After a cracking day out on Curved Ridge (Buchaille Etive Mor, Glen Coe) Mike talks to Rich about The Real 3 Peaks Challenge, a movement he started on Facebook in 2013, with the intention of giving the national 3 peaks mountains an annual 'deep clean'. The first Challenge in 2013, on Ben Nevis, Snowdon and Scafell netted an astonishing 350kg of rubbish in a single day. In 2019, the movement had extended to 6 mountain locations with a weigh-in of 500kg of waste. Rich talks about the issues of rubbish on the hills including the awful levels of human waste affecting the half-way lochan on the Ben and the amazing difference, in terms of regeneration and cleanliness, brought about by the Pandemic lock-down.  Rich hopes, one day, to see the movement transform into a national day where people clean the area immediately outside their house.

Rich gives his experiences of leading groups, particularly 3 Peaks groups, on the Ben and gives his top tip for an safe and enjoyable day out in the Scottish hills - navigation and being aware of timing, rather than distance, when planning a day out in the Scottish Mountains. 

Rich can be contacted at www.richmountainexperiences.co.uk

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