Field Notes: Storm damage repairs

Nevis Conservation Officer Julia Robertson reports on essential maintenance and repair work to the Steall gorge path.

The Steall path is particularly prone to landslips and fallen trees and took a bit of a beating from recent storm events.

Prior to our path contractors ACT Heritage carrying out the work, some of the team walked over the site with Nevis Manager Alison Austin to agree key priority areas for repairing the sections of the path suffering from erosion and deterioration.

The maintenance work carried out mainly consisted of responding to the damage cause by recent storm events, rockfalls and landslips, repairing loose stonework and resurfacing sections of the path, stabilising path edging where it was weakened or collapsed, and blocking newly developed braids.

All of this path work used locally hand-sourced material from the gorge and was completed to a high standard. Big thanks to the guys from ACT for their help.

^ Photo shows before (left) and after path repairs on the Steall Gorge path.

I will still be out doing the smaller path maintenance repair jobs over winter. There is an endless cycle of cross drain clearing, but it’s good to know it keep the path in good shape for visitors.