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Are you unprepared for the fells? |
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Written by J Hoye
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Thursday, 11 October 2007 |
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 With several recent television series like BBC One's Mountain with Griff Rhy Jones, Wainwright Walks on BBC Four with Julia Bradbury and ITV1's Britain's Favourite View all featuring wild and mountainous areas it would appear that many people have been inspired to discover these beautiful areas.
Whilst this is to be encouraged, it would seem that these programmes may have presented the idea of tackling a Wainwright summit as little more than popping down to the local supermarket with a guidebook in hand. No emphasis seems to have been placed on the importance of basic walking items such as a map, compass and torch and the skills required such as being able to actually use a compass. With Half Term coming up and British Summer Time ending soon, darkness will be setting in that much earlier and there is a real risk that people walking in such terrain for the first time will underestimate the time required and end up inadequately equipped in a totally unfamiliar area as darkness falls. Sadly I fear that the sterling services of our MRT teams will be called upon even more, and the possibility of a team being tied up helping somone down without a torch whilst a person with serious life-threatening injuries has to wait longer for rescue becomes a real possibility. Whilst everyone is entitled to assistance from the MRTs, it seems that the number of preventable incidents increasing through a basic lack of knowledge and preparation is a worrying trend. As ever there is always a fine balance between increasing visitor numbers and the income they provide offset against the extra burden on services and infrastructure that they impose. Remember, in an emergency dial 999 or 112. Ask for Police, give your name, telephone number and location, your notes, map make and number. STAY BY PHONE
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Did you know that The Online Fellwalking Club has raised over £1000 for three Mountain Rescue Teams? |
| HAVE YOU SEEN? |
 When my parents moved to the Lake District, one of the first things I learnt was that their house was situated on the Dales Way. Over 18 years they've had many a walker asking for route directions and sitting on the bench near their home lapping up the scenary on their last few miles on their last day of walking into Bowness-on-Windermere. In the back of my mind, my intention has always been to walk the route and with this in mind I recently purchased a new DVD which I knew had been in production. The DVD in question is The Dales Way with Mark Richards a great new title outlining this majestic route from it's start in Ilkley all the way along its 80 miles to its terminus at Bowness on the shores of Windermere. |
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 As a child I remembered many famous mountaineering figures apart from the obvious character of AW more renowned for his walking exploits. However, other names featured in my perceptions of the high places. Some of them like Tom Weir featured on television, others like W. H. Murray, entertained me from the cover of a book, whilst to many the man in this article spoke to us all from the regular feature in The Manchester Guardian newspaper. A. Harry Griffin wrote an amazing Country Diary for nigh on fifty three years. In this time he took many on an amazing journey outside, what was for many, their urban homes. |
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LDNPA News
"I'd just like to say what a great weekend it has been and thanks to everyone who made it such a great time." Liz Lemal on the Honister 2007 weekend
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