spotting walk one hour from Liverpool you need to visit
I couldn't believe how many seals there were

I've found a new walk that's going to stick in my mind forever, and it's called Angel Bay in Llandudno.

The nature reserve was a real hidden gem that I'd never heard of before, which offered an absolutely beautiful winter walk. The best part? There were seals - and loads of them!

cont https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/whats-on/family-kids-news/peaceful-seal-spotting-walk-one-28471443?IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589


Watching seals safely
The best thing to do is to move slowly and quietly, paying attention to any signs up on the beach. Always keep at least 100 metres away - that's about the same length as a full-sized football pitch. Use binoculars to watch them, and keep dogs on a lead or leave them at home if you can.

[Hugo]

Cars towed in Eryri beauty spot with opinions divided on who's to blame
The Easter weekend saw visitors pour into the mountains of North Wales

When will they ever learn?

https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/cars-towed-eryri-beauty-spot-28922136

[Hugo]

Every space taken at Eryri beauty spot 'overwhelmed' with visitors
The popularity of Dinorwic quarry has exploded with hundreds of vehicles parked there amid reports of blocked footpaths and driveways

In addition to taking every parking space the visitors seem to have taken four signs as well       


https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/every-space-taken-eryri-beauty-28926355