Rush bearing (my weight) on Wansfell

 

Having just passed the plaque to the vicar who wrote the Ambleside Rushbearing Hymn, we climbed Wansfell. It was still very damp after the recent deluge. Walkers had made use of Soft Rush (Juncus effusus) to cross some of the very wettest patches. Why do the rushes work? It could be to do with pressure because, flimsy though they are, they do seem to be increasing the area of my feet. This reduces the pressure and thus reduces the "damage" done by my feet. Here's the hymn https://www.amblesideonline.co.uk/useful-information/local-events/rushbearing/rushbearing-hymn/