Slieve Donard

THE ASCENT PROJECT AT SLIEVE DONARD

Showcasing the need for Management and Repairs

Slieve Donard is one of Northern Ireland’s two ASCENT project sites, located in the south of County Down. Slieve Donard forms the highest mountain in the Mourne Mountain range, and is the highest Mountain overall in Northern Ireland with a height of 850m above sea level. It is protected under a number of European designations; it is classified as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, an Area of Scientific Interest and a Special Area of Conservation due to the sensitive heathland habitats which exist within the mountains.

The key challenges faced on this site are rapidly increasing visitor numbers, unrestricted access and the conflicting usage of the mountain by different stakeholders. The Glen River trail from Newcastle is the most popular route up to the peak, with over 90,000 visitors ascending the mountain through this way. The path is popular with hikers, runners, challenge events, sponsored walks and mountain bikers. The path popularity is largely due to its origin in the seaside town of Newcastle, which is a popular tourist destination in the summer. This often draws a number of visitors up the trail who are ill-prepared for mountain hiking, which places considerable strain on the local Mountain Rescue and other emergency services in the area.

The management of the mountain can be difficult due to the high range of stakeholders who claim ownership of the area; NI Water services manage the South side of the mountain as a catchment area, local landowners have grazing rights to the upper Mournes, the Forestry manages commercial woodlands at the base of the mountain, and the Newry, Mourne and Down District Council are responsible for all car parks and rights-of-way associated with the area.

Aims

Through the ASCENT Project, the Mourne Heritage Trust’s task was to repair and modify existing tracks to the top of Slieve Donard, in order to create a more robust path network able to withstand increasing visitor numbers, increase safety on the mountains and to protect adjacent heathland communities from the effects of visitor footfall. A key aim for the charity was also to develop a feasibility study to showcase the need for more consistent management of upland areas, by employing a full time path repair team for the duration of this project and placing emphasis on volunteer involvement, constant effort and ‘Stitch in Time’ capacity building solutions which maintain the balance between competing environmental, economic and social interests.

A final aim is to develop capacity, international learning and knowledge sharing across all ASCENT Project Partners and beyond. This is being achieved by trialling new technologies for knowledge sharing; particularly media, social networking, film making, mapping, and new information platforms. A ‘Path Work’ training course is also currently under development for land managers.

Working in partnership, and developing networks of support for land managers across all project partners is vital in order to secure our upland areas for years to come. The ASCENT Project has facilitated opportunities to establish these relationships and networks which will be paramount as we face future challenges.