None of the things you write about apply only to "smart, successful people". Your whole example hinges not on the hikers being stupid or smart or successful or

None of the things you write about apply only to "smart, successful people". Your whole example hinges not on the hikers being stupid or smart or successful or failures, but unprepared and improperly guided. We could spread the blame for that all around and outside your group of hikers. Then again, nothing the article writes about is exclusive to "smart, successful people", so all in all, what exactly are we talking about?