I am going to be the companion from hell on this holiday

[Plasticfoot]

Stop me!

I'm a fairly experienced mountain walker, something I did a lot with DH until he died. I haven't been since.

This summer, a group of my fittest friends have decided to climb a big one. They're fit, it's well within their capabilities, but I don't think they realise quite how hard it will be and they don't know mountains.

I'm really struggling to convince them about the kit they'll need, or the planning the route needs, the fact that the weather (visibility) matters or that navigation isnt just a matter of following the path. Some are even talking about taking beer up with them.

I've done this mountain a couple of times before, a tough challenge but straightforward in good weather. People die on it though and I've turned back when the weather turned, as it does in the mountains.

I can already feel I'm getting on people's nerves. I know I do worry, but there are reasons for that.

Currently I'm trying to tell them we can't fix a certain day for the climb, we'll need to look at the weather forecast closer to the time and be ready to go next day, if it looks OK, which seems normal to me and will make for a safer, more enjoyable trip. No one's getting it. I'm getting frustrated and they think I'm being bossy and overdramatic.

Ok, if you've been in dense fog on a mountain, where all paths look the same and sounds are muffled, echoey and non-directional, and it is easy to get separated and not know if you are ahead or behind the others and found that easy; then fair enough, you are superhuman and it's not an issue. Until you twist your ankle, anyway.

Read this OP, this is why you should back out of this trip!

Read this OP, this is why you should back out of this trip!

@WiddlinDiddlin are you the lady with a horse?

I am an experienced hill walker and people like your friends are what mountain rescue risk their lives for. I would not go on this walk.

I don't think mountain rescue people (many of whom are volunteers) want to risk their lives for people who deliberately ignore safety advice. Yes, they will do it if they have to, but I can't imagine them looking fondly on people who flout basic comon sense.

EnormoCob... yers!

That's the one!!

I would plan to go. You’ve warned them and advised them. Assuming the weather is suitable you can make a final decision the day before/that morning. Assuming you go, plan to take the lead in case it goes tits up, so make sure you have the communications, the first aid, the extra food, the space blanket etc. enough to deal with a single casualty/idiot. If that were to occur the whole hike gets scrubbed at that point.

I wouldn't go. If they can't even understand that you should be flexible about the day that's just too much- even if it's just rain that's unpleasant.

It seems they won't even get proper boots, that's incredibly important. However as you've joined their trip it's even harder.

So in short they want to climb a mountain, don't have the correct equipment and they're not too worried about the weather?

When I was at school age 15-16 we used to go up on Dartmoor and we always took safety equipment - lucky really since one day the mist came down and we just decided to camp as we felt it was too dangerous to continue... cue SCREAMING from somewhere to our North... we finally managed to track down a middle aged couple who'd thought that the moor looked like a nice place for a stroll - she'd badly wrenched her ankle - they were basically in jeans and jumpers and very very lost , very very cold and very very scared, - I'm not sure what would have happened if we'd not heard them. Luckily there were 6 of us and we were quite used to the moors, navigating, had the right kit etc. etc. though we could have done with stronger painkillers.

Just because somewhere looks nice for a stroll does not mean that it will be the same in an hour. You're right to make a fuss OP I would too. Chances are that they'll be absolutely fine but if anything goes wrong and it mgiht they'll be wishing they'd listened

@rainbowunicorn So you know my own mind do you? You known when Im being lighthearted and when Im not. Thats an amazing talent to have. Please tell me you didnt really think I thought she was going to Everest?

I think people don't read the right sort of books any more. Anyone who grew up with Arthur Ransome and other children's adventure stories knows all about the dangers of fells, moors, mountains, cliffs, caves, tides etc (around the coast the RNLI, who are also volunteers, deal with people who are similarly unprepared and who ignore warnings).

I'm wondering if they do know its challenging but are winding you up a bit. Maybe they feel you are being a bit preachy and condensending, hence the eye rolling.

I have already commented but if they are fit, you go in good conditions and at least one of you can read a map properly you should be OK. Maybe just a reminder that you'll have lunch on the mountain so bring plenty of butties and water. As an expierenced walker you would be taking extra layers and a shelter and first aid kit for an emergency anyway. There's no need for everyone take one.

Wow, they were lucky! I hope they were grateful?

