Idiots in the mountains

[Globalti]

Keswick Mountain Rescue Team statistics:

http://www.keswickmrt.org.uk/statistics.htm

 

[calibanzwei]

I've got the 24 hour Welsh 3 Peaks in May - Snowdon, Cadair Idris and Pen-y-Fan (in that order) before a BBQ in Cardiff
I'm well used to the rubbishy and quick changing weather that Kinder usually throws at you... simply astounded at the lengths people will go to, to put themselves and others at risk

 

[Maz]

I'm all for British people bumbling along, but the number of call outs the MRTs get up here is getting ridiculous. The poor volunteers in the MRTs are spending more and more time escorting people from fells who are underprepared and often using smartphones as maps.

Are there any notices (at ground level, etc) warning people about the potential dangers of being underprepared?

 

[ColinJ]

Keswick Mountain Rescue Team statistics:

http://www.keswickmrt.org.uk/statistics.htm

I stayed in Keswick once and was being pestered to agree to go up Sharp Edge. Given that I have no head for heights at all, the weather was not that great and step-sprog was only about 8 at the time, I felt strongly that it was not a great idea. Cue lots of sulking. Then we were browsing through some books in a Keswick bookshop and I came across these Keswick MRT stats for Sharp Edge - that was enough for me - NO WAY, JOSÉ!

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Are there any notices (at ground level, etc) warning people about the potential dangers of being underprepared?

You'd need thousands then - lot's of mountains with lot's of routes.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

The aim is Ben Nevis 6am Sat, Scafell Pike 5pm Sat, Snowdon 2am Sun - so North-South.

It should be OK and we're going through some training as well.

Have you done all these routes previously?

 

[DCLane]

Have you done all these routes previously?

I've done half of Ben Nevis, when it snowed in August and Scafell Pike about 20 years ago.

However, there's a team of us doing it including others who have done the route plus support vehicles. That should be OK, hopefully.

 

[Crackle]

Keswick Mountain Rescue Team statistics:

http://www.keswickmrt.org.uk/statistics.htm

Reading that, there's a description of a couple who came down in the wrong valley and it ended up costing them £118 in a taxi.

Easy to do. I came across a couple who'd gone for a walk in the Langdales and ended up in Stonethwaite in the opposite valley. It took me a while to realize where they'd come from as I just couldn't get my head around where he was describing in relation to where he was. Eventually I explained where he was and that he was 25 miles away by road from where he wanted to be. They were surprised but not too concerned and wondered off to investigate the buses. We took pity on them as she was 8 months pregnant and looking tired and we jumped in the car to go after them. Picked them up and took them back.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

I've done half of Ben Nevis, when it snowed in August and Scafell Pike about 20 years ago.

However, there's a team of us doing it including others who have done the route plus support vehicles. That should be OK, hopefully.

As already said I wish you all the best and if you are a fit guy who can move quickly over rough terrain you may well be ok.

It is a hideous challenge though and one that I would not enjoy at all - but such is the nature of these events.

I admire anyone that completes this in sub 24 hours - with well over a thousand (I keep records sadly) mountain days under my belt this is not something I would contemplate doing.

BN is a decent enough hike for one day and is a fair bit of effort even up the Tourist Route. SP is not too far behind and whilst Snowie needs little effort in the right conditions stringing the 3 together is my idea of purgatory. But then I'm a wuss!

I'm not sure how anyone does it tbh as the travelling time is a whopping chunk out of the 24 hour allotment.

I think the target times are BN 5 hours, SP 4-5 hours depending on start point and SN 4 hours from the foot of the mountain as opposed to a fair way up at PYP I presume? That's for hill-fit, hill-savvy people. 14 hours is a long mountain day without the travelling involved.

Hope you raise loads-a-money!

 

[DCLane]

I think the target times are BN 5 hours, SP 4-5 hours depending on start point and SN 4 hours from the foot of the mountain as opposed to a fair way up at PYP I presume? That's for hill-fit, hill-savvy people. 14 hours is a long mountain day without the travelling involved.

Hope you raise loads-a-money!

Thanks - and yes, you've got the target times correct.

We're having 3 pre-walks (I'm doing 2 of them) and if you struggle on any, then you're out!

Your best wishes are much appreciated.

 

[classic33]

The aim is Ben Nevis 6am Sat, Scafell Pike 5pm Sat, Snowdon 2am Sun - so North-South.

It should be OK and we're going through some training as well.

Did it the other way round,for a bit of fun. Roughly similar start times for the first & the third.
Best o' luck. Just remember that more accidents happen on the descent than the ascent.

Pictures, as proof please