What is minimal impact walking?
We run the very real danger of ‘loving our natural areas to death’. By learning to ‘walk softly’, we can minimise the damage to the natural environment and reduce the need for restrictions on walker numbers and track closures. You can help minimise damage in the following ways. • Stay on the track even if it’s rough and muddy. Walking on the track edges and cutting corners on steep ‘zigzag’ tracks, increase damage, erosion and visual scarring, as well as causing confusion about which is the right track. • Avoid sensitive vegetation. Vegetation is easily destroyed by trampling. Stay on rocks and hard ground wherever possible. • Keep the wilderness wild. Damaging vegetation or feeding wildlife changes nature of the place. Keep your distance and never encircle an animal. • Walk softly. Choose appropriate footwear for the terrain. Solid but lightweight walking boots are best. Respect all other track users. • If you’ve carried it in, you can carry it out. Carry out all your rubbish, includi
