Whatever happened to common sense?

Every time I'm walking on one of the more popular "tourist" routes up British mountains I must admit to feeling a mixture of surprise and anger at some of the idiots I meet. In fact whilst sitting on the summit of Ben Nevis last summer, I counted how many people were inadequately equipped or inappropriately dressed. The final figure was around 90%! Most people were wearing footwear with no ankle support, many had jeans on and hardly anyone was carrying a daysack or any equipment!


More importantly, I'm always angered by the stupidity of parents who decide to not only risk their own safety but the safety of their children. We regularly see the "competitive dad" types walking with rather unhappy (and tired) looking youngsters. During our recent training weekend a woman had ventured to the summit of Scafell Pike with a toddler and a babe in arms. Obviously not having read the local weather forecast, the mother was wearing jeans and a cotton hoody, the toddler was attired in jeans and a leather jacket and the toddler in an all-in-one cotton suit. When we saw them again at the car park, the baby looked seriously cold, having experienced what was probably his first hail shower! His extremities were uncovered and looked red and sore. Surely this is tantamount to child abuse? This child could easily have become hypothermic or suffered a non-freezing cold injury. His slightly older brother looked cold, wet and tired - classic conditions for the rapid onset of hypothermia.

Come on folks - it's not rocket science! It might look picture postcard perfect from the car park but the conditions on most mountains can change rapidly, even in summer. People can and do die all year round on Britain's mountains. In addition, the strain that some people's selfish stupidity puts on UK Mountain Rescue organisations (which are charities, staffed by unpaid volunteers) is becoming critical.

Mobile phones have made people less self-reliant; it's all too easy now to call Mountain Rescue for situations that don't require them. Many seem to think that they can call to be guided off a mountain! That said, if you are in genuine trouble don't rely on your mobile. Signals can be infrequent in the mountains with all major providers. Individuals on independent Three Peaks Challenges are often horrified to find that the Wasdale Head area at the base of the Scafell Massif has no mobile signal at all, preventing communication with any support team.

The current popularity of Global Positioning Systems (GPS) is a double edged sword. It's a great piece of kit to complement use of a map and compass but on it's own it can be responsible for many mountain rescues. People need to understand that GPS has it's limitations; it relies on being able to "see" satellites overhead. If poor weather or geographic features prevent this (as often happens on Scafell Pike) the GPS can become extremely inaccurate. It's effectiveness can also be limited by operator error. If you're thinking of purchasing one, please please learn to effectively use a map and compass first and always use these as your primary navigation tools.

My advice would be;

• If you have no experience take advice before you venture into the mountains.
• Carry a map and compass. Know how to use them!
• Ensure you have the right clothing and equipment for every eventuality. Carry a headtorch even during the day - what would happen if you became delayed into darkness due to injury or navigational error?
• Carry spare clothing.
• Ensure you have more food and water than you expect to consume.
• Check weather forecasts - http://www.mwis.org.uk/ provides specific forecasts for all Britain's major mountain areas.
• Consider leaving a routecard and estimated time of return with someone responsible who can react if you don't return on time.

http://www.mountainandglen.com/ contains information on choosing the right clothing and has a kit list for mountain walking.

Our valuable Mountain Rescue resources are being stretched to their limits by some peoples' ignorance. Let's all take responsibility for our own actions and prepare adequately before heading out to enjoy the beauty of Britain's wild places.