Ben Nevis in shorts and Runners... in March..

knucklehead6

Here's a story i never thought i'd read.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/scotland/12207313/Woman-rescued-from-Ben-Nevis-in-pair-of-shorts-and-carrying-selfie-stick.html

One lucky lady.

Halloween Jack

When you consider mountain rescue only just located the bodies of that couple of experienced climbers after a month missing this stuff beggars belief.

Was up there a few weeks back myself in glorious conditions, no wind and strong sunshine, it was still stingingly cold on top. I've been up in poor conditions in summer and it was necessary for gloves hat fleece, soft shell, hard shell, the works..

FishOnABike

Lucky lady is right. The summit cairn in the photo in the telegraph link can be totally buried in snow even at this time of year. One slip without an ice axe to arrest the fall could easily have ended in a tragedy.

Unless a person is properly equipped - winter mountaineering gear, crampons, ice axe, able to navigate off the mountain in white out conditions and equipped to spend the night on the mountain if necessary they are putting their lives and others lives at risk. It might not be the alps but it is a serious mountain and conditions can change quickly. A sunny day at the bottom can be sub zero at the summit.

I've had the experience of starting off in a t-shirt at the bottom of the mountain with it being cold enough th freeze the tape on an ice axe in seconds in the shade half way up and navigate off the summit in white out conditions with the zig zags under several feet of snow down as far as Lochan Meall an tSuidhe - it's no place to be if you don't know what you are doing.

Halloween Jack

Yeah, recently was the first time I had been on the summit with good visibility, the previous time we could see very little, it impressed upon me how narrow a section of the summit plateau is and how little you'd have to deviate to leave you tumbling down a gully on either side.

The point about the zigzags being buried is salient too, easy to miss it or deviate from it in snow...

CardinalJ

It's remarkable. The girl does come off as exceedingly dim but at least she survived.

Apart from the fact she wasn't killed, it's also good to see most media outlets covering it are pointing out the need for proper equipment and listing some of it off.

During winter 2014/15 I was coming off Lug in snow and med two couples in their late teens who were on their way up. They asked me about the route up. I asked if they had a map and they had the kind of thing you get in a leaflet. I'm sure we've all seen similar.

FishOnABike

Some don't have the experience to know that getting to the top is not even half the journey and more accidents happen on the way down - especially in icy conditions when you're tired and footing is less secure and even more so without proper footwear (and crampons in winter conditions).

Without the proper equipment, what might be a slight stumble in Summer conditions can, in icy conditions or even on hard frozen ground, turn into a slide that doesn't stop until you hit something hard with potentially fatal consequences.

Have been up Carrauntoohil in January in snow in shorts and runners a few times. Mountain runners, and hate running tights. Always have gloves and running jacket mind you, with others, carrying a foil blanket, and obviously always on a running route like the Zig Zags so can turn around (as opposed to scrambling and getting stuck). Wouldn't chance it on Ben Nevis for the simple reason that I know Carrauntoohil intimately...

Esel

Stupid editor/journalist in that article used a summer picture of the summit.

Absolutely no comparison to winter conditions (which still prevail as I type this).

iwillhtfu

Esel wrote: »

Stupid editor/journalist in that article used a summer picture of the summit.

Absolutely no comparison to winter conditions (which still prevail as I type this).

Only you mentioned it I never realised it was that severe in winter.

Ice pick in hand.

FishOnABike

That's an extremely mild day on top. Take a look at this https://www.thebmc.co.uk/weekend-warning-ben-nevis-is-plastered-in-snow End of May / heading into June and still 2 metres of snow on the summit.

A clear day in April, 3 metres of snow on the top, top of the trig point barely visible, just barely peeking above the snow. http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-C0RfE8HGx5I/UzxxnvoAl0I/AAAAAAAAA_8/TxuHCWkn308/s1600/P4020026.jpg

Try getting off the mountain safely when you can.t tell the difference between between the ground and the fog in front of you and the only way to follow a compass bearing accurately is to walk in a single line and tell the person a few metres in front of you to walk a bit more to the left /right to keep on the correct heading. You should be capable of doing this or be with a group who are capable of doing this. Anything less risks getting stranded in conditions where a helicopter rescue isn't an option out.

