John Muir Trust Annual Members Gathering 2018 in Glenridding

Helvellyn

Later this morning I'm heading south for the John Muir Trust's Annual Members Gathering and AGM. This year it's being held in Glenridding village on the edge of Glenridding Common in the Lake District, an estate that includes Helvellyn and which the JMT now manages - the first property the Trust has taken on outside Scotland.

I've just been re-elected for a second term as a Trustee of the JMT and I'm looking forward to meeting the other Trustees, JMT staff, JMT members and, especially, local people to discuss the future for wild places in Britain and this area in particular. We'll be hearing from Julia Aglionby, the Chair of the Foundation for Common Land; Rob Shepherd, Chair of Patterdale Parish Council; Joanne Backshall, Manager of Fix the Fells; and Pete Barron, John Muir Trust Land Manager for Glenridding Common. I'm sure they'll all have something stimulating to say!

There'll be time for the outdoors as well and Saturday afternoon we'll be heading outside. I hope the weather's good!

John Muir Trust takes on Helvellyn

Helvellyn

After much discussion and deliberation the John Muir Trust has taken on the management of the Glenridding Common estate in the Lake District. This runs from Sticks Pass in the north to Striding Edge in the south and includes the summit and east side of Helvellyn plus Catstycam, Red Tarn, Birkhouse Moor, and Glenridding Beck.

Catstycam

The opportunity for the JMT to do this first arose in 2014 when the Lake District National Park (LDNP) said it wished to review the areas it owned. Last August a group of JMT Trustees (of which I am one) and Staff walked the estate to gain a view of the area and think about what the JMT could offer in terms of management. We decided this was something the JMT should do.

JMT Trustees and Staff climbing up to Sticks Pass

The LDNP undertook a public consultation before deciding to lease the estate to the JMT for three years. Richard Leafe, Chief Executive of the LDNP, said "we look forward to seeing how the Trust’s management will enhance and improve the environmental quality of this land". Andrew Bachell, Chief Executive of the John Muir Trust, said: “we’re looking forward to finalising the details of a lease and then having further conversations with local people and organisations to agree a management plan that will enhance and benefit the local area. We take the responsibility of managing this special landscape and respecting its cultural traditions seriously and feel delighted and privileged to have been given the opportunity to do so.” You can read the full statement from the JMT here.

I think this is an exciting move by the JMT - one I have supported strongly in Trustee meetings - and I'm looking forward to the next three years with great interest and hope. This is the JMT's first land management venture outside of Scotland and I think it could be really significant.

A Wander Over Helvellyn

Helvellyn

A few weeks ago on a brief trip down south to the Lake District I spent a blustery sunny day walking over Helvellyn, a hill I haven't climbed for many, many years. I'd forgotten how its central position gives such wonderful spacious views over the Lake District and beyond to the Pennine hills, the Solway Firth and more.

The Vale of Keswick, Skiddaw and the distant Solway Firth

 
Our way into the fells led up through the old Greenside Lead Mine, which closed in 1962 but which in the 1940s was the largest producer of lead ore in Britain. Today the signs of the mining are slowly fading on the scarred hillsides. Climbing steeply beside Sticks Gill we entered the wide and long upper valley of that stream and followed the path to Sticks Pass on the main south-north Helvellyn ridge. This is surprisingly quiet country for the Lake District, without many people about even on a sunny August day.

View over the Greenside Mine to Glenridding and Ullswater

This changed abruptly as we reached the summit of Helvellyn. Suddenly there were people everywhere, most coming from the direction of Striding Edge. After gazing at the vast views we debated going down that rocky ridge but decided that the numbers of people meant progress would be very slow. There aren't many places you can easily pass others. Instead we went down the shorter Swirral Edge, along with many others, and then down to the foot of Red Tarn.

View down to Red Tarn and Ullswater

Crossing below Catstycam we lost most of the people and also the wind, making it a hot final walk back to the cars. As we took out last steps I thought of many previous trips on this fine big hill. Swooping along it on skis on a snowy day, skittering down an icy Swirral edge with crampons and ice axe, pacing a friend through the night on his Bob Graham Round, bivvying on the summit to watch the midsummer sunrise. It was good to return.

Looking back to Catstycam

Indiegogo Project: Helvellyn with Mark Richards, a film by Terry Abraham.

Terry Abraham at work in the Lake District

Later this month I'll be starting to make another film with Terry Abraham about backpacking in the Lake District.

This isn't the only project Terry is working on however. He's also making a film with artist and writer Mark Richards about Helvellyn and is seeking funding for this through Indiegogo. You can see a teaser for the film on the Indiegogo page here (though those who've seen Terry's films won't be in doubt as to the quality of his work), along with more information.

I think this should be a great film. Please give Terry and Mark your support.