Concrete vandalism destroys natural beauty of our trails

Having taken part in the annual Trailwalker event on the MacLehose Trail for three consecutive years almost 20 years ago, I can still recall the endurance needed to negotiate the rugged footpaths snaking over the peaks of the New Territories. Alas, the natural aesthetics of this ancient series of trails are gone forever, and the MacLehose is now a concrete footpath, a long nanny stroll still requiring endurance, but infinitely less authentic. No wonder Trailwalker time records are regularly broken.

The MacLehose is not the only trail to be vandalised. Other ancient trails are also now covered in cement, their flora and fauna damaged, their village heritage of dry stone walls and paving stones destroyed.

It has been argued that cementing the trails prevents soil erosion. Actually, it worsens it. The rain water rushes around the concrete like a river around the pillars of a bridge, washing away soil and plants, and creating great gullies that leave the paths isolated like giant tombstones.

MARK KEITH, Sai Kung

Kevin Sinclair's piece 'Atrocities with a cement mixer' (April 11), on the concrete paths proliferating in our countryside, struck a chord with me. I used to love walking along an earthen track from Wong Nai Chung Gap to Mount Butler Road. After describing its joys at length to a guest, we arrived at its starting point only to be bewildered by its transformation into a suburban road littered with dustbins, picnic tables and signs. The expectation seemed to be that walkers would generate waste every few paces and need reminding of where they were going just as regularly. This is in line with the general policy of sanitising the environment at the expense of its charms, as seen in the proposals for the Wan Chai market.

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