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Main Boards => News and Articles => Topic started by: sussamb on 19:02:41, 13/02/17

Title: Group in trouble on Cheviots
Post by: sussamb on 19:02:41, 13/02/17
Interesting article, mentions the group practising for a summer endurance walk.  If it's the Spine Fusion or Flare they probably shouldn't even start!


https://www.grough.co.uk/magazine/2017/02/13/more-than-60-volunteers-battle-blizzards-in-10-hour-rescue-of-cheviots-walkers
Title: Re: Group in trouble on Cheviots
Post by: craven50 on 21:28:16, 13/02/17
Interesting article, mentions the group practising for a summer endurance walk.  If it's the Spine Fusion or Flare they probably shouldn't even start!


https://www.grough.co.uk/magazine/2017/02/13/more-than-60-volunteers-battle-blizzards-in-10-hour-rescue-of-cheviots-walkers (https://www.grough.co.uk/magazine/2017/02/13/more-than-60-volunteers-battle-blizzards-in-10-hour-rescue-of-cheviots-walkers)


Very funny your comment! I do not think >:( .
Title: Re: Group in trouble on Cheviots
Post by: jimbob on 23:48:33, 13/02/17
I think Sussamb has a fair point. If they cannot even read the weather and be prepared for the worst, which was their biggest mistake, then they should not be in the hills putting themselves and others at risk. I was up home last week and the forecast for the hills was awful. They should have had some real winter gear with them at this time of year.  Will they really learn from this in time for their endurance event , Sussamb is right, they should maybe just not bother.
Title: Re: Group in trouble on Cheviots
Post by: Innominate Man on 09:52:12, 14/02/17
As ever we can only make comments on what we are presented with and in this case we have to rely on the accuracy of the reporting.
It sounds as though they had enough sense to leave notice of their intended destination/route and to seek shelter. But for me the comment about losing both shoes, is the most worrying. Whoever goes out in conditions like that in shoes is at serious risk and places their comrades in an equal predicament.
I would imagine that person is suffering for their mistake at the moment. Hopefully they avoided frostbite.
Title: Re: Group in trouble on Cheviots
Post by: tonyk on 13:39:32, 14/02/17
 A rather strange way to prepare for a summer challenge walk.
Title: Re: Group in trouble on Cheviots
Post by: sparnel on 16:26:20, 14/02/17
Please don't be too judgemnental, we don't know all the facts.
Title: Re: Group in trouble on Cheviots
Post by: fat goat on 16:45:30, 14/02/17
 "As this incident shows, it only takes a silly accident to change things dramatically. The party had left a route-card detailing their intended route, which is essential, and had done almost everything right."  


Whilst some will jump all over the salient "almost everything right" section of that article, those of us slightly less up ourselves might feel a tad of empathy with the walkers involved. At one time in my distant past I climbed Ingleborough with the temperature at the bottom being around 24c and that at the top around -1c. Weather changes, but with more poignancy - sometimes it doesn't!


We're told by those in the know to prepare for all eventualities, yet at the same time 'don't over burden yourself with too much tackle'. A happy medium must be found, is there a Naismith's rule for calculating the point at which point this medium is reached? Good judgement will be the clarion call, but do any of us know all of the facts? It's easy to criticise...it's not always helpful retrospectively.


Perhaps it's worth pondering over this parody: if there were no people needing to be rescued, there would be no Mountain Rescue for the freak accidents that do occur. 
Title: Re: Group in trouble on Cheviots
Post by: Islandplodder on 19:40:07, 14/02/17
Many of us have got away with the odd mistake on the hills in our giddy youth.  I mean, how did we all survive before goretex, breathable fabrics and fancy walking gear?  Most of us were lucky, but sometimes it was luck not judgement and I wouldn't like to criticise anyone who gets caught out. 
Title: Re: Group in trouble on Cheviots
Post by: tonyk on 20:20:07, 14/02/17
 The Cheviots main ridge can be a harsh place at anytime of the year.Its very exposed,has few places to shelter other than the two huts and the rocks on the summit of Windy Gyle.They did the right thing in getting off the ridge and trying to find shelter in the trees as its far quicker to go down than fight your way for several miles through drifts on the ridge plus they would have struggled with ten people in a hut.As for the guy who lost his boots and continued in bare feet....I doubt if they could have done anything else as they had very lightweight kit,and I presume,no tents or sleeping bag.If he had been left for collection by MRT its unlikely he would have survived in the open.

 The challenge walk is going to seem like a picnic after that ordeal.
Title: Re: Group in trouble on Cheviots
Post by: Owen on 20:50:23, 14/02/17
Whoever goes out in conditions like that in shoes is at serious risk and places their comrades in an equal predicament.
I would imagine that person is suffering for their mistake at the moment. Hopefully they avoided frostbite.


You'd be surprised how many people use fell shoes all year round quite happily.
Title: Re: Group in trouble on Cheviots
Post by: geordie33 on 07:51:29, 15/02/17
I was doing a low level walk for the Ramblers on the day in question.Very cold with rain and sleet.All the local forecasts indicated the North Pennines and Cheviots were going to be very difficult.Windy Gyle is particularly unforgiving.The outcome could have been very nuch worse.
Title: Re: Group in trouble on Cheviots
Post by: mike knipe on 22:11:11, 15/02/17
I think Islandplodder has it right - the only people who never [censored]-up are the ones who never did anything. I expect they can all reflect on a whatever it was they learned...

Me and a pal are heading for the Cheviots for a four-night jolly next week........not too far, slackpacking, I meantersay, what could possibly go wrong?
Title: Re: Group in trouble on Cheviots
Post by: Ridge on 08:36:51, 16/02/17
The forum appears to have slipped in to a black hole and gone back in time, first April and Beefy posting and now Mr Knipe. I expect Hannibal to be posting this time next week asking if he should use some form of baggage transfer service for his walk across the Alps.


Back on topic I'm sure that most of us have made mistakes. The person loosing their shoes is not only frightening because of what may have happened to his feet but also that he must have been so stuck that his friends dragging him out left them behind with no hope of there retrieval.
Title: Re: Group in trouble on Cheviots
Post by: mike knipe on 11:36:55, 16/02/17
I wonder if those "shoes" are still there...?

Ridge - You can still contact me via that scouse bloke on Most Haunted. Can't remember his name.  I just thought it was odd that all his ghosts seemed to come from Scottie Road.. mwhahahahah!
Title: Re: Group in trouble on Cheviots
Post by: Innominate Man on 16:48:52, 16/02/17
I wonder if those "shoes" are still there...?

Ridge - You can still contact me via that scouse bloke on Most Haunted. Can't remember his name.  I just thought it was odd that all his ghosts seemed to come from Scottie Road.. mwhahahahah!
Derek Acorah !!
Or his spook intermediary - Sam  :D
Title: Re: Group in trouble on Cheviots
Post by: April on 19:45:19, 16/02/17
The forum appears to have slipped in to a black hole and gone back in time, first April and Beefy posting and now Mr Knipe. I expect Hannibal to be posting this time next week asking if he should use some form of baggage transfer service for his walk across the Alps.

You think we are as old as Hannibal?   :o  :(   ;)
Title: Re: Group in trouble on Cheviots
Post by: Innominate Man on 22:13:44, 16/02/17
You think we are as old as Hannibal?   :o :(   ;)


Lecter ?  ;D