The Rossendale Rambler

Nights out in the wild can be wonderful; waking to the sun lighting up the mountains and falling asleep watching the stars appear in the black sky are the best way to start and finish a day out.

Camping wild in open country is one of the best ways to enjoy and appreciate the beauty of the hills. When done responsibly it has little impact on the environment but increased numbers of campers mean that we must all now take more care than previously. A little thought and effort can pre-empt many of these potentially harmful impacts. Consider not only your own impact but the repeated impact by others.

Consider others, people go to the hills for solitude. Keep groups small. Camp as unobtrusively as possible. Enjoy the freedom of wild camping without leaving a trace of your passage: Remove all litter - carry out what you carried in. Think ahead and only take in tins, bottles or gas cylinders if you are prepared to take them back out again. Do not bury or hide them under stones as it offends those who visit after you and can harm wildlife. Dead wood is an important habitat for insects and many small animals, so it is best to avoid fires, even for cooking. Lighting fires poses a high fire risk and on peat or tinder dry grass , fires can get out of hand at any time of the year and not only at times of drought. Watercourses and lochsides are important sites for birds and animals. Avoid the temptation of camping immediately beside them. When going to the toilet always find a spot at least 300 metres from fresh or running water. If we all follow these simple rules we will enjoy our wild camping, take nothing but photographs and leave nothing but the occasional footprint.

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