Zip Wild at Moel Famau

"We've just come back from Delamere where access is just off a main A road via a short, presumably Forestry Commission, lane with just two houses on it, therefore there can't be too much disturbance for local people whereas the lane for Moel Famau has a number of houses along it, all needing day to day access. We also noticed that there weren't many people using the lane to actually walk along, unlike the Moel Famau lane.

The Go Ape site looked relatively sympathetic to it's surroundings and well organised although it didn't look full by any means. However the one thing that struck us while watching, from approx 1/4mile away, was that the first sound we heard was that of the Zip wire itself (then the shouts!) which was much louder than we'd imagined. Multiplied by five, in a valley setting, the noise would be horrible!

Still trying to keep an open mind we chatted to a helpful member of staff, any problems? No, they replied, well, the only complaints are about the traffic and the shouting!

Finally, we thought we'd see how local business' are faring, after all, one of your claims is that you are 'good for local business'. Oh dear, the Delamere pub has closed down and the little cafe by the station is up for sale, not many customers in there either. Hmmmm. But the Forestry Commission cafe is buzzing! Oh well that's ok then! The locals must be delighted.......

"

Posted by Jane on 13 March 2010

"well said deborah."

Posted by v on 10 March 2010

"I can not believe this was even proposed to spoil this beautiful,natural, precious environment we are so fortunate to have in this beautifull part of our countryside.WHY CANT PEOPLE LIKE YOU LEAVE THINGS AS THEY SHOULD BE ????? Why cant people today be greatfull for the simply things in life ?, We are so so lucky to have eyes to see, legs to walk, and lungs to breath without having something as stupid as this spoiling our countryside. I have grow up with Moel Famau in my heart since i was little and now i am lucky enough to pass on what this magical place has to offer to my daughter and we do NOT want it spoilt by small minded city types popping to wales for a quick adrenerlin rush. I feel so appauled and if i have anything to do with it it will not go ahead believe me."

Posted by Deborah on 10 March 2010

"michaela- what are you on about talking about birds still flying around, what has that got to do with residence nearly getting run over and mothers with prams having to dive into bushes, so traffic increasing is not going to make that worse then, no? as for wild life there are small land animals that are splattered all over the road everyday and its only a matter of time before thats a human being so stop being selfish and pathetic as you were only talking about one vehicle. dont underestimate the anger this is causing for many residents of the area some more readily angrier than others. its not about birds that fly in the sky they all dont walk up and down the road in single file do they? "

Posted by v on 10 March 2010

"i am very concerned about the arrangement for go ape as the tafarn y gelyn to moel famau road is already busy with cars and does not need another 100's more vehicles passing through each week myself as many people who live in the area especially school children walk up and down this hill to get to nearest towns for shopping or school etc. i push a buggy up and down that hill everyday and have alreay encountered many problems with speeding vehicles and near crashes! on the other hand if you were to re-arrange the meeting point to loggerheads and bring the people up in a mini bus from there i dont really have a problem, however what is the point of meeting at the bottom moel famau carpark to then all get in a mini bus when it can be done from loggerheads car park , so if 100's of cars are coming up our lane and not a few mini buses instead that road will be inpassible if my partner has anything to do with it the will be a road block and i know many of the locals will join in so why not meet up in loggerheads and come up in a mini bus?? it will also be easier for the participants to find loggerheads as it is a more obvious and convieniant meeting point to gather."

Posted by v on 10 March 2010

"Michaela - not everyone lives near each other, therefore it is misleading of Go Ape to say 20 cars per hour - in the interests of fairness, this is a major point which needs considerable scrutiny. This is an extremely narrow lane, which is struggling badly already with the existing volume of tourists etc - this development would tip it over the edge (literally)! Until you see the road, it is difficult for non-residents/locals to understand/appreciate the nightmare this proposal will create - it will be dangerous. What right does a profit-making company have to destroy what small bit of tranquility the residents have left after all the other tourists go home? This will attract school trips - fair enough - but that will undoubtedly involve coaches - and therein lies the danger. It is unrealistic to sweep this issue under the carpet saying 'only 20 cars per hour' - they cannot guarantee that, there will be coaches from schools, and what goes up, has to come down... and it is one car (CAR, not COACH) wide...."

Posted by Sarah on 10 March 2010

"A traffic study carried out last year showed that between 200-300 vehicles approached the Moel Famau car parks from the Loggerheads side and between 130 - 170 from the Llanbedr side on weekdays. The figures shown below by Go Ape say they estimate maximum 20 cars arriving per hour staggered over that hour. What goes up must come down goes the old saying so with 20 cars departing as well that amounts to 40 cars per hour extra traffic. If Go Ape are going to be open 9 am - 6 pm this will amount to 360 extra vehicles per day added to the surveyed 330 - 470 using the whole of this narrow lane already.
What it will amount to in peak times no one can know yet but its pretty obvious to anyone who knows the road that it just cant take any more traffic.
"

Posted by ann on 10 March 2010

"in answer to sarah when i go to go apee courses it's not just me there a four of us all travelling in one car!
and the disturbence on the wildlife seems to be of a minimum. there are stills plenty of birds flying around when ever i do a course so i honestly dont think that this course will make that much of a difference."

Posted by michaela on 09 March 2010

"It all sounds fantastic...yet the quality of the roads and the area that it will be placed in will be inappropriate. The road leading up to the site is a small, one car wide single road which cars at the best of times find it hard to get up to. During the summer there are coachloads of people going up there to do DofE experiences, which is already too much. The road will become exhausted with the amount of traffic passing through it, and the state of it already? There are lethal ditches either side...and for 60 cars an hour adding to the amount of traffic already going up it is stupid. There will inevitably be an accident, is not accidentS. I'm all for a zipwire course...just not at the proposed site. Perhaps somewhere further along...Maybe Ruthin way. The amount of noise produced will be alarming for natural wildlife and it will also ruin natural habitats. Please re-think!"

Posted by lauren on 07 March 2010

"cant wait absolutely love zip wires and the aberfoyle wires are fantastic"

Posted by michaela on 06 March 2010