Each week, we’re introducing you to one of the amazing ambassadors who are helping to #SaveMountainPaths in Scotland by supporting the #ItsUptoUs campaign.
Today, we’re hearing from Nav Bakhsh – a friend of Mountaineering Scotland, and someone we were delighted could join us at the Fort William Mountain Festival back in February.
We asked Nav to tell us a bit more about what he does and why he was excited to get onboard with the It’s Up to Us campaign:
“My name is Nav Bakhsh, I am 46 years old and am Co-Founder of @bootsandbeards (the Glasgow-based organisation who work with diverse communities to build bridges to the outdoors)
“I have been hillwalking for the past six years or so and can honestly it is the most enjoyable activity I look forward to every fortnight. Being born and bred in Scotland, I can say I am proud to be called Scottish, and proud of what Scotland has to offer. It is just beautiful, and I want to play my part in helping keeping it that way for the next generation to enjoy and also to be part off.
“When I am walking, I cannot help but think of how small we humans are against some of the jaw dropping mountains we have as a backdrop. These mountains invite many people to come and explore, but over time things do get eroded and need to be looked after. That is why it was an honour to be asked to become an It’s Up To Us ambassador. Not only is this an honour but being also of Pakistani/ Muslim heritage, this is my way of taking time out and giving back to something which is so dear and valuable to me.
It’s time to introduce another of our #ItsUptoUs campaign ambassadors!
This week, we asked photographer Lucy Hamilton – better known as @loosemooose on Instagram – to tell us how she makes the most of time spent in the hills and why she decided to become an ambassador for our new campaign to #savemountainpaths in Scotland:
“I’m Lucy Hamilton, a relatively recent hillwalking enthusiast, although I went up my first Munro (Beinn Sgulaird) aged 29 which was many years ago.
“I started going into the hills in earnest when I realised that I was perfectly capable of doing so on my own, and I didn’t need to wait for people to be available to come with me. It has been a very important revelation!
“I have definitely got the bug and I feel like it is the easiest way for me, living on the West Coast of Scotland as I do, to have extraordinary experiences. These experiences are enhanced for me because I take my camera up high and document the things I see – I love to share this with anyone who’s interested – there’s always a story involved with a day (or days) in the hills and I hope that it might inspire people to go hillwalking too or at least have a bit of a different perspective on the hills that we see from ground level. For me there are so many aspects to this love of high places, more than I ever dreamed possible.
“More and more I am noticing the paths (or lack of them) leading up to the summits. I suppose in the past I didn’t give them much thought – I was just aware that busier and more popular hills tended to have better paths than the lesser known ones. A good path really can make a big difference to the experience and I am always amazed at the effort that has gone into creating them. It’s always sad to see paths that have become badly eroded as well.
“I didn’t realise, until getting involved with the ‘It’s Up to Us’ campaign from Mountaineering Scotland and the Outdoor Access Trust for Scotland (OATS) that mountains on privately owned land don’t get any funding to help with making and maintaining mountain paths, and given that they are very well used (and the number of users is constantly rising) it is so important that money is raised to help with this.
“So many people get so much out of this activity and it’s great to be able to give something back.”
Each week, we’ll be introducing one of the 16 amazing ambassadors who are helping the #ItsUptoUs campaign by stepping up to #SaveMountainPaths.
This week, we’re meeting Keri Wallace – mountain runner, rock climber, freelance writer and co-founder of Girls on Hills!
Keri tells us: “I am co-founder of trail running company, Girls on Hills – based in Glencoe. Our aim is to empower women with the skills and confidence to become more independent in the mountain environment. We advocate for gender equity in our sport and encourage women to try hill-walking and trail running in the Scottish Highlands.
“Running in the mountains gives a sense of freedom and self-reliance that is hard to quantify. It allows us to escape the rat-race, seek adventure and stretch our comfort zones – to discover what our bodies and minds are really capable of.
“This is made possible by access to a rugged landscape where we have a responsible right to explore but also where runnable trails provide an efficient ingress to remote places and stunning scenery. Trails assist us in linking and journeying through these unique spaces and provide a framework for racing competitively or following in others’ footsteps. They also provide a handrail for those taking their first steps into unfamiliar places, building confidence and finding their way.
