What would you do? (Hillwalking question)

[MontyVeda]

Went up Red Pike myself a few years back (the one overlooking Buttermere) and was crapping myself all the way up the scree near the top... then crapping myself going down the front slope (the saddle?) towards Buttermere... it pretty darn steep, and for some odd reason, is marked as a bridleway on my OS map. Lovely view at the top though, and is it Scale Force on its north-western flank???

 

[Crackle]

You can tell us, you hid them for a laugh didn't you?

I thought the joke was on us. We were almost looking for the camera. We couldn't quite believe what he was telling us. we spent half an hour looking before we had to leave to make our planned route before dark. By that time he had half the mtn looking for his boots. For all we knew, he might do the same thing every wknd.

 

[summerdays]

Went up Red Pike myself a few years back (the one overlooking Buttermere) and was crapping myself all the way up the scree near the top... then crapping myself going down the front slope (the saddle?) towards Buttermere... it pretty darn steep, and for some odd reason, is marked as a bridleway on my OS map. Lovely view at the top though, and is it Scale Force on its north-western flank???

I think that's the same one that I was panicking on, crawled up at the top and refused to go back down the same way!!

I don't like being able to see a big drop through my legs!

 

[MontyVeda]

I think that's the same one that I was panicking on, crawled up at the top and refused to go back down the same way!!

I don't like being able to see a big drop through my legs!

I wonder if anyone's done it on horseback?

 

[Andy_R]

Offering assistance is as much a part of hillwalking as closing gates behind you, the fact she had her arm in a sling should have let them know that she wasn't just tired. Bet that lot wouldn't know what to do if they heard the 3 whistle blasts in the distance either, sme*heads

Quite probably not, as 3 whistle blasts is common in the US. 6 blasts is the norm in the UK.

 

[summerdays]

I wonder if anyone's done it on horseback?

Well it wouldn't be me, I know what scares me, and not having firm ground under my feet whilst on a steep slope petrified me, adding a horse would just out me higher off the ground!

 

[Tanis8472]

Offering assistance is as much a part of hillwalking as closing gates behind you, the fact she had her arm in a sling should have let them know that she wasn't just tired. Bet that lot wouldn't know what to do if they heard the 3 whistle blasts in the distance either, sme*heads

Message understood

 

[MontyVeda]

to the person who ticked:

Just say hello, why would I do anything else?

Why wouldn't you do anything else?

 

[raleighnut]

Quite probably not, as 3 whistle blasts is common in the US. 6 blasts is the norm in the UK.

3 blasts- 30 second pause-3 blasts is what I was taught in 1972 on ascent of Cader Idris with a school trip not aware it had changed One sustained blast is the reply. whistle calls should be maintained at 5 minute intervals until contact is established.

 

[Andy_R]

3 blasts- 30 second pause-3 blasts is what I was taught in 1972 on ascent of Cader Idris with a school trip not aware it had changed One sustained blast is the reply. whistle calls should be maintained at 5 minute intervals until contact is established.

6 blasts, 1 minute pause, repeat until found. 3 blasts means someone has heard and is responding. Both parties should continue whistling until rescuee has been found by rescuer. Taught on all mountain rescue courses in the UK and Europe. Only the US and New Zealand still use 3 blasts until found (possibly Canada too)

 

[raleighnut]

6 blasts, 1 minute pause, repeat until found. 3 blasts means someone has heard and is responding. Both parties should continue whistling until rescuee has been found by rescuer. Taught on all mountain rescue courses in the UK and Europe. Only the US and New Zealand still use 3 blasts until found (possibly Canada too)

Cheers for the update must be euroregs kicked in a few years back. Thankfully I've never had to use or respond to an emergency in 40 years of Hillwalking or Wildcamping and have now packed up Monroes due to arthritis not to mention my latest injury.

 

[Andy_R]

Cheers for the update must be euroregs kicked in a few years back. Thankfully I've never had to use or respond to an emergency in 40 years of Hillwalking or Wildcamping and have now packed up Monroes due to arthritis not to mention my latest injury.

Don't think it's euroregs as such, just that more people in the UK are walking abroad, and more Europeans are walking over here, so some sort of standardisation was needed. I still used the good old fashioned 3 short, 3 long, 3 short up until about 10 years ago....

 

[Profpointy]

Arguing about exactly how many whistle blasts is "distress" is a bit silly. It's not as if, if you only hear 5 out of the 6 you're going to say, "oh, no worries, he's just blowing his whistle for fun, nothing to worry about".

Basically if someone's blowing their whistle on a mountain, or at sea, then there's likely a problem, regardless if it's 3 or 6.

 

[Andy_R]

Arguing about exactly how many whistle blasts is "distress" is a bit silly. It's not as if, if you only hear 5 out of the 6 you're going to say, "oh, no worries, he's just blowing his whistle for fun, nothing to worry about".

Basically if someone's blowing their whistle on a mountain, or at sea, then there's likely a problem, regardless if it's 3 or 6.

ummm.....no. We're not arguing either. And if its an internationally recognised pattern, it's more than likely NOT some d!ckhead @rseing about with a whistle (which does happen). And if you're the one who needs to be rescued, if you hear 3 blasts repeated after a minute it can make a world of difference to your state of mind which can ultimately make the difference between giving up or not. So it does kind of matter. Otherwise all the authorities involved would just advise that you blow a whistle any old way.

 

[Profpointy]

ummm.....no. We're not arguing either. And if its an internationally recognised pattern, it's more than likely NOT some d!ckhead @rseing about with a whistle (which does happen). And if you're the one who needs to be rescued, if you hear 3 blasts repeated after a minute it can make a world of difference to your state of mind which can ultimately make the difference between giving up or not. So it does kind of matter. Otherwise all the authorities involved would just advise that you blow a whistle any old way.

Fair point I suppose, but the points (surely?) is regular blasts, so if you don't hear all of the peeps, you still know summat's up. I'm pretty sure I've read different numbers of blasts & waits & repeat patterns over the years, from pre-war (and pre my day for the avoidance of doubt) scout manuals, to pre-ambles in various "walking in the cotsowlds" type books - so it may not be quite as much a standard as claimed. And remembering how many exactly whilst in a jam -well?

I wasn't trying to be pooey by the way, even if it came across a bit like that