British winter conditions

Mark Manning said:

I'm just back from an utterly *stonking* weekend in the western Lakes.
I wore my crampons more than I have done since I went on a winter walking
course a few years ago; plenty of sun, light winds, no precipitation to
speak of. TR will follow when I have a bit of time.

Which is by way of saying that if you like the British hills in winter,
and your commitments permit it, now might be a good time to hit the hills,
as it looks as if the cold, relatively settled weather is staying for most
of this week.

Otoh, Saturday in Snowdonia was a day only for the seriously
well-equipped, experienced and/or foolhardy. We turned back a few
hundred metres from the top of Y-Garn (at least I hope that's where we
got to), once the visibility was down to about a cricket pitch, the two
shadowy figures in front were visibly struggling even with ice-axes,
and the wind was almost too strong to stand up in. A couple of guys
passed us on the way down, and said that at the top there was no
visibility at all.

It looked much the same on Sunday, albeit with a little less wind, but
down in the valleys near Bedgelert the sun shone all day and we picked
up a bit of a tan !

--
John

We were out on High Street on Friday in perfect conditions (the
afternoon anyway), on Saturday we went up Grasmoor, the weather was
gret again, but the summit was blown sheet ice, as was much of the path
down to Coledale Hause, great for those of us in Ccrampons, but lots of
people were struggling up and down without!

John
http://www.thelakedistrictwalker.com

thelakedistrictwalker.com wrote:
<snip>

Quoted message said:

, great for those of us in Crampons, but lots of
people were struggling up and down without!

John
http://www.thelakedistrictwalker.com

</snip>

It does make me wonder....?

Is it sheer foolishness or bravado (that could, and recently, has ended
in death)....?

David.

Chris Gilbert wrote:
<snip>

Quoted message said:

No doubt a lot of people, myself included, enjoy the test
of knowledge, character and strength that a day in the
hills in amongst the elements at thier most extreme gives.
There is a point beyond which, however, chance comes
into play and knowing when that point is is critical. I've
had a few days on the edge, when had the circumstances
been slightly different I might not have come back at all
and these are the experiences that I have learned the most
from. To an extent I have been lucky and chance was in
my favour. I can now see this from the perspective of
experience. What was my position beforehand ? Had I
gone out into conditions that relied on chance and known
it then I would have been a bit reckless and, in extremis,
foolish. Can a person without knowledge be foolish in these
circumstances? I don't think so. Can an innocent be
blamed for his/her own demise? Yes, of course, but its just
one of those things.

</snip>

Don't disagree in the slightest....Perhaps my point really involves
around knowledgeable sources stating that it is essential (their words
- not mine) to be properly equiped (crampons and ice axe) and this
advice be ignored.

Recently (as I haven't the winter kit or training) I avoided the high
fells and had a great time on the lower sub-600 metre fells....

David.

214Fells wrote

Quoted message said:

Perhaps my point really involves
around knowledgeable sources stating that it is essential (their words
- not mine) to be properly equiped (crampons and ice axe) and this
advice be ignored.

That is willful ignorance, which is what I was alluding to at
the end.

It all comes down to belief systems in the end and whether
you're prepared to sacrifice yours in the light of new knowledge.
He who can will likely live. He who can't opens himself up to
chance and to be fair, some people like it that way.

Chris

Sat 18th.. Utterly wonderful in Ardgour.

Shame it all started melting on Sunday and the going was evil

Richard Webb