“I became an ambassador for the It’s Up to Us campaign to encourage likeminded hill-lovers to step up and help maintain the trails we know and love – as well as and the ones we are yet to set foot upon in our quest for adventure…”
Mountaineering Scotland and the Outdoor Access Trust for Scotland (OATS) are delighted to announce Cotswold Outdoor as the official sponsor of a new three-year campaign to raise £300,000 for much-needed path repairs on An Teallach, one of Scotland’s most iconic mountains. The campaign – called It’s Up to Us – will also raise awareness of the desperate need for investment in the repair and maintenance of informal mountain paths situated on land outside of Scotland’s national parks and NGO estates.
Launched at an event in Perth last month, which was attended by many well-known members of the mountain-using community, It’s Up to Us encourages outdoor enthusiasts, active tourism businesses and organisations that care deeply about Scotland’s hills and mountains to step up and give something back by donating to the fundraising appeal.
One company that has answered the call is Cotswold Outdoor. For almost 50 years, the retailer has been helping people explore the great outdoors together. They have a genuine commitment to minimise their environmental impact, actively protecting the places we love, and helping everyone to enjoy the outdoors in a responsible way. They’re also working towards a more circular economy that’s better for the great outdoors and everyone who enjoys exploring it, too.
Jose Finch, Managing Director for Cotswold Outdoor, said: “At Cotswold Outdoor, we believe everyone’s happier outside, which is why protecting the great outdoors we love to explore is so important. For that reason, we’re proud to support Mountaineering Scotland and the Outdoor Access Trust for Scotland’s new It’s Up to Us campaign, providing funds to support vital mountain footpath repair across Scotland’s incredible landscapes and mountains so we can enjoy them for years to come.”
Mountaineering Scotland CEO, Stuart Younie, added: “Mountaineering Scotland has a longstanding partnership with Cotswold Outdoor, who provide a 15% discount as part of our package of member benefits, and we are delighted they have also chosen to become the lead sponsor for It’s Up to Us.
“It’s important that, as one of the UK’s leading outdoor retailers, they have recognised the need to step up to support this campaign. Reports show that the Sporting and Outdoor Equipment Retailer industry was worth £11.5bn* in 2022, and we hope that more outdoor retailers and gear manufacturers will follow the example of Cotswold Outdoor by getting on board to support the campaign and thinking about donating some of their profits to help repair mountain paths in Scotland.”
CEO of the Outdoor Access Trust Scotland, Dougie Baird, explained: “A key campaign target for It’s Up to Us is get the message across to hillwalkers and all mountain users that we all need to be prepared to give something back to the mountains that we benefit from.
“The extensive path erosion works required on An Teallach have no access to government money of any sort. With the partnership with such a strong brand as Cotswold Outdoor, we are looking to reach out to those who really care for the mountains and to encourage them to give something back to the hills that so enrich their lives; maybe even to consider a small donation every time they head into the hills, what they can, when they can, through our fundraising appeal.”
Don’t forget, you can also follow all the latest campaign news using the hashtags:
On Thursday 25th of May, Mountaineering Scotland and the Outdoor Access Trust for Scotland will officially launch their new partnership campaign – It’s Up to Us – at an event in Perth’s Black Watch Castle & Museum.
The project aims to raise awareness of the challenges facing many of Scotland’s upland paths and the importance of maintaining them for the safety and benefit of people that use them and for the protection of the fragile mountain environment.
Mountaineering Scotland and OATS have earmarked the hill path from Dundonnell on An Teallach, one of Scotland’s most iconic mountains, for investment from the It’s Up to Us fundraising appeal. The campaign will initially focus on raising £300,000 to repair the badly damaged path on An Teallach, as well as awareness-raising of the lack of funds available for similar mountain paths on private land.
The launch event will begin with a short introduction to the project and preview of the It’s Up to Us campaign video, which was filmed on location on An Teallach over two days in May.
Several campaign ambassadors – including Cameron McNeish, Ross Cunningham, Kerri Wallace and Sean Green – will also speak at the event, discussing the importance of Scotland’s mountain paths from the viewpoint of different areas of the mountain-using community.
Alongside team members from Mountaineering Scotland, the Outdoor Access Trust for Scotland and the Scottish Mountaineering Trust.