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ComedyPilot

Secret Lemonade Drinker
I must be an obstinate sod in my old age, but why did dad drop them off? Why didn't he go with them? Why was the alarm only raised when they were 5 hours late?

Not a nice situaton, but so very easily avoidable.
 

doctornige

Well-Known Member
I know that hill very, very well, and have even assisted in a mountain rescue on it. As a former Scout from a Troop that was very hillwalking focused, I can say that going up Bennachie aged 12 and 14 is not a big deal if you are trained and have the right gear. The lag time to the alarm raising would depend on the intended route and whether or not that route was known to someone else who could correctly calculate the time required to cover the distance. The odd thing from my point of view is why the hill was not crawling with legions of walkers who could have realised that these two were in bother. It is a very popular place.
 

Pat "5mph"

A kilogrammicaly challenged woman
Moderator
Location
Glasgow
I must be an obstinate sod in my old age, but why did dad drop them off? Why didn't he go with them? Why was the alarm only raised when they were 5 hours late?

Not a nice situaton, but so very easily avoidable.

Just what sprung to mind. Would never leave a 14 year old and a 12 year old go on trails alone.
 

sunnyjim

Senior Member
Location
Edinburgh
No idea what preparation they had, or indeed exactly where they were supposed to be going, but 12-14 year olds are quite capable of cycling & walking expeditions on their own. Both in and out of scouts, I did many trips, including overnight camping at such an age, and I don't believe that it's just that modern kids are somehow inferior to us apparently more hardy souls of the 1960s. If there is any blame to parents, it's not for letting them do the trip, but not letting them do enough shorter trips and suffering lesser hardships in preparation.
 

Mad Doug Biker

Just a damaged guy.
Location
Craggy Island
What, in the woods? mountain biking? Guess I would be an overprotective mother if I had kids :rolleyes:

You said trails, and that is what I replied too, but actually, yes, we used to go off up the crags overlooking Dumbarton etc on proper hikes and expeditions. They weren't dangerous big mountains or anything, but the scope for things going wrong was still quite large at times.
 

Pat "5mph"

A kilogrammicaly challenged woman
Moderator
Location
Glasgow
You said trails, and that is what I replied too, but actually, yes, we used to go off up the crags overlooking Dumbarton etc on proper hikes and expeditions. They weren't dangerous big mountains or anything, but the scope for things going wrong was still quite large at times.
I'm old fashioned, find this a bit "irresponsible parenting", but, hey, to each his own!
 

Mad Doug Biker

Just a damaged guy.
Location
Craggy Island
I'm old fashioned, find this a bit "irresponsible parenting", but, hey, to each his own!

Irresponsible? It taught us about our surrounding area, when and when not to take risks etc and it also helped keep us fit(ish). Admittedly, we might not have strayed particularly far in the great scheme of things, but, being surrounded by all those hills and trees, you didn't really need too, and besides, who would have stopped us?

Like it or not, kids will always be kids.
 

PaulB

Legendary Member
Location
Colne
What, in the woods? mountain biking? Guess I would be an overprotective mother if I had kids :rolleyes:

When does 'overprotective' become 'stifling'? These kids were 14 and 12. Richard Branson's mother put a stop to her son's 'clinginess' by dropping him off in the Devonshire wilderness to find his own way back home when he was four years old! That taught him to be self-reliant at an early age but some parents need to know a time comes when they need to let go. Otherwise, they'll end up with dependent children who still live at home and can't tie their shoelaces at 35.
 

Sandra6

Veteran
Location
Cumbria
A group of us went off berrying when I was about 9, we were out for about 5 hours in blissful ignorance of the police out looking for us!
I don't think there's anything wrong with kids this age going out on their bikes, but personally I would've been out looking for them myself much sooner. And why no mobile phone?
 

GBC

Veteran
Location
Glasgow
The thing that I found refreshing in this story was the lack of criticism of anyone involved. Like many others here, I was out cycling in the countryside with friends at that sort of age, around Dundee in my case, and no one thought anything of it. To me it just seemed to be kids being kids.
 
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