I'm about to get a b*****king..

[Speicher]

Sorry to hear about your injury, hope you start to feel a bit better soon.
As others have said, get a mobile, on Pay as you Go. I only have mine for emergencies for me to use, only about three people on this planet have my mobile number.

Also as others have said, someone may have their priorities wrong.

 

[XmisterIS]

As others have said, you really need a PAYG mobile! Also, they will always dial 999 even without any credit.

 

[MichaelM]

Interesting to see that so many people think a mobile phone should be carried to call for help.

I used to be into climbing/mountaineering/hill walking and would often dissapear into the hill for 3/4/5 days at a time (before mobile phones became common). I always went out with a "I will get myself home" attitude and pretty much still do.

On Sat night, when it first happened and I realized I couldn't walk, I was wondering what I'd do if I did have a mobile phone. My wife was still at work, I could have called the police/ambulance, but it would have taken a 4x4 to get to me. As it was I was only 50m or so from the road when they came along, and things were easier for everyone.

I read somewhere that the Lochaber MRT get a lot more calls since these days, some not really requiring a MRT call out (e.g. people on Tower Ridge).

Interesting point though. Someone's sending me a mobile for christmas - I wonder if I'll get into the habit of carrying it around with me? (started to need glasses recently - I'm forever leaving them all over the palace).

 

[HobbesChoice]

Interesting to see that so many people think a mobile phone should be carried to call for help.

I used to be into climbing/mountaineering/hill walking and would often dissapear into the hill for 3/4/5 days at a time (before mobile phones became common). I always went out with a "I will get myself home" attitude and pretty much still do.

On Sat night, when it first happened and I realized I couldn't walk, I was wondering what I'd do if I did have a mobile phone. My wife was still at work, I could have called the police/ambulance, but it would have taken a 4x4 to get to me. As it was I was only 50m or so from the road when they came along, and things were easier for everyone.

I read somewhere that the Lochaber MRT get a lot more calls since these days, some not really requiring a MRT call out (e.g. people on Tower Ridge).

Interesting point though. Someone's sending me a mobile for christmas - I wonder if I'll get into the habit of carrying it around with me? (started to need glasses recently - I'm forever leaving them all over the palace).

Ooh - get you!

 

[swee'pea99]

I used to be into climbing/mountaineering/hill walking and would often dissapear into the hill for 3/4/5 days at a time (before mobile phones became common). I always went out with a "I will get myself home" attitude and pretty much still do.

Was that before or after you had four operations on your knee?

 

[MichaelM]

[quote name='swee'pea99']Was that before or after you had four operations on your knee?[/QUOTE]

Well it was after 3, but before the 4th.

 

[Aperitif]

Interesting to see that so many people think a mobile phone should be carried to call for help.

I used to be into climbing/mountaineering/hill walking and would often dissapear into the hill for 3/4/5 days at a time (before mobile phones became common). I always went out with a "I will get myself home" attitude and pretty much still do.

On Sat night, when it first happened and I realized I couldn't walk, I was wondering what I'd do if I did have a mobile phone. My wife was still at work, I could have called the police/ambulance, but it would have taken a 4x4 to get to me. As it was I was only 50m or so from the road when they came along, and things were easier for everyone.

I read somewhere that the Lochaber MRT get a lot more calls since these days, some not really requiring a MRT call out (e.g. people on Tower Ridge).

Interesting point though. Someone's sending me a mobile for christmas - I wonder if I'll get into the habit of carrying it around with me? (started to need glasses recently - I'm forever leaving them all over the palace).

Stick it in your walking boots then...or teach your dog to talk and give it to him...

You'll be taking the horse and cart to the shops soon as people managed to get their grain that way before the advent of cars and ready-made bread...

 

[Crackle]

Interesting to see that so many people think a mobile phone should be carried to call for help.

I used to be into climbing/mountaineering/hill walking and would often dissapear into the hill for 3/4/5 days at a time (before mobile phones became common). I always went out with a "I will get myself home" attitude and pretty much still do.

