Hi Annie and thank you very much for this article !!!

I always take back my own litter and very often other people's litter from the hills. I think it's a shame to dirty not only the hills but all places where people live on Earth.

Last year when I climbed Ben Nevis, I was horrified to see rubbish along the path up to the summit. I took back some water plastic bottles, but I couldn't pick everything I saw.

I walked many mountains in Scotland (all the hills I climbed were clean) and Ben Nevis is the only place I have found so dirty. I think it's because there are so many people climbing Ben Nevis (150 000 people every year). Many tourists who climb Ben Nevis are not really hillwalkers and many of them throw their rubbish along the path. I don't think regular hillwalkers litter hills (some might but not many in my opinion).

I met several people who were climbing Ben Nevis without any rucksack ... just wearing a bottle of water in their hands. I wouldn't be surprised to see them throwing their empty bottles.

I also found an article about this problem :

http://www.jmt.org/cons/nevis/manage.html

It's a subject very close to my heart Lionel...sadly in the UK we tend to find that a lot of our popular hills are strewn with litter.

As you say I think the people who do this are not really hillwalkers, but it is no excuse for littering such beautiful places ....the problem is how do we educate these people?

Of course, you're right Annie. It's not an excuse for littering those beautiful places. I think that it's a question of education and it starts with children at home and at school.

Today I walked with my nephew who is 10 years old... and both of us, we picked crisps packets and papers on the path to Pointe de Lachau ... we took that litter back, down to the car park where there was a bin. I hope my nephew will keep doing this later when walking on the hills.

By the way, I don't think there's a lot of litter on top of the Inaccessible Pinnacle !

I was always taught not to drop litter anywhere...if only everyone had the same attitude as us Lionel the hills would benefit....hills are magical places and deserve respect....and I think you are right think the Inn Pin is safe enough

I was taught the same by my parents !!!

Annie, do you think that hills in Scotland are strewn with litter ? I found that most of them were very clean... except Ben Nevis.

Luckily most of them are clean (in my experience) ...we have the same litter problem on Snowdon in North Wales ....seems to be a problem where you get large numbers of people who aren't used to hillwalking.

Hills I've been up have been pretty litter free.....can't think of anything. Somehow its the odd fag butt that really gets me.

Just back from Glen Isla where myself and Storm took a hoof over Duchray Hill and Monemanach - Graham and Corbett - in some spectacular early winter weather. The clarity today was superb as was the wildlife in this seldom trodden corner of Angus.
About four years ago I walked over Monemanach to Loch Beanie early one Friday afternoon and came across the largest herd/parcel of deer/hinds I have ever encountered in all my days in the hill ! As you will see from the pictures - they're still there !
It was good to get out again and get a break from bloody working every weekend !

Enjoy !

http://www.photobox.co.uk/album/2123077

It was good to get out again and get a break from bloody working every weekend !



Hehehehe snap

gets in the way of the hills somewhat

Fantastic!!!! Thanks so much for the photos!

I miss the Angus hills of home so much! December I'm back...got the babysitter lined up. I will get up Clova!

Jacqui

Hi Whitts,

Thank you very much for your photos from Glen Isla. They are really beautiful !!! The weather was not as clear today in the Alps as it was in Scotland.

What are the hills covered in snow in the distance. They seem to be much higher than the place you were ?

Today I did another walk in the afternoon. I walked up Mont Forchat in my valley. The top of the hill is at the altitude of 1539 metres and I can see my village from the top. It's a place where one can see many high mountains of the Alps though the altitude is not very high. When walking down, I saw a grouse (birds that are rare now in the Northern Alps).

The only picture (taken from the summit of Mont Forchat) that I found on the internet is a winter picture, never mind it gives you an idea of the Alpine valley where I live.



Greetings from France,

Lionel

Hi Lionel

The hills to the north of Glen Isla are the Glenshee hills. They rise some 3500feet above sea level, about 600-700 feet higher than Monemanach, which was my highest point today.
Glas Maol is the highest of these and holds the most snow - hence the reason for one of Scotlands five ski centres being on its slopes !!
Further westwards, the hills of the Glas Tuilachen group are there as is the Beinn a Ghlo massif in the lands of Atholl.

Always great to see pictures of your stunning scenery over there in the Alps -

Best Wishes
Greig

Hi Greig !

Thank you very much for the information about the hills covered in snow in your pictures. That is an area of Scotland where I haven't been hillwalking when I lived in Inverness. During one year there, I couldn't hillwalk everywhere in Scotland. There is really a lot to see in your country.

I went once to Glenshee but it was in summer ... and I just saw the place driving a car. I didn't have the time and the chance to walk those hills.

The area you live looks truly splendid. That's a place I hope to visit one day... to walk the hills of course.

Yes indeed, I'm very lucky to live here in the Northern Alps where the scenery is also astonishing. I love this place... especially in winter. I'm looking forward to the first snows to cover the Alps.

About your pictures, I forgot to tell you that your dog, Storm is "a star" of the Scottish hills. I hope he enjoys the scenery too.

Greetings from the Alps,

Lionel

Not beren a way to the hills much lately, but yesterday popped over to South Wales for a wee walk up Pen y Fan - at 2,906ft the highest hill in Britain south of Snowdon

Pleased to say there was no sign of litter, despite it being a very popular summit!

Fantastic day to go up Pen-y-Fan.....should've been up there myself .....I could've waved to you from my back garden as I mowed the lawn