For very many years, Andy Lamb, the owner of Wales Outdoors, has been banging his head against a very hard wall with regards to attempting to alter the behaviour of the majority of adventure activity groups in South Wales.
From attempting to build community, to improve pay and conditions for instructors, to improve environmental sustainability and to work to an increasing level of best practice rather than work to minimum standards required or allowed, it seems to Andy that he has lost the battle and the larger, corporate adventure activity providers, have won, destroying what was a fine professionally led and delivered industry.
There are a few activity business' working in South Wales that deliver adventure activities to a high standard but these professionals are 'swamped' in activity locations by the larger, vicarious pleasure, party groups that are delivered by business' set up to profit the owners/directors. This is achieved by piling as many clients through each weekend as possible.
This approach impacts upon the environment, the locals and the other users of these sites. Furthermore, the activity delivered is often poor, with large groups queuing for a particular activity and with little regard to client care with a poor range of footwear on show.
This 'swamping' of one particular location has led to Wales Outdoors being 'bullied' away from the site and so no longer professionally delivers this fine activity. Due to the numbers there has been an ongoing attempt to pacify the locals and now the landowners, Natural Resources Wales, have demanded payment for the use which is administered through the South Wales Outdoor Activity Providers Group. Wales Outdoors stand firmly against all access to the countryside charges.
This group, envisioned by Andy Lamb over 25 years ago and finally formed 8 years ago has become an apologist for these larger business'. The concordat for the use of the Sychryd Gorge, for example, is well worded but many providers work outside of the rules and there is no mechanism to police these errant business'. Andy has demanded action on many occasions, to no effect.
We now have received this from SWOAPG:
'Some of you may have noticed fencing being erected along the lane leading from Pontneddfechan Community Centre towards the gunpowder works & Loonies' Leap and we are expecting the lane to be gated-off completely in the next few days.
This is not connected with the gunpowder works conservation activity, but is an action being taken by the owner of the lane due to her increasing frustration that the lane's permissive access is being misused both by vehicles and walkers. One reason she has cited is that gorge-walking groups have refused to move out of the way and been verbally abusive to drivers accessing the cottage along the lane. We were very disappointed to hear about groups behaving in this way and trust that our Members will continue to make every effort to ensure that their clients show due respect to local residents and communities.'
We are not members of this group anymore, choosing to go our own way and not be part of the wider South Wales adventure activity community. It would seem that this was a fine decision.
What we see here is a complete disregard for the local residents who in their frustration, following years of disruption, have closed off an access route into the Waterfalls Area of the Brecon Beacons National Park which is a loss to all users and which ought to be of concern to all who value and enjoy the Great Outdoors.
Join Us!
http://www.walesoutdoors.co.uk
Recent Comments