On Sat night, when it first happened and I realized I couldn't walk, I was wondering what I'd do if I did have a mobile phone. My wife was still at work, I could have called the police/ambulance, but it would have taken a 4x4 to get to me. As it was I was only 50m or so from the road when they came along, and things were easier for everyone.

I read somewhere that the Lochaber MRT get a lot more calls since these days, some not really requiring a MRT call out (e.g. people on Tower Ridge).

Interesting point though. Someone's sending me a mobile for christmas - I wonder if I'll get into the habit of carrying it around with me? (started to need glasses recently - I'm forever leaving them all over the palace).

Yep, I get that, exactly the same philosophy over here, that's why I said carry a walking pole. You got yourself into it, get yourself out of it. Still, a mobile is handy too, think of the dog.

 

[MichaelM]

As I said earlier

I took the dog's coat off to sit on (ground covered with snow)and have a think about what I'm going to do (I don't carry a mobile). So I laid on my injured side on top of the coat and started so crawl/slide/drag myself towards the road.

It crossed my mind that had I been carrying a phone, I may have been tempted to call the police, and sit and wait for help, thinking to myself I'm too severely injured to move. It's surprising what what you can do when you have to.

Let's turn his around:

Imagine then that YOU'RE carrying a mobile phone. Your wife is at work and will not be home for another 40 min or so. You're about 3 miles from home in total, and about 1 mile from the road.

What would you do?

 

[Speicher]

I would ring her to ask her that when she leaves work, can she drive to X road, has she got a blanket for her dog, and a walking pole or two for me? If she knows your approx walks she will find you.

 

[sheddy]

'What's that S-ip? there's M&M stuc- down the well ?'
(-eyboard wor-ing - just missing the -)

 

[jonny jeez]

As I said earlier


It crossed my mind that had I been carrying a phone, I may have been tempted to call the police, and sit and wait for help, thinking to myself I'm too severely injured to move. It's surprising what what you can do when you have to.

Let's turn his around:

Imagine then that YOU'RE carrying a mobile phone. Your wife is at work and will not be home for another 40 min or so. You're about 3 miles from home in total, and about 1 mile from the road.

What would you do?

MichaelM, you sound like a great guy and I'm sorry to be harsh, but all of that is utter bollocks.

Get a phone and ditch the pride. I have also climbed and walked all of the great mountains and peaks in the UK and Europe and know them "intimately". I didn't used to carry a phone because they didn't exist, I would never go out (especially with a known physical ailment) without one today...it's actually really selfish.


You owe it to yourself and those who love you to do so.

Seriously, get over yourself and pop down to tescos this week, you need the exercise.

It doesn't matter if you are 3 miles away or 300, if it takes you 3 hours to crawl for help in -7...you are daft not to seek smarter defenses. and you need to be happy to call on the emmergency services whenever...if they need a 4X4 then thats what they bring, stop putting up obstacles that dont exist and take care of yourself

Good Luck MichaelM,

I'm sure the missus loves you dearly, she is probably as annoyed as me with your stance tho.


PS, I dont know your missus and she has not paid me a penny

 

[swee'pea99]

JJ takes bribes from dogs. It's a known fact.

 

[jonny jeez]

that's a bit rruff!

 

[Crackle]

As usual, it's all getting a bit over the top. He wasn't climbing an Alpine colossus, he'd taken the dogs for a walk, I don't normally leave a route card when I take the dog for a walk.

Now, given where he was and the situation i.e. out of normal reach of a bog standard ambulance, he would still have had to get back to the road with or without help or wait for a 4x4 ambulance if there was one. I don't know how rural it is where he lives but outside a city it can take 20 to 40 minutes for an ambulance (yes it can) and then another 20 minutes for the ambulance crew to reach him and longer to get him back. So in my view his time was well spent crawling back to the main road. And when he gets to the ambulance what does he do with the dogs? No, he did the right thing but he does need a phone so he can alert his wife and get some help next time, not necessarily 999 help.

I too have climbed extensively in the UK and bits of Europe and there are numerous situation where a phone doesn't work or plans go awry, the emphasis is on doing as much to make sure you don't have a problem and then getting yourself into a situation where you can effect a rescue, either by your own means or with the help of others, to suggest otherwise is ludicrous.