Mourne Mountains: New rangers scheme to help with rising visitor numbers

The Mourne Mountains and many beauty spots across Northern Ireland have provided a great release for people during the Covid-19 pandemic.

But, at times, this has presented challenges for those using facilities and those responsible for their upkeep.

The influx of visitors has meant an increase in littering and dog fouling for unprepared hikers.

A mountain ranger scheme is being piloted in the Mournes to try to address some of those difficulties.

Over the last two years, more and more people have taken to the mountains to go walking, running and cycling.

One County Down walking group has encouraged dozens of women to come together to explore the beauty spot for the first time.

The Hiking Hens was set up in April 2021 for women of all ages and abilities.

According to Fidelma Fearon, the appeal of the group took her and her fellow founder, Maria O'Grady, by surprise.

"It was not going to be for the professional woman with all the gear looking like she could go to the top of Mount Everest tomorrow," Ms Fearon said.

"On 30 May, we did our first hike up Hen Mountain. We came around the corner and, Maria and I didn't expect it, but there were about 50 women waiting for us.

"Every week it's just gotten stronger and stronger."

Ms O'Grady said the lure of the hills is "irresistible".

"The craic is 90," she said.

"They are enjoying the adventure. It's amazing when you see their faces all lit up at the top of the mountain.

"I think the confidence and the love of the challenge gives a feeling of: 'I can do it too.'"

For others, like Marion Quinn, enjoying the Mournes meant scaling the 485m (1,591 ft) of Slieve Martin outside Rostrevor every day for a month.

"We came up on the first of January and said: 'Maybe we'll do a few days in January.' But we've actually done the 31 days up to Slieve Martin and down. It feels great," Ms Quinn said.

But popularity has come with its own problems.

Every day 72-year-old Collette Murphy walks to Cloch Mor, a huge erratic boulder that overlooks Carlingford Lough.

Legend has it the Big Stone was thrown there by Finn McCool during a fight with Scottish giant Ruscaire, but it is something else that shouldn't be there that is annoying Ms Murphy.

"I come up here every day of the week and some days I fill a carrier bag [with rubbish] and I did that last Saturday," she said.

"There's only a wee bit in it today but I will go down a different way and pick up more."

In recent months, the Mourne Heritage Trust has been piloting a rangers scheme across the Mournes in the hope of tackling recurring problems, while helping people get the best from the mountains.

The project is being led by Aaron Caldwell, Aly Coyle and Stevie Millar.

Mr Caldwell said: "The main problems we are seeing due to the increase in people coming in after Covid are people not knowing where they are going, not being prepared for the hills, lots of dogs off leads and lots of litter."

In Rostrevor, where downhill mountain bike trails are a major draw, Stevie Millar said this can cause problems with walkers.

"You have more people out walking and they will be on what are designated mountain bike trails turned over to bikers only," Mr Millar said.

"Then you will have bikers going quite hard on what are formally recognised as walking trails.

"So there is just that issue that they can come upon one another quite quickly."

But it's not all about enforcement.

The rangers have also been working with groups hoping to explore the stunning south Down landscape.

"We start off with what kit they should be bringing, depending on the type of weather," said Aly Coyle.

"We'd encourage them to check the weather and to pack accordingly, and then move on to basic navigation and how to find your way around the mountains."

For Ms Fearon from the Hiking Hens, the help of mountain rangers has come in useful.

"The rangers gave us support and training to do with navigation - how to read the compass.

"We aren't trained guides.

"But we have taken this upon ourselves to do, so we need to get ourselves up [to speed] as best as we can to keep the people who walk with us safe."

This lockdown love of the mountains looks set to continue, not just for the Hens but for the many others, young and old, who have discovered the undeniable appeal of this special landscape.