Author Topic: Oh dear!  (Read 4553 times)

phil1960

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Oh dear!
« on: 15:16:40, 28/11/16 »
13 "ill equipped" students rescued by ovmro from Carnedd Llewelyn on Saturday, in fading light with one having suffered a panic attack. Such a brilliant area to walk, but not to get caught out, details on Welsh news text.
Touching from a distance, further all the time.

bricam2096

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Re: Oh dear!
« Reply #1 on: 15:38:56, 28/11/16 »
LDWs done - 32 in total including 16 National Trails and 3 C2C

Wainwrights 176
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pleb

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Re: Oh dear!
« Reply #2 on: 16:11:47, 28/11/16 »
If its the first this year, in November, then that's not bad!
Whinging Moaning Old Fart

Dyffryn Ardudwy

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Re: Oh dear!
« Reply #3 on: 13:21:39, 29/11/16 »
I cannot imagine why the so called group leader or bright spark, chose Carnedd Llewellyn to take 13 totally ill equipped walkers out for a winter walk.
Firstly, there are no real easy routes to its summit, all involve quite a lengthy walk, and its one of the most exposed summits in the whole of Northern Snowdonia.

If anything untoward happens, safety is a long way away.

A winter traverse of this mountain, is for the experienced walker only, not ill equipped novices.
The exposure on Llewellyn's summit is even more acute than Snowdon, and when temperatures are as low as they have been, Carnedd Llewellyn is no place for the inexperienced or ill prepared.

In that era when there were no mobile phones, this kind of rescue would never have taken place, simply because the 13 walkers would not have dared venture anywhere near the mountain, knowing there was no backup or phone call to the mountain rescue to come to their aid.


I can understand it happening on Snowdon, but Carnedd Llewellyn is a far more difficult challenge in the depths of winter.

Another thing that annoys me also, is that the muppets in the local and national press, alway's refer to llewellyn as Wales second highest mountain.

It's the third highest, with Crib Y Ddysgl or Carnedd Ugain, next to Snowdon, just pipping it to the post.
« Last Edit: 13:26:02, 29/11/16 by Dyffryn Ardudwy »

Penygadair

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Re: Oh dear!
« Reply #4 on: 13:51:51, 29/11/16 »
Sadly you will never be able to teach "commonsense" whatever place of learning people might attend.

Innominate Man

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Re: Oh dear!
« Reply #5 on: 17:03:14, 29/11/16 »
It may have been inexperience and/or ill advised but at least it was a good ending and not a tragedy.
Hopefully a good number of those involved take something away from that day - a lesson such as a textbook cannot convey.
Only a hill but all of life to me, up there between the sunset and the sea. 
Geoffrey Winthrop Young

Jac

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Re: Oh dear!
« Reply #6 on: 18:42:00, 29/11/16 »

[/quote]

Another thing that annoys me also, is that the muppets in the local and national press, alway's refer to llewellyn as Wales second highest mountain.

It's the third highest, with Crib Y Ddysgl or Carnedd Ugain, next to Snowdon, just pipping it to the post.


Actually the link above clearly states 'third highest'
So many paths yet to walk, so little time left

Dyffryn Ardudwy

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Re: Oh dear!
« Reply #7 on: 19:10:36, 29/11/16 »
The article in today's Western Mail, the so called National Paper of Wales, published in Cardiff, refers to Carnedd Llewellyn as Wales second highest mountain.
They have referred to it as such, for so many year's in various articles, that people living in the South, are not aware of Carnedd Ugains existence.

More enlightened journalists around the country, especially those writing for the BBC do their research with more eye on accuracy to detail.

Carnedd Llewellyn is just 80ft lower than Snowdon, and Carnedd Ugain just next to Snowdon is just higher than Llewellyn, by as little as 3ft.

I suppose its an easy mistake to make, but newspaper articles should be factually accurate, especially when the mountain elevation data is so readily available.


The article we are looking at, was written by a BBC journalist, the one i read this morning was written by someone in Cathay's Cardiff, and probably knows nothing about Snowdonia.


I was referring to a different article, but both covering the same topic.
« Last Edit: 19:15:45, 29/11/16 by Dyffryn Ardudwy »

jontea

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Re: Oh dear!
« Reply #8 on: 19:19:15, 29/11/16 »
What surprised me was they were part of a walking group, they should know better, but then they are students and they in general know everything don't they?  :-\
Walking is the world’s oldest exercise and today’s modern medicine.

