walking in thunder

[sussamb]

If you're sweating your fine.  The danger sign for heat exhaustion is when you aren't sweating.  You simply drank too much 

[Dyffryn Ardudwy]

The fact is, i could not drink enough.
Up until i stopped at half way house, i was sweating so much, that i knew i was in danger of dehydrating if i did not consume the large amounts of liquid i had rightly taken with me on this terribly humid day.


All i can say, is thank goodness the sun did not come out to increase the temperature, then i most certainly would have made a hasty retreat back to the car.


Snowdon will be there for another day, and a walk is meant to be enjoyed, not endured.

Its not often we get humidity this high, its usually very hot weather with low humidity, or cooler weather and high humidity.

I cannot remember when i last walked in similar conditions, its many years ago, but all i know is, i do not envisage going walking in similar weather.

I learnt by my mistake, not to go walking in high humidity, it spoilt what could have been a pleasant walk, but at least i had the sense to go fully prepared, lots of walkers i passed, either had not bothered to take water, or the water they did have, remained in their ruck sacs.

[sussamb]

You're clearly not listening 

[Mel]

I agree with what others have said DA.. Too much water and not enough electrolytes in the body causes bloating/puffiness/fatigue. 
 
Anyway, back on topic     I'd be wary of being up in the hills in thundery weather.  Having said that, I had a lovely walk home from work last night in the rain and that thunder that rumbles on for ages all over the sky.  I think I'd have been a bit more wary if it was claps of thunder and fork lightning - a "proper angry" storm 
 
 

[alewife]

You're clearly not listening 

Probably got water in his ears 




I understand a couple of sad deaths in the hills last year were due to using a selfie stick in thundery weather. The stick would act like a lightning rod, drawing the discharge and sending the current down the arm of the user en route to the earth.

[bricam2096]

Probably got water in his ears 

 

[des65]

Walked in thunder many times, as long as you do not try and hide in a cave on a cliff edge, you should be fine.


Short of digging a hole underground, it seems there is always some risk of being struck by lightening.

[jontea]

I was told, if a thunderstorm developed while on a mountain, get off the summit, find a dip on clear ground and crouch down into a ball staying on your feet, until the storm has passed. And don't hold walking poles.

[alewife]

To no-one in particular, just to point out, it's lightning, not lightening! No e. For anyone who cares

[Peter]

To no-one in particular, just to point out, its lightning, not lightening! No e. For anyone who cares

Glad it's not just me..

[DevonDave]

Glad it's not just me..

No, it's not just you Peter, it's me as well!

[Requiem]

At the moment I'm sat WAITING for thunderstorms to get out in so I can get a few photos of them in the Peak District for a project I'm doing. I've been lucky enough to get two good storms out on Stanage Edge and up at Dog Rock on Bleaklow - both times I've really been the highest point so what I did was sit down to reduce my profile, and the cameras I used were on small tripods so they didn't cause excess danger.


The best ever thunderstorm was when I was about 15 and out with my dad. Stood at High Neb, we looked at thunderheads rolling past and my dad smiled and said
"I think its going to miss us!!"
Literally a second later three strikes blasted Eyam Moor and we SPRINTED for somewhere lower down. I remember the air and ground glowing and buzzing with static.

[des65]

To no-one in particular, just to point out, its lightning, not lightening! No e. For anyone who cares

Just to point out, its is 'it's'. For anyone who cares 

[bricam2096]

They say wait until the storm has passed before moving on but....

how long would you wait until you are sure the last of the lightning has ended and how do you know for sure that it's the end? 

[Dyffryn Ardudwy]

The last serious thunderstorm i can remember vividly, was as long ago as 1978.
I was staying in St Dogmaels in Pembrokeshire, with friends, and we experienced several storms lasting nearly nine hours.
Such weather events are very rare in the Uk, a storm usually travels over very quickly, lasting no longer than the hour, or one sees the lightening from a great distance but it does not approach in your direction.

This multiple storm, seemed to last for ever, and my friend accurately gaged that it had lasted close on nine hours.

Since living in Dyffryn, i have not seen any localised lightening, heard  thunder a few times, but no lightening.

The best way to avoid walking in such dangerous weather, is to carefully examine the weather reports for your chosen region.

Ive only been caught out in a storm once, in the Beacons back in the 1980s, huge black clouds approaching from the Merthyr area towards Cribyn.

By what i can remember, only large claps of thunder was heard, no lightening (thank goodness), but being right in the thick of it, there was nowhere to hide or shelter.


Thankfully their fairly  rare events, and the best corse of action is to have an accurate weather report before you head out into the hills.


I like reading David Pledgley's interesting books on Mountain weather, he goes into great detail on the kind of weather one can expect with the cloud and pressure variations.


Well worth a read for the walker wanting to know a bit more about their environment.