Top Lad

Quite literally! You don't get much more top than the top of Everest. It's a tough job if you're fit and young, to do it at the age of 65 is an astonishing achievement.

Sir Ranulph, top lad.

Follow Up

Just as quick follow up to yesterday's post regarding the accident in Glen Coe I thought I'd point you towards this (at least those of you with an interest in the mountains, to the rest of you it's a pretty pointless exercise!). It's a pretty good avalanche awareness quiz produced by Glenmore Lodge and worth having a go at.

I think I did reasonably well at 74% although I reckon I could do with some refresher training given the score. (In my own defence a couple of the questions weren't completely wrong, like when asked to pick the most dangerous route I may not have picked THE most dangerous but still clearly picked a pretty dam stupid one!).

Life is to be lived

It's that time of year again when the mountains are covered in their full winter glory, when they are at their most magnificent and beautiful. Tragically it is also the time of year when we will hear of climbers and walkers being killed in avalanches.

At the time of writing the full facts of what happened are not known yet the reports in all parts of the media seem to be suggesting that those involved were irresponsible in being where they were. It is true that a category 3 avalanche warning covered the area for NE-N-NW facing slopes. It is also true that a majority of those rescued by mountain rescue teams have to bare at least part of the responsibility for what happens to them. The number who are poorly equipped or not capable of taking on what they are doing is extraordinary. I know I once came close to getting badly hurt, or worse, through my own stupidity. Thankfully I was unscathed and learned a valuable lesson.

Equally true though is that we do not know what happened to these people, were they on a south facing slope? Were they roped up? Maybe they did everything right. Similarly a huge number of people are hurt in the mountains through a simple trip or mistake. I once became disorientated in a white out and again came close to a nasty accident (I nearly walked off a cliff) but once again got away with it.

So the first thing I want to say about all this is can we not blame the victims until we have some idea of what actually happened? If they were crossing a north facing convex gully with off white snow that squeaked under foot then they were foolish. But we don't know that so lets lay off of them shall we.

Second lets deal with the old chestnut of how much these rescues cost. Mountain rescue teams are volunteers funded entirely by voluntary donations. They are climbers, walkers and skiers rescuing their own. You don't want to pay, then don't donate. Easy. Similarly RAF/Navy rescue helicopters are really there to rescue downed air crew in war time. Incidents such as this are treated as live training. If they didn't happen they would have to be simulated which would cost even more!

Finally I'd like to comment on why people do this. It's called a sense of adventure.

We are only on this planet a short time. Most of us will get 80 something years here. And this planet is a pretty amazing place. The mountains are, in my opinion, one of its most stunning parts. For others it will be forests, others the ocean, others just gentle rolling planes. Why should we have to sit and admire from a distance? Why shouldn't we go and see them for ourselves and explore and test ourselves? It is human nature to want to do these things. Yes when we do these things we should seek to do so in a responsible manner, but if we are aware of the risks and the consequences and we do not endanger those unwilling to be endangered, why should we not go and climb a mountain? We'd best do it while we are alive as we wont get another chance.

My adventures have been relatively modest but I'm glad I've had them, I feel far more alive than if I had simply played it safe. If we simply sit in our suburban cocoon for those 80 years then we may as well never have lived at all.

More Mountains

A couple more photos taken by yours truly a couple of years back in North Wales showing why I love the mountains.

Pig Bloody Ignorance

It was with great sadness that I read this story while scouring the mail website

Note, this is nothing to dowith him being a scout but simple sadness for the loss of a fellow mountaineer. Anyone that loves the mountains and being in them has something in common and when one dies we lose one of our own.

Also note that for once I can find no fault with article, none at all, it is simple reporting of the facts, something that journalism could do with a little more of, in my humble opinion. No, my issue is with the smug little gits who have commented, who have come out with some of these wonderful little gems.

"//'Tom was an experienced scout so it's a mystery why this happened./// Simple - he clearly wasn't that exerienced. No experienced walker/hiker would go off by themselves like this. That's Walking Rule Number One - the very first thing that you get taught. Simple case of him thinking he was more advanced than he was.

- Rob, Amsterdam, Netherlands., 14/8/2008 11:11"

Ah yes the Netherlands, reknowned for its mountains isn't it? Rob your ignorance is incredible, going off on your own does not make it any less likely that you have a simple trip or slip, as this appears to be. Yes it can hasten your rescue but it doesn't stop accidents.

After being ticked off by another poster Rob resurfaces

//Not a word of sympathy from Ann/Rob. You should be ashamed//. Yeah, fair point. It is indeed a tragic loss. But my main sympathies are reserved for the mountain rescue teams that place themselves in danger due to other people's recklesness and those that over-estimate their own abilities.
- Rob, Amsterdam, Netherlands., 14/8/2008 14:24

Once again Rob fails to grasp the point that being on his own didn't cause this accident or that mountain rescue teams are mostly volunteers who choose to do what they do and is a simple case of mountaineers rescuing their own.

i do not know why he took such a risk .
- pamela, weymouth great britain, 14/8/2008 14:33

Look Pam, the small risk walkers (and this is what he was doing rather than full on climbing) take is simply because they have a sense of adventure, something you clearly lack. Just accept that not everyone wants to just sit and home and piss their life away watching Eastenders.

no sympathy..he knew the risks and was out f his depth
- donny dehaviland, fleet ,hampshire england, 14/8/2008 16:01

FUCK OFF YOU LITTLE WANK STAIN, A YOUNG MAN HAS JUST DIED SO KISS MY ARSE YOU LITTLE SHIT. YOU MAY HAVE NO SYMPATHY BUT YOU DON'T FUCKING WELL SAY IT. THIS MAN HAD FAMILY AND FRIENDS WHO HAVE JUST BEEN BEREAVED, WHO MAY WELL BE LOOKING AT THE MEDIA COVERAGE AND YOU TROT OUT ILL THOUGHT OUT GARBAGE LIKE THIS FOR THEM TO READ?

The utter ignorance shown by these commentators infuriates me. So I think I'll leave you with why I love the mountains, a picture of the central Scottish Highlands taken by me when I was 18. This is my screen saver, enjoy!