[Talk-GB] Spring and summer UK countryside mapping parties

[Nick Whitelegg]

Well, it's that time of year again I guess where our thoughts turn thoroughly 
to the upcoming spring and summer, and I'd like to suggest a couple of UK 
outdoors-orientated mapping parties.

1. The Southwest Surrey Mapping Party, or "Fill The Gap III" (following on 
from  Richmond and East Hants). At the moment there exists a gap of about 10 
miles between the SW London/Guildford well-mapped area and the 
Haslemere-Petersfield-Midhurst triangle (the original home of Freemap). I'd 
like to propose a mapping party to close that gap, pencilling in the weekend 
of April 5/6 (two weeks after Easter). Like the East Hants party this will be 
countryside orientated (foot/off-road bike/horse???), the aim is to try and 
complete as much of the footpath network along the 
Haslemere/Hindhead-Guildford axis as possible, but there will be scope for 
car drivers (e.g. Godalming, complete Haslemere). If this gap is filled we 
will have a swathe of good mapping stretching from London all the way down to 
the New Forest, almost 100 miles.

2. A mountain-area mapping party, following up to the Lake District party last 
July,  I'd like to suggest a couple of options: 

* either return to the Lake District and cover the west side (Wasdale/Scafell 
Pike/Great Gable/Buttermere, etc - currently not mapped at all),
* central Snowdonia. Some Snowdon paths are mapped but there's still plenty of 
gaps.

Please let me know any preference (or other suggestions). This will be 
sometime between June 15-July 15, I want to avoid the school holidays as the 
Lake District was surprisingly (and pleasantly) quiet last year in early July 
so this seems to be a good time to go. More details when I know about work 
commitments.

Nick