UKH

According to Ceefax a man has fallen off Striding Edge in mist, and has been killed. Apparently he became separated from his brother who called out the MRT. Seems like a tragic accident.

In reply to Anonymous:

Find this news disturbing, mainly because was up there on my own just the following day, after a dry night with no further snow fall. OK the visibility was poor on the top and I needed to put crampons on for swirral edge - which proved a bit of a feisty way up given that it was covered in snow and ice...but striding edge was pretty well snow free except in isolated patches, all of which were avoidable.

So what happened?

I have to say that on top of helvellyn, still wielding ice axe and crampons having completed swirrel edge, I encountered two lads in the mist looking for the summit cairn. Visability was down to about 10 feet, it was snowy on top yet these two were wearing trainers, jeans and thin Cags. they appraoched me to ask the best way down, and I asked them if they knew were they were since I was suprised at their (lack of) kit, which did not include a rucksack between them with the usual necessaries..

Turned out they had no idea where they were, and had no map or compass. I advised them NOT to head off towards swirrel edge and instead to take a left turn back down the safest way to thirlmere following the cairns, and off they went.

Point is, they could quite easily have become another 2 fatalities. Are the lakes in winter not being treated as potentially serious outings by walkers? The conditions weren't so bad so is it a case of lack of equipment, expereince or both which leads to actual or potential fatalities?

In reply to Anonymous:

is sad news for him and his family and friends,

But If one has to die, it is a very nice place to be

In reply to john H:

True, but on the whole, I'd rather be (alive) in Wakefield..

Obviously don't know the full story, but just goes to show that something that's walked by probably thousands of people each month can still prove fatal. Just needs that one little slip.

In reply to john H:

I doubt that`ll be much comfort to them though. Fool

In reply to aluida: probably just an accident ...hillwalker also died in glen lyon at the weekend, only fell 30m. Only takes a simple trip or stumble.

In reply to Anonymous: where was that from, the ridge on the North side theres very few cliffs, An stac on the south side possibly? didnt here of this?

In reply to Iain Ridgway:Meall Ghaordaidh.

Its a grassy lump, but has a quite a few broken crags on the Lyon side, that are of no use to us, but are more than capable of hurting anyone going over them.

I took a heavy fall in Glen Lyon a while back, on Meall Buidhe (Western one) No crags involved, but a long long way on fine scree, in a most harmless looking place. Quite an uncomfortable walk out. One rock could cause a head injury.

You can do yourself a nasty out in the park. Only ever been carried off a hill once , so far, in Birmingham!

In reply to aluida:

I can only agree about your general observations, finding the top of swirrel can be tricky and descending striding risky if ill prepared,and some fools should not be up there.

However we don't know just what happened in accident. Was the walker equiped properly? Even a well equiped climber or climber could slip by mischance, and unless conditions were atrocious I would not think of using walkers confidence rope on what is after all only a grade 1 scramble, except just perhaps helping inexperienced walkers at the 'step'

In reply to Iain Ridgway:

This on the BBC website: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/3537637.stm

Sounds like a horribly easy accident.

In reply to Salamanda:

john H, in qualifying his comment, clearly recognises the very issue that you decide to pick him up on.

who does that make the fool?

In reply to woody:
A fool who recognises he is a fool, is still a fool.

In reply to Simon Caldwell:

You make the supposition that he thinks he is a fool, he simply qualifies on a sensitivity point.

I'm sure you will find somewhere relevant to apply your wisdom though.

In reply to Simon Caldwell:

Dear Simon

I agree with your statement, however a fool who recognises his foolishness can change, whereas a know-all will never learn.

Norrie

In reply to Norrie Muir:

Surely all of us hold the possibility for change for the better, even know alls.

Climbing holds many remarkably good wake up calls for the overly certain.

In reply to Offwidth:
Surely all of us hold the possibility for change for the better, even know alls.


Dear Offwidth

All of us have the possiibility for change, except the know alls, as the they know everthing already and they never learn from experience.

Norrie

In reply to Norrie Muir:
It is possible to know something and yet through experience change the way one acts upon that knowledge.

In reply to Simon Caldwell:
It is possible to know something and yet through experience change the way one acts upon that knowledge.

Dear Simon

Of course one can, unless one is a know all.

Norrie

In reply to Simon Caldwell:

Annoyingly he's probably right. I guess by his definition a know all cannot learn. Not sure they exist outside his imagination though. Labels are easy ways of dealing with people that annoy you by appearing to be a 'know-all', tackling the problem is harder but not as hard as a rock when it contradicts them, the rock always wins and hopefully the prospective know all doesnt get too badly hurt and learns.

It reminds me of the argument used by that victorian vicar who got annoyed when scientists wouldnt take him seriously with his theory: that god had created the world at the time calculated from the bible, as if Darwin was right. A theory that cannot be wrong!

In reply to fools and know alls:

Nihil in intellectu nisi prius in sensu