A pamphlet/pdf on best ecological practice when climbing in Snowdonia in winter.
It is produced by a coalition of interested parties namely, CAE, BMC, Countryside Council for Wales, Snowdonia Active and Ground Up, with the aim of keeping winter climbers off the most sensitive areas for rare plants unless they are well buried in snow and well frozen.
The aim of this guide is to inform and educate winter climbers about some of the fragile and internationally important habitats and plants that could be damaged by winter climbing activities, and how climbers can help to minimise any potential damage by identifying best practice.
Many of the best winter climbing venues in Snowdonia are also very important, legally protected Sites of Special Scientific Interest, which potentially could be inadvertently harmed if climbed in poor conditions or with poor techniques. Used in conjunction with live turf temperature data from the monitoring stations around Eryri, the North Wales White Guide enables climbers to act responsibly when planning an outing.
The guide is a combination of work from Dr Barbara Jones (BMC Volunteer and previously Upland Ecologist for CCW), Elfyn Jones (BMC Access & Conservation Officer), Joe Roberts (BMC volunteer and CCW Access Policy Officer) with input from Simon Panton and North Wales winter activist Mark “Baggy” Richards.
By using a combination of clear topos of the main climbing areas and close up photos of important plants and habitats, it shows climbers the sites which are the most sensitive and fragile, and gives advice on how to minimise the environmental impact of climbing at these venues – emphasising the need to ensure that climbers do need to wait for good conditions and the need to use good techniques and the right equipment to minimise damage.
By following the simple, yet highly informative advice in the guide, it’s hoped that both winter climbing and conservation can successfully co-exist at these venues, avoiding the need for formal or statutory controls on climbing at these sites.
In addition to this leaflet, the BMC has installed Conditions Monitoring devices in Cwm Idwal and Cwm Cneifion, and on Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa), - check these out to see what the current state of the turf is.
In Welsh and English.
Card cover, 15 x 10.5cm, 20 pages.
Published 2013.
You can also download a free pdf of the pamphlet by clicking the link below.