Lots of people don't understand the dangers of climbing, even small mountains, and it shows in this thread.

If they continue to not take it on board, I'd pull out, otherwise it could ruin your enjoyment.

People make choices that impact others every single day. The decision to drive after 1 too many beers for example. They’ve made their decision clear. She needs to back off and leave them to it

You said it was a ‘lighthearted quip’. Nobody has to guess your intent when you say why you said what you did. Also, nobody thinks you were serious or thinks you actually believe the OP was planning on climbing Everest.

The point is you completely misread the room and failed to realise it was a wholly inappropriate comment in light of what the OP had posted.

Maybe time to stop digging?

I’ve done quite a bit of walking like this. So have the (young adults) dcs and dh. One of the dcs is also doing marathons, fell races etc….

So discussions around what sort of kit you need, how light you go etc… have been plenty in this house 😁😁

The bottom line is that there are areas where you can adjust/take less etc… other stuff where you can’t (the weather being one of those. As are waterproofs or a map)

I think you need a chat with the guy who knows about hill walking.
Agree on a minimum requirement for equipment/weather etc…
Tell the group as a United front.

I hope you don’t just ‘back off and leave them to it’ if a friend decided to drive after one too many beers. They could kill themselves or someone else or several other people.

We encountered the 'trainers/bottle of coke/jeans' brigade on Snowdon a couple of years ago.

We'd made a loose plan was to catch the train to Clogwyn station and then finish the walk up to the summit and then back down to Llanberis.

By the time we reached the station, the visibility was about five feet. Just nothing but cold, steady drizzle and a wall of fog. I have a photo of DD and I standing on the end of the platform and there's nothing but us and white. The train isn't visible at all, but it was only a few metres away.

I'd canned our plans well before we reached the station, as had another group, but as we were chatting during the wait, a family strolled past us to do what we'd been planning.

Even properly equipped and experienced, it would have been a stupid thing to do, but they were dressed in jeans, trainers, hoodies... no bag, no coats, a couple of bottles of pop in a pocket and nothing else. Not even a map. Kid was about 8. It was a real 'tell me you don't know what you're doing without telling me' moment.

We were maybe 10/15 feet from a steep drop they couldn't see (Clogwyn is 3/4 up and exposed) and the driver had to chase them down or they'd likely have walked right over the edge of it. They got back on the train, thank God, after a bit of persuading.

Chances are, they'd have got lucky and been fine, but I know Mountain Rescue were out that day.

Unless you've been in those conditions, they're hard to describe - you really can't see and sound doesn't carry. Someone can walk 30 seconds in the wrong direction and they're just... gone. Safety says you park it and wait together and hope it lifts, but that's only possible if you a) know that, and b) are equipped to do that.

I live just on the edge of Snowdonia national park and every single weekend all summer the mountain rescue helicopter flies over our village off to rescue another person, mountain rescue teams risk their lives and give up their free time to go up and rescue people. Yes anyone can have an accident or fall ill up there but it is usually the ill prepared that need rescuing.
At the very least you need good sturdy walking shoes, a warm layer for the summits even in summer and a waterproof. In winter only experienced hikers should be going up really.
There are not many days in late spring/summer where it would be dangerous to go up but if you fix a date then you have to be prepared for walking up in unpleasant wet conditions where you will not be rewarded with a lovely view at the top! And Always be prepared for turning back.
Mobile reception is often patchy so map & compass is needed as a backup on the less popular routes.
It might not be Everest but people do injure themselves or die here regularly.
Honestly OP I don't think I would want to be walking up a mountain with this group of people. They could put you in a dangerous position.

If I’d tried repeatedly to make them not do it what other choice is there?

Take their keys. Call the police. Block their car with yours. There are lots of ways to stop someone driving if you really want to.

If it’s in Snowdonia I’m guessing Tryfan and I learned a very hard lesson up there. Just becuase a mountain isn’t Everest doesn’t mean it’s not dangerous and you don’t need to take precautions.

@diktat Yes they were lucky .. ironically they were only a couple of minutes from their car.. in clear weather they've have been able to see it bit they'd been going round and round in circles for over an hour by the time we found them.. once the mist and rain come down somewhere like Dartmoor I can be frightening.. best staying where you are before you find a bog or fall in a stream. And yes they were grateful.They donated some hiking equipment to the school..