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As a slightly morbid aside, some bothies have been demolished over the years as they were seen to encourage risky behaviour: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cair

As a slightly morbid aside, some bothies have been demolished over the years as they were seen to encourage risky behaviour: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cairngorm_Plateau_Disaster https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cairngorm_Plateau_Disaster

arethuza 8y ago
Unfortunately, no lack of people who still underestimate how dangerous the mountains in Scotland can be: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-45705249 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-457... Fortunately those people were rescued, but walking on the Cairngorm plateau in wintry weather without jackets and other essential gear is a pretty risky thing to do.
- growlist 8y ago
  I've been caught out on a walk before having drastically misjudged the time, steepness, and distance. That said, it took about 40 minutes to resolve the problem of rapidly disappearing light by making straight for the nearest pub for hot soup and a pint. Agree with you, I simply cannot fathom what does (or doesn't) go through a persons head when contemplating setting out dressed for summer into what is virtually an Arctic mountain environment. I guess some people have never been taught?
  - arethuza 8y ago
    I suspect the height of Scottish hills will make people think they are safe - after all 1300m is lower than a lot of towns in the Alps and people won't realise how quickly the weather can change and how bad it can get if it does take a turn for the worse. Edit: I take a couple of print outs of OS maps as a backup for my mobile device and normal paper map. More than once I've ended up handing these out to people I've met who have no idea where they are....
- madaxe_again 8y ago
  And Wales. I live on the edge of Snowdonia, and we’ve had a little snow over the past week - and mountain rescue have been flying back and forth several times a day every day to go rescue folks who are more often than not woefully underprepared - the weather here can turn on a dime, and a nice sunny jeans and light jacket day can turn into a blizzard almost spontaneously. I always carry water, a rat pack and an emergency shelter, even if I’m only going for an afternoon hike in the summer - but you’ll often see people herding their kids about like they’re at Disneyland. I suppose part of it is having had the experience of being stranded without - as a kid I got badly lost in the alps after skiing down the wrong side of a mountain at dusk (I thought it was the same valley the resort was in - it was not), and spent a night in a snow hole by a tree before I found my way to a track. I was fine, a little frostnipped, very exhausted, but it scared the bejesus out of me.
  - AnimalMuppet 8y ago
    That moment when you realize "that isn't the lake/valley/landmark I thought it was"... yeah, that's not fun. I had my own version of that a couple summers ago. What do you carry for an emergency shelter?
    - arethuza 8y ago
      I always (at the very least) carry a survival bag in the hills - just the big orange plastic bag things. As recommended in this list: https://www.mountaineering.scot/activities/hillwalking/getting-started/essential-kit https://www.mountaineering.scot/activities/hillwalking/getti...
    - madaxe_again 8y ago
      A pair of mylar blankets - one to wrap up in, one to use as a bivvy. One is effective, two are almost cosy - stops radiative cooling completely. Take up about as much space as a couple of packs of cigarettes.

arethuza 8y ago

Unfortunately, no lack of people who still underestimate how dangerous the mountains in Scotland can be: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-45705249 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-457... Fortunately those people were rescued, but walking on the Cairngorm plateau in wintry weather without jackets and other essential gear is a pretty risky thing to do.

growlist 8y ago
I've been caught out on a walk before having drastically misjudged the time, steepness, and distance. That said, it took about 40 minutes to resolve the problem of rapidly disappearing light by making straight for the nearest pub for hot soup and a pint. Agree with you, I simply cannot fathom what does (or doesn't) go through a persons head when contemplating setting out dressed for summer into what is virtually an Arctic mountain environment. I guess some people have never been taught?
- arethuza 8y ago
  I suspect the height of Scottish hills will make people think they are safe - after all 1300m is lower than a lot of towns in the Alps and people won't realise how quickly the weather can change and how bad it can get if it does take a turn for the worse. Edit: I take a couple of print outs of OS maps as a backup for my mobile device and normal paper map. More than once I've ended up handing these out to people I've met who have no idea where they are....
madaxe_again 8y ago
And Wales. I live on the edge of Snowdonia, and we’ve had a little snow over the past week - and mountain rescue have been flying back and forth several times a day every day to go rescue folks who are more often than not woefully underprepared - the weather here can turn on a dime, and a nice sunny jeans and light jacket day can turn into a blizzard almost spontaneously. I always carry water, a rat pack and an emergency shelter, even if I’m only going for an afternoon hike in the summer - but you’ll often see people herding their kids about like they’re at Disneyland. I suppose part of it is having had the experience of being stranded without - as a kid I got badly lost in the alps after skiing down the wrong side of a mountain at dusk (I thought it was the same valley the resort was in - it was not), and spent a night in a snow hole by a tree before I found my way to a track. I was fine, a little frostnipped, very exhausted, but it scared the bejesus out of me.
- AnimalMuppet 8y ago
  That moment when you realize "that isn't the lake/valley/landmark I thought it was"... yeah, that's not fun. I had my own version of that a couple summers ago. What do you carry for an emergency shelter?
  - arethuza 8y ago
    I always (at the very least) carry a survival bag in the hills - just the big orange plastic bag things. As recommended in this list: https://www.mountaineering.scot/activities/hillwalking/getting-started/essential-kit https://www.mountaineering.scot/activities/hillwalking/getti...
  - madaxe_again 8y ago
    A pair of mylar blankets - one to wrap up in, one to use as a bivvy. One is effective, two are almost cosy - stops radiative cooling completely. Take up about as much space as a couple of packs of cigarettes.