Sheer Stupidity

slparry · Post by **slparry** » Sat Mar 23, 2013 7:57 pm

D'ya know, in my honest opinion, some people deserve to be charged for endangering the lives of others!!!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-21893236

What sort of feckin' idjit goes up Wales' highest mountain when all the predicted weather reports were warning of this white out!!!

Bikerhoss · Post by **Bikerhoss** » Sat Mar 23, 2013 8:08 pm

I see your point given the forecast, and I've heard plenty stories of idiots stuck on the hills from a mate who used to be Braemar Mountain Rescue, but........
There are plenty of 'dangerous' sports and hobbies that thousands of folk indulge in and enjoy every day. From what I could see on the footage, this lot looked like they had decent kit at least, but undoubtably underestimated their abilities (or the weather).
Restricting outdoor sports etc isn't the answer, 'cause there will always be people needing rescued regardless.

We're just lucky there are folk like my pal who are prepared to risk their lives to save others

slparry · Post by **slparry** » Sat Mar 23, 2013 8:11 pm

I think most of the guys were the Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team by the looks of it

By the looks of it they were incredibly lucky to have been found

http://www.itv.com/news/wales/update/20 ... m-snowdon/

Herb · Post by **Herb** » Sat Mar 23, 2013 8:38 pm

Bikerhoss wrote:From what I could see on the footage, this lot looked like they had decent kit at least:

Shorts and T shirt weather for people from your neck of the woods!

Bikerhoss · Post by **Bikerhoss** » Sat Mar 23, 2013 8:47 pm

Herb wrote:Shorts and T shirt weather for people from your neck of the woods!

Aye, But the T-shirt is only for when it gets really cold

Grip Fast · Post by **Grip Fast** » Sun Mar 24, 2013 11:34 am

A difficult balance to get right. Protect edjits from themselves versus the freedom to indulge our passions. I'm for education, training and information, not laws and rules.

There are plenty of folks think we're edjits for riding motorcycles, bicycles, horses, flying engineless aircraft, etc etc. And many of them, unfortunately, are in lawmaking roles and would like to see us stopped.

When I were a lad, a couple of my mates were in a youth rescue team associated with an RAF mountain rescue team. They loved the adventure, and I envied them (I wasn't hard enough to get in the team).

But yes, a certain sympathy for slparry's point of view when it comes to putting other folks' lives at risk through thoughtless stupidity (though I haven't watched the footage yet, so not making a judgement in this case).

Grip Fast · Post by **Grip Fast** » Sun Mar 24, 2013 11:44 am

Forgot to mention sailing too. My friend, a very experienced and qualified sailor, went round Isle of Wight in a force 6/7 yesterday. Said it was challenging.

I would completely trust his judgement with regard to sailing, but if something had gone wrong and he needed rescuing, should he be charged with endangering the rescue services.

Difficult line to draw...

Dog Tyred · Post by **Dog Tyred** » Sun Mar 24, 2013 12:20 pm

Personally I think this story is being made more of than it actually is. I wasn't there so I don't know how well equipped they were or their experience.

Yes they were up in the hills in severe weather but then so were others. Nobody has mentioned the walker that found them in the first place! Was he endangering life as well, especially as he was on his own??

I really enjoy the hills in winter and have to admit I have been caught out by changing weather on a couple of occasions but always managed to extract myself. It adds to the excitement and teaches us for next time. I suspect that this mother and son would probably have been able to extract themselves from the crap had the other walker not come along. And what an adventure they would have had and what a great learning experience as well.

Life is not a rehearsal. Get out there and live it. Ride your bike a bit fast, climb a mountain in winter, jump out of an aeroplane, dive in the sea, eat Tesco economy burgers, etc,etc.
Sometimes it all goes wrong but hey, shit happens. that's why we have a paid fore emergency services and are genuinely grateful to the volunteer emergency services like mountain rescue, some of which I'm sure do it for the buzz of being out on the hills in winter conditions!

DT

Gromit · Post by **Gromit** » Sun Mar 24, 2013 1:52 pm

I'd very much with ^Greg^ on this one, and as Herbert Spencer once said...

"The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of folly, is to fill the world with fools"

I also very much enjoy winter hill-walking (for one thing it's a hell of a lot quieter than the 'Summer') but there is always some risk, particularly when there's been a lot of snow. Would never stop me doing it though, and with nearly 25 years' experience (mainly in the Lake District) I've yet to come too much of a cropper - although I did dislocate a finger once falling *rse over t*t when I slipped descending from Blencathra.

Blackal · Post by **Blackal** » Sun Mar 24, 2013 8:20 pm

The idiots who go up mountains with shorts, t-shirt, a bottle of Evian, two bags of Walkers' crisps..... and their mobile phone (to text their mates) - deserve whatever they get..........

but

I read an article by one of the Scottish mountain rescue centres - they said that they didn't mind rescuing them - it was good practice.

Al

Hayden · Post by **Hayden** » Sun Mar 24, 2013 9:17 pm

Yep, totaly daft, you wouldn`t catch me up a mountain in the winter, you can meet some strange folk there!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/40007933@N04/8586380903/

Dog Tyred · Post by **Dog Tyred** » Mon Mar 25, 2013 9:37 am

Hinckley man wrote:Yep, totaly daft, you wouldn`t catch me up a mountain in the winter, you can meet some strange folk there!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/40007933@N04/8586380903/

Haa!

Nice colour coordination on jackets and gaiters

Happy days

DT

Dog Tyred · Post by **Dog Tyred** » Mon Mar 25, 2013 9:39 am

Gromit wrote:
I also very much enjoy winter hill-walking (for one thing it's a hell of a lot quieter than the 'Summer') but there is always some risk, particularly when there's been a lot of snow. Would never stop me doing it though, and with nearly 25 years' experience (mainly in the Lake District) I've yet to come too much of a cropper - although I did dislocate a finger once falling *rse over t*t when I slipped descending from Blencathra.

With all this time on your hands Richard sounds like a perfect excuse for a Boxertrix weekend away (without the bikes I might add!!).

Scotland is lovely this time of year

although gave up camping in winter several years ago

DT

Gromit · Post by **Gromit** » Mon Mar 25, 2013 11:14 am

Dog Tyred wrote:
With all this time on your hands Richard sounds like a perfect excuse for a Boxertrix weekend away (without the bikes I might add!!).

DT

That's not such a bad idea Greg - would be up for doing something along those line for the Boxertrix walking fraternity, might make a nice change, and is a lot less weather-dependant than biking. A long weekend stopping at the Wasdale Head Inn perhaps? No need to drive anywhere, awesome walks on the doorstep and top beer/nosh in the pub.

dave the german · Post by **dave the german** » Mon Mar 25, 2013 12:15 pm

or even one for the none walking fraternity - you can walk we'll drink and eat - a boxerbollox weekend!!