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The Canary Islands

Maree enjoying the warm sea in Australia

NEWS AND EVENTS

News

Statement from Manx Footpath Conservation Group

Dear Member
I am sure your all aware of the COVID-19 virus outbreak and the seriousness of the situation. The IOM government have advised that the island is now in the delay phase and guidelines for this include unnecessary gathering especially if involving the vulnerable age group demographic or any persons with underlying health conditions. The committee of Manx Footpath Conservation Group has a duty of care towards its membership and as from
Monday 16th March 2020 these following  will come into effect:

• The AGM has been postponed. Please note that the AGM itself has been postponed.  The agenda, resolutions and committee nominations will stand at the rearranged AGM and date will be clarified when the crisis has abated.
• ALL walks that are on the MFCG walk schedule are to be postponed.  Please DO NOT turn up at any advertised start points.  Individuals who intend to make alternative walk arrangements are ask not to use any association with MFCG in their communication.
•  The Committee will advise all members of any changes to postponements and of rearrangement dates in the future.

The committee of MFCG will not accept any liability for any individuals/groups who organise walks using any FORMAT of official MFCG walk schedules or walk member lists.
We believe that it is of the utmost importance that we protect our members from Corona virus, and I am sure all members understand the decision taken by the committee and the seriousness which has led us to make these changes.
Let us all hope that this crisis passes quickly and that we will soon safely be able to reconvene.

Ken Harding – Chairman
MANX FOOTPATH CONSERVATION GROUP. 

Manx NFU President calls for immediate closure of public rights of way across farmsteads

Manx NFU President asks government to close public rights of way across farmsteads to protect our local food supply.
The Manx NFU is working with our members’ concerns over public rights of way through farm businesses considering social distancing measures imposed as a result of COVID-19.  To help our farmers the Manx NFU are doing everything we can to keep them safe whilst in voluntary isolation protecting our islands local food supply.
The Manx NFU have written to the DOI & DEFA Ministers asking them to place a temporary closure notice on public rights of way that pass through farmyards and farm businesses.  We are asking members of the public to help the farmers achieve this voluntarily, if this can be achieved we will not need to stretch the already pushed resources of the departments any further.
Request for members of the Public:

• Please do not walk the public rights of way that cross directly through farmyards, passing milking parlours, vegetable processing units, lambing sheds, calving sheds and in front of farmhouses or farm buildings.

Wherever possible the farmers will offer an alternative route navigating around the farmstead, this route may take walkers through fields or direct you to turn around and follow the main roads. The Manx NFU are advising all our farmers to keep farm gates closed and place sanitising points along with signs including a phone number to contact the farmstead.  Farmers should insist that any essential tradesmen or deliveries announce themselves before entry and have a designated drop off point for deliveries to the farm.
At the Manx NFU we are proud of our farmers and how they are coping whilst meeting the greatly increased demand for local produce. Let’s keep them safe at this time and together we can protect our islands local food supply.

Tim Johnston – President of the Manx National Farmers Union
26th March 2020

Please note that all Walking Group forms are now accessible from the "Forms" link at the bottom of each page.

Hill Skills Courses
Due to the coronavirus, all courses have been postponed until further notice.

Risk Assessments.
A user friendly, simplified and interactive risk assessment form is now available for walk leaders to complete for all walks. 

The new form contains all the vital information required and is easily completed by typing into boxes where necessary; selecting drop down menus and tick boxes. On completing the required information on the form just click the submit the button and the form is automatically attached to the new risk assessment email address.  Then simply send the email with the risk assessment as an attachment.

This new user friendly version can be completed in 5 minutes on any device and can be found under the forms section at the bottom of each page of the website or just click here.

A risk assessment is a necessary requirement to be completed by the walk leader for all walks with MFCG.  A paper copy of the walk is also available from your walking groups coordinator or any committee member and can be completed then posted to the address on the form. 

The best practice guidelines for walk leaders and supporters are also available under the forms section of the website. 