The Black Oil

CardinalJ wrote: »

During winter 2014/15 I was coming off Lug in snow and med two couples in their late teens who were on their way up. They asked me about the route up. I asked if they had a map and they had the kind of thing you get in a leaflet. I'm sure we've all seen similar.

I once saw a young couple with what appeared to be just the clothes on their backs. Semi-smart casual clothes. In fact, they really stood out because the clothes were white and it made me wonder if they were up there (Wicklow) to shoot a magazine cover. I'm not joking. It was strange. There was nothing to indicate they had a bottle of water or any equipment at all. Just the clothes and sunglasses...

The Black Oil

The Black Oil wrote: »

I once saw a young couple with what appeared to be just the clothes on their backs. Semi-smart casual clothes. In fact, they really stood out because the clothes were white and it made me wonder if they were up there (Wicklow) to shoot a magazine cover. I'm not joking. It was strange. There was nothing to indicate they had a bottle of water or any equipment at all. Just the clothes and sunglasses...

Reminds me of one from a few years back...

Deleted User wrote: »

Was up Carrauntoohil at the start of the cold spell, it was snowing at the top and met a Polish couple who seemed a bit lost and were in the usual jeans and runners gear so favoured by lost walkers! Was showing them the route to the Zig Zags as the safest way to get them down and some cranky walker came along and started banging on about how they couldn't go down there as they were trying to conserve it after all the erosion of summer walkers. Course then another came along and started having a go at their footwear - as if the top of Carrauntoohil in the snow was the right place for a lecture. Think the cranky ones would have been happy had I sent them down over Howling Ridge, barefoot to preserve the rocks...

The Black Oil

Are there any signs at Ben Nevis about being prepared?

Similar to this? Pic I took a few years ago.

Halloween Jack

There's one at the start of the tourist track and one at the entrance to the north face carpark iirc. Not quite as detailed maybe but certainly warning regarding the major hazards, importance of being properly prepared etc

Boskowski

In fairness to her while she was pretty stupid doing what she did she was also very apologetic and seems to understand just how silly her actions were.

The Black Oil

Couple of people taken off the Mournes last night. Hopefully the student is OK now.

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/student-lapsing-in-and-out-of-consciousness-before-school-group-were-rescued-from-isolated-mountain-34599502.html

Losty Dublin

Deleted User wrote: »

Reminds me of one from a few years back...

I did a wee stroll up 3 Rock and Fairy Castle around this time last year and was at the masts on my way down around what was a wet and drizzling 6PM when I met a group of six, again adorned in jeans, runners and t shirts, trying to make sense of the map board.

I asked them if they were lost and they asked me where the mountain top was. I pointed them towards, well the mountain top, and said to them that they'd be wise to turn back back as it was getting yukky and dim and it wasn't on a paved path and they weren't dressed for it only to be told that they'd be fine etc etc. I wished them the best of luck, and as I headed off I asked one of them where they were marked. She said Kilmashogue as they headed down the road leading towards Ballyedmonduff and Glencree

Okay, it was not a snow covered peak but even then.....

Esel

^ See that :rolleyes: you did?

You predisposed them to hypnothermia (sic) baxtard!

Back in the room! Look at the :eek: !

Declan A Walsh

I have climbed Ben Nevis twice.

The first time was April 30th 2006 (Saturday of May Bank Holiday weekend). It was a beautiful sunny day, and we got one of those very rare days where the visibility was good on top. Even so, it was snow-caped from near the top onwards. This is where you needed your gear and we could also clearly see how easy it would be to go over the edge. It was great, though, to hang around at the top!

The second time was last August Back Holiday weekend. In a weekend of pretty bad weather, we were blessed to pick Sunday, a lovely, sunny day when we were on Ben Nevis. Even so, there was a marked difference near and on the top - it was cool and very misty. So, again, having extra gear was important and we did not stay at the top for long because of the bad visibility (and the dangers of that).

As any seasoned hillwalker would tell you, always come prepared for any weather condition when climbing hills or mountains. By all means, wear shorts on a nice day (with sun-cream on!), but bring pants/leggings in your rucksack.... and leave the trainers down at base camp!

cson

Summited this at the weekend - > 900m there's serious amount of snow and visibility was < 1m at times. Very dangerous unless you know how to navigate. Crampons/Ice Axe weren't a necessity imo (we didn't have any) but in hindsight I'd have preferred to have had them. GPS and compass were vital.

It's a nice hike though, lovely part of the world.