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jimbob

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Re: Oh dear!
« Reply #9 on: 23:18:25, 29/11/16 »


At the beginning of the article it states they were badly equipped but in the second section states "some" of them were adequately dressed.   

I wonder what the real truth of this was? Half of them in their scanties being chased by cagoule wearing maniacs sharing an ice axe?  ;D

Not to put too fine a point on it the reporting is poor.
Too little, too late, too bad......

Innominate Man

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Re: Oh dear!
« Reply #10 on: 23:19:10, 29/11/16 »
I suppose its an easy mistake to make, but newspaper articles should be factually accurate, especially when the mountain elevation data is so readily available.


From my own experience where, in a local/regional newspaper, a story was written about an incident I was involved in and couldn't have differed further from the facts if the writer had tried.
As you say, it should at least be factually accurate.
The paper stated a climber was injured after a fall into a crevice. The alarm was raised by cyclists nearby and the injured climber was stretchered to an ambulance 45mins later and released from hospital after suffering suspected head injuries.
As the climber was me ! - The facts actually were :- my Son called 999 and ran to meet the ambulance quite some distance away. This he did with little choice - he had to leave me alone since the cyclists took one look at me and ran (cycled) off.
It took the rescue services over 2 hours to get me into an ambulance. I was in hospital with a suspected pelvic fracture.
Strangely the crevice, which I assume was meant to be crevasse - is something not often found in Yorkshire gritstone climbing territory. I am certainly not aware of one on Otley Chevin !
I still have a limp but I can climb.


Ooops, sorry gone off topic. But it does serve to illustrate the foibles of the journalists.
Only a hill but all of life to me, up there between the sunset and the sea. 
Geoffrey Winthrop Young

adalard

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Re: Oh dear!
« Reply #11 on: 09:10:53, 30/11/16 »
From my own experience where, in a local/regional newspaper, a story was written about an incident I was involved in and couldn't have differed further from the facts if the writer had tried.
As you say, it should at least be factually accurate.


A link to this story was posted in a Facebook hiking group a couple of days ago actually, though the comments it prompted were far less measured than the responses here.


Someone did post from the walking party though - he said that although they only had one set of crampons and one ice axe, they were in fact fully kitted out with suitable winter clothing, and had more than enough food and the other normal gear one would take into the hills in winter. He also said that the intent wasn't to venture onto the sort of winter terrain they ended up on and that the experienced guide made an error of judgement, which (I'm assuming) led to one of the party becoming panicked.


I don't know whether this is true or not but I'd imagine it's at least as likely to be true as a poorly-written newspaper article that is aimed at provoking as many comments and shares as possible.

Dyffryn Ardudwy

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Re: Oh dear!
« Reply #12 on: 17:42:31, 01/12/16 »
Its very difficult to make an error of judgement when approaching Carnedd Lewellyn.
Its obvious the Central Carneddau Ridge is extremely high, compared to the rest of the terrain, it's either continue up or retreat to safety.

Without knowing the true facts, it looks like because the winter sunshine looked so tempting and inviting, and the mountains were free of any cloud, the leader thought reaching the summit of Wales's third highest mountain would be straight forward in the depth's of winter.

Thank goodness for the Mountain Rescue, as this adventure could have become very serious indeed had there been no chance of rescue.

tonyk

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Re: Oh dear!
« Reply #13 on: 18:34:55, 01/12/16 »
 "They were determined to carry on with their route rather than turn back."

......and to quote the immortal George Leigh Mallory:" If we get within two hundred yards of the top we shall go for it and if its a one way ticket then so be it!"

 Nice to see the 1924 spirit was alive and kicking until  the one-way ticket suddenly became a reality. ;D

Innominate Man

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Re: Oh dear!
« Reply #14 on: 23:11:50, 01/12/16 »
...... reaching the summit of Wales's third highest mountain would be straight forward in the depth's of winter.


Not wishing to be pedantic (I appreciate the topic is about the events on the mountain and not about semantics) but late November is not quite the depths of winter  :)  - Just saying !
Only a hill but all of life to me, up there between the sunset and the sea. 
Geoffrey Winthrop Young

 

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