Wicklow walk in jeopardy after permit refused

One of Ireland's oldest and most popular long-distance walks is in jeopardy after a permit to cross State lands in the Wicklow Mountains was refused.

The Wicklow Mountains National Park has refused a permit for participants on the Lug Walk to cross its lands on June 21st. Its decision highlights growing concerns about the effect of recreational use by walkers, mountain-bikers and others on the fragile mountain environment.

The walk, a 50km marathon over 17 of the county's highest peaks, including the 925m Lugnaquilla, has been held each June since the late 1970s. About 250 walkers take an average of 15 hours to complete the challenge each year.

This year, however, the park told the walk organisers, the Irish Ramblers' Club, that is was unable to issue a permit to allow access to its lands.

The park manager, Mr Seán Casey, said the mountain areas were under "unprecedented pressure" from recreational users. He continued: "The fact that you do not have a permit will not prevent you from holding the walk, but it would not be in the spirit of best practice to do so."

It was unclear last night whether the Ramblers intended to go ahead with the walk. No permit is required for any event involving fewer than 50 walkers.

The deadline for registration, which cost €13, was last Friday. Attempts to reach a representative of the club, the largest in Ireland with over 700 members, were unsuccessful.

The park authority's stance is supported by the Mountaineering Council of Ireland, the umbrella body for all walking clubs, including the Ramblers.

The MCI wrote to the Ramblers last week asking the club to respect the park's decision.

According to Ms Helen Lawless of the MCI, the proposed walk was not in keeping with the council's environmental guidelines. These recommend that walking groups adopt a "responsible approach" to the growing problem of erosion by minimising the size of groups, particularly when walking on peaty uplands. Ideally, it says, group sizes should be smaller than 10.

Ms Lawless said the Wicklow Mountains in particular were under a lot of pressure because of their proximity to Dublin and the explosion of interest in outdoor pursuits.

The MCI had no objections to people undertaking challenges such as the Lug Walk on their own, she pointed out. "There's a greater challenge in doing it without following others in a line or relying on checkpoints. You lose a bit in sociability but gain in the challenge."

The control of organised walking events is part of an overall strategy by park authorities to fight erosion and other environmental damage in the mountains. Other measures include "path hardening" initiatives on popular routes, such as the installation of railway sleepers on the Wicklow Way and co-operation with voluntary groups in the repair of damaged footpaths.