How to be more green at the hut.
1. Cook or boil water on wood burner
The large kettle can provide water for tea for a whole afternoon or evening. Often it doesn’t quite reach boiling but it is usually the perfect temperature for tea. Plan ahead though, especially if cooking food, as it takes a long time to get warmed up.
2. Use rubbish recycling facilities (here or at home)
Glass recycling is available in the Waterloo car park. Composting is right outside the front door. The club’s council recycling bin should be behind the Waterloo Hotel and is for cans and plastic bottles. When not available it would be great if you could take these home to recycle. Paper can be used for starting the fire or composted. Egg boxes and newspapers are appropriate for the composter. All other rubbish (hopefully not very much) can be dropped in the WMC council bin behind the Waterloo Hotel. Rubbish is very easy to separate in the kitchen at PYC as there are containers provided. It is a good idea to take down glass recycling each time you visit the Waterloo car park as all those bottles get heavy and awkward by the end of a weekend.
3. Think before you flush
If it’s yellow stay mellow. If it’s brown flush it down. Obviously you should also consider other hut users.
4. Turn power off when not needed:
During the winter the solar panels cannot provide enough power to keep the battery bank full. This means we need to use a generator to power a charger to do the job, using a lot of LPG. Bad for the environment and our backs as we have to carry it up the hill.
All the time the main power is on so is the UV water steriliser in the kitchen. So turn it of when out, and overnight. Also turn lights off when they aren’t needed (especially in the toilet block).
5. Use the washing up bowl rather than the sink
This saves gas by using around 20% less hot water.
6. Restock with environmentally friendly/biodegradable cleaning products
PYC is an inhabited spot in a large swathe of nature. If we can put less chemicals into the environment it will improve our balance with nature.
7. Use paper rather than firelighters
As a waste product paper is cheaper, greener and more satisfying to start the fire with. The wood should be dry and seasoned anyway and there are numerous axes for creating some great kindling. Even Ray Mears or Bear Grylls could manage to light a fire without the help of a firelighter or a production assistant.
8. Choose to use green/sustainable local businesses
A number of local businesses are trying hard to be sustainable/ethical or use local produce. There is a café and a pizzeria on the train station promenade which are both palm oil free, serve vegan/veggie options, stock fairtrade and organic products and raise money for orangutans. What’s not to like?
9.Share lifts, use public transport, walk or cycle if you can
Getting the train or bus to PYC is not practical for most of us as it would take two days and cost hundreds of pounds. However, filling your car with people will save money and emissions so is a real winner.
Whilst at PYC there are some great options for taking the bus or train out to a distant stop and walking back. A trip to Landudno Junction from Betws y Coed costs £6.30 and gives you the opportunity for a two day expedition back via the Carneddau.
Unless you want to try out the damp and dank Crag Clogwyn (out the front door, turn right and walk forward 20 metres) the best walkable local climbing is at Clogwyn Cyrau. This is approximately a 30 minute walk from the hut and there are dozens of climbs covering almost every grade. A copy of the appropriate guidebook pages is usually available in the hut. Note that the walk back may take longer as you will pass countless shops, cafés and pubs.