Any problems or questions regarding the new risk assessment form or other questions on health and safety please contact mfcgriskassessment@gmail.com

MFCG 50th  Anniversary
Next year, 2021, marks the Groups 50th Anniversary year and to celebrate the committee are looking into several events to mark the occasion. A few suggestions will require planning well in advance; one such option is a short break walking trip to the North of England for the whole group with a choice of daily walks. The committee would welcome any suggestions from members regarding a suitable time of year for this to take place.  Please feel free to offer any thoughts to a member of the committee.

Hiking in the Canaries
Belinda Pilling recently returned from a hiking holiday in the Canaries and has kindly shared some of her memories with us.
 
“I have just returned from a glorious week of hiking in La Palma and managed to miss the sandstorm which has engulfed the Canaries.

I went with HF holidays. I stayed at the Parador just outside Santa Cruz (the capital) which was excellent a lovely large room with a balcony overlooking the swimming pool and distant views of the mountains. The food was good with a buffet style breakfast and dinner a 3course meal with buffet starter and a prechosen main (at breakfast) and buffet sweet course. A bonus was wine included with dinner each night.  Lunches were purchased at the local Spar each evening.

We were a group of 20 including two leaders who gelled extremely well, so much laughter was had by all.  There was a choice of 2 hikes each day, I chose the harder walks each day. A free day on 4th day enabled people to go into Santa Cruz and/or laze around the pool.

The hiking was delightful with dramatic scenery on every hike. We were extremely lucky with the weather, sunshine being the order of the day and with only a short time spent in the clouds each day as were soon above the cloud base and in glorious sunshine which required hats and suntan cream with the temperatures averaging a pleasant 24c. As La Palma is a volcanic island the last eruption being in 1972 the terrain was on occasions quite rough underfoot with scree/ stones and boulders, but the paths were well defined and easily walkable with care. The paths through the forests were a complete contrast with all the beauty and silence that often ensues in a forest. We saw a number of Kestrels and any amount of Ravens who would pinch your sandwich at lunchtime if you did not guard it zealously ( it happened to one of the guests after a particularly long ascent and was looking forward to some well-earned food !!)

Camino Real and The Southern Volcanoes: this was a 9.5m /14.5km 800’/240m ascent and 3200’/960m descent at the southern end of the island following the GR130 with good coastal views down to Los Canarios where the desalination plant is situated. The whole day was spent walking through Lava fields.  My Trusty Boots were barely recognisable after a week of lava dust which got into everything !!!! but well worth it. I can thoroughly recommend this holiday.”
 
Avoiding the Manx winter in New Zealand and Australia
Maree Harper has recently returned from a long trip to New Zealand and Australia where she undertook a number of treks as well as catching up with family and friends. The photo Maree has shared with us was taken in Freemantle (Western Australia) with her friend Lorna. Maree explained that it was only possible to walk in the mornings because of the heat. She described her delight in being able to walk barefoot in the shallow sea waters in shorts – a rather different experience to those of us on the other side of the world wrapped up against the elements!

PRIVACY POLICY
Our privacy policy can be viewed by clicking on the link at the bottom of each page.

The following MAJOR footpaths have been temporarily closed

PRoW 329 Section of the Raad Ny Foillan at Onchan Head. Closed 7am – 4:30pm every day until 25 April 2020 but may be extended.

PRoW 632 Riverbank Road Ramsey is closed until at least 30 April 2020.

PRoW 423 Ballasalla to Grenaby through Scout Glen, north of the Athol Bridge, closed in sections until 19 March 2020 but likely to be extended beyond this date.

For further details the contact number for DoI is 850000.

Ramblers Association Holidays
Did you know?...That the MFCG is affiliated to the Ramblers Association. When you book a walking holiday through the Ramblers Association and you say that you belong to an affiliated walking club they will pass on a small sum of money to the club. It costs you nothing extra and it benefits YOUR club.