Eroded footpaths, overused campsites and contaminated water sources are now part of the outdoor scene. Chris Townsend and Cameron McNeish reckon we should be treading more lightly on the hills, walking more softly in the wilderness.

A number of years ago, at a BMC dinner, Jonathon Porritt said that if walkers and climbers weren’t friends of the earth, then God help us all, but in all the wild areas of the UK it’s not difficult to find bags of rubbish that have been left in bothies, water sources that have become contaminated by human waste, and litter crammed into the crevices of cairns and stone walls. Those responsible have been walkers and climbers.

Then there’s the damage we do without even realising it. Take a typical Bank Holiday on Skiddaw. An almost continuous line of people make their way up the main path to the summit. Considering the vast numbers who climb up there the path is in surprisingly good nick but the past ten years have seen it widen appreciably and the edges have become comparatively badly eroded. Some of the steeper sections have been worn right down to the bedrock. Spur paths have appeared in places too.

The problem is numbers. These paths were never built for such a volume of traffic, so damage has become inevitable. The Lakeland hills are so popular that many of the traditional paths have become eroded scars and some wild camping spots, such as Styhead Tarn, are over-used and look worn and shabby. Yet the vast majority of folk who walk and camp in the Lake District do so because they love the place.

"Loving the hills to death" has become a little clichéd but it’s true, and that deadly love affair has become a growing problem throughout our hill areas.

Much of the damage is done through ignorance. Many people simply do not know how to respect wild country. Some of the ways to minimise your impact are not that obvious and even experienced walkers can do unthinking harm. In the UK little advice is given on how to walk and camp softly in the hills, leaving little or no trace of your passing.

PATHS: Hill paths are a mixture of purpose-made walkers’ trails, traditional stalker’s and shepherd’s paths, sheep and deer trails that have metamorphosed into footpaths and paths that have evolved because walkers have followed each other, usually up and down the quickest, most direct route. Well-located and well-constructed paths can withstand countless pairs of boots, but many paths are neither well designed nor well built and are easily damaged.

The ideal path should be wide enough for one person only, and walkers should go in single file. Walk side by side and you break down the edges of the path, widening the trail, damaging vegetation and creating more erosion and unsightly scars.

Multiple trails – braided trails – through bogs and soft ground mar too many places. Such trails are created by walkers trying to keep their feet dry. The original line of the path slowly sinks under the pressure of boots and, sometimes, mountain bike tyres, and water begins to collect in hollows, forming puddles and muddy sections. To avoid the expanding bogs people walk round the edges, widening the path and allowing the water to spread. Over time the trail becomes a wide and muddy morass with many bypass trails curving out to the sides.

To avoid this think of the path rather than your feet and stick to the main line even if it does mean muddy boots and possibly damp socks. Where the old path is impossible to find in the deep mud try not to spread out to the sides but stay on the already damaged ground. If you really want to keep your feet dry wear gaiters or waterproof socks like SealSkinz rather than tiptoeing round the edge of boggy paths. Alternatively, splash through the first puddle and get your feet wet. After that it doesn’t matter.

Zigzags or switchbacks are often found on traditional stalkers’ paths and paths that have been realigned. Such paths are easier to climb and less likely to erode than paths that take a direct line up the hill. A zigzagging path can be a joy to climb and is much easier on the knees in descent than a steep one. However, too often people choose a direct line and cut the corners of zigzags. This damages the vegetation, which results in the soil breaking down and ruts appearing. This creates a watercourse for rain water and soon becomes a flowing stream.

Path maintenance and construction work is grossly expensive and many agencies simply can’t afford it. In Scotland alone it’s been estimated that bringing all the popular mountain footpaths into good order would cost upwards of £50M. Where path repairs are being carried out it’s only sensible to follow the requests of the work party to prevent further damage being done. And when repairs have been completed stick with the new path so that damaged areas can recover.

New paths can certainly stand out like a sore thumb and may initially look worse than the scars they replace but in time they weather and blend into the hillside, allowing the damaged areas to heal.