Avoiding needing help
We were reading, as we do, the most recent reports from the Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team and there's a pattern in recent reports around Scafell Pike.
The team was called about a party of four walkers being reported lost by a concerned friend. On further discussion with the informant, it transpired that 8 people were overdue in total. A larger group had split up earlier in the day.
A call was received from Cumbria Police about a walker who was lost, cold and wet, having split from the rest of her group in misty conditions.
A second call of the day for a lost lone walker in wet and misty conditions on Scafell Pike. After some very patchy communications, it was determined that the lone walker was in Upper Eskdale.
Two walkers descending Scafell Pike had got lost in poor conditions, were wet and cold and were concerned for their safety.
The coordinates received put them in a hazardous location between Lingmell crags and Piers Gill; further descent in any direction from here is dangerous.
We took away several things from this.
First: that groups splitting up is always a risk as it proved in the first two incidents. If you're going to do that then ask yourself who in each group has the skills to safely navigate that group off the fells?
Second: people get lost, and this is especially true when summiting Scafell Pike where it's easy, even in reasonable conditions, to lose your sense of direction and start to descend south east into Upper Eskdale rather than west to Wasdale. We see this again and again in reports and there it is again in the third one.
You need to know where you are and for that you need a map, which you know how to read, and and ideally you need a GPS to let you confirm you're where you think you are.
Although we're dubious about relying on them completely as batteries run out and phones can also be dropped and break you can get GPS apps for your mobile phone and also mapping apps. We even have our own mobile mapping web app which is free and will show you where you are on a map. You're welcome to use although do be warned that you will need a data connection for that unless you pre-load the map tiles.
WMRT out in poor weather on the fourth incident
The mountain rescue teams across the Lakes are all volunteers and are out in all weathers helping people so please try not to be one of those people who wouldn't have needed their help if you had planned appropriately.
As WMRT themselves point out you need to #BeAdventureSmart when walking on the fells.
Ask yourself three questions before you set off:
- Do I have the right GEAR ?
- Do I know what the WEATHER will be like?
- Am I confident that I have the KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS for the day?
Photo copyright Wasdale MRT
Tagged: safety
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Participants in these activities should be aware of and accept these risks and be responsible for their own actions.