Trail Magazine- Ben Nevis Error?



?

.

Guest
Just seen a report on Sky that says Trail mag. has give incorrect route off Ben Nevis in the
latest edition.

According to Trail editor, Guy Procter, said he was "gutted" by the error but did not believe it
would endanger anyone's life. BUT........according to The Mountaineering Council for Scotland
spokesman, Roger Wild, "If readers had followed the magazine's directions they would have plunged
from Ben Nevis' north face." Oops! ;-o BTW, What route did they give off the Ben? Have fun be safe!
 
"." <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Just seen a report on Sky that says Trail mag. has give incorrect route
off
> Ben Nevis in the latest edition.
>
> According to Trail editor, Guy Procter, said he was "gutted" by the error but did not believe it
> would endanger anyone's life. BUT........according to The Mountaineering Council for Scotland
> spokesman, Roger Wild, "If readers had followed the magazine's directions they would have
> plunged from Ben Nevis' north face." Oops! ;-o BTW, What route did they give off the Ben? Have
> fun be safe!
>

They forgot to include the first leg of the dogleg, where you head off for 150 metres to line up for
the gap between the North Face and Five Finger Gully. See the map at http://www.mountaineering-
scotland.org.uk/safety/nevis_bearing.html

--
Duncan Gray

homepage - www.duncolm.co.uk also www.mountaineering-scotland.org.uk The Mountaineering Council
of Scotland
 
"Graham Seed" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "Duncan Gray" <[email protected]> wrote
>
> > They forgot to include the first leg of the dogleg, where you head
> off for
> > 150 metres to line up for the gap between the North Face and Five
> Finger
> > Gully. See the map at http://www.mountaineering-scotland.org.uk/safety/nevis_bearing.html
> >
> I imagine we should be able to walk off the Ben blindfolded and backwards given the amount of
> coverage this has got. Looks like Trail did everyone a favour!

A mountain made out of a molehill;-)

Not many, if any! What's the statistics for walkers walking of the North face to their deaths
or injury?

CB

--
Craven Birds

Bird sightings based around 'Craven' Skipton, North Yorks.
http://cravenbirds.mysite.freeserve.com/
http://mysite.freeserve.com/cravenbirds
 
On Wed, 21 Jan 2004 23:38:14 -0000, "Graham Seed"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>I imagine we should be able to walk off the Ben blindfolded and backwards given the amount of
>coverage this has got. Looks like Trail did everyone a favour!

Probably safer than taking Trail's information on the matter!
 
"." <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Just seen a report on Sky that says Trail mag. has give incorrect route
off
> Ben Nevis in the latest edition.

See the posts "oops" and "Trail magazine...again". They were posted just a few days ago. It seems
pointless to start yet another thread on the same subject. ;o)
 
On Wed, 21 Jan 2004 21:56:09 -0000, "." <[email protected]> wrote:

>Just seen a report on Sky that says Trail mag. has give incorrect route off Ben Nevis in the
>latest edition.
>
>According to Trail editor, Guy Procter, said he was "gutted" by the error but did not believe it
>would endanger anyone's life. BUT........according to The Mountaineering Council for Scotland
>spokesman, Roger Wild, "If readers had followed the magazine's directions they would have plunged
>from Ben Nevis' north face." Oops! ;-o BTW, What route did they give off the Ben?

A bloody quick one...

They simplified the summit bearing by omitting the dogleg required to avoid Gardyloo Gully.

It was a straight GOTO for the Red Burn Area from the summit. Following it exactly would deliver
your mortal remains to Coire Leis in the manner described by Sir I. Newton.

>HAve fun - be safe
- read Trail critically.

Richard Webb
 
>A mountain made out of a molehill;-)
>
>Not many, if any! What's the statistics for walkers walking of the North face to their deaths
>or injury?
>

Not just the North face.. Navigating off the Ben is terrifying in poor weather... There are traps on
either side -The infamous 5 finger gully! Overzealous avoidance of one famed hazard will pitch you
into another.

Richard Webb
 
In message <[email protected]>, Craven Birds <[email protected]> writes
>
>"RJ Webb" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:400fa19e.5869390@news-
>text.blueyonder.co.uk...
>>
>> >A mountain made out of a molehill;-)
>> >
>> >Not many, if any! What's the statistics for walkers walking of the North face to their deaths or
>> >injury?
>> >
>>
>> Not just the North face.. Navigating off the Ben is terrifying in poor weather... There are traps
>> on either side -The infamous 5 finger gully! Overzealous avoidance of one famed hazard will pitch
>> you into another.
>
>True, but if you are "at" the Summit there should not be a problem of getting off safely. That's if
>your map & compass work is up to scratch. Different matter though when you don't know your position
>:-( Grim.

Or if you know it but follow the wrong instructions..... Of course if one has a map handy and
checked first it would be obviously wrong, but not everyone has a map, and if it's totally vile
(blowing a gale & a half, dark, white-out) many would just get out the small piece of card with the
route details, not the map itself. :-(

--
Five Cats Email to: cats_spam at uk2 dot net
 
[email protected] (RJ Webb) writes:

>On Wed, 21 Jan 2004 21:56:09 -0000, "." <[email protected]> wrote:

>>Just seen a report on Sky that says Trail mag. has give incorrect route off Ben Nevis in the
>>latest edition.

>>According to Trail editor, Guy Procter, said he was "gutted" by the error but did not believe it
>>would endanger anyone's life. BUT........according to The Mountaineering Council for Scotland
>>spokesman, Roger Wild, "If readers had followed the magazine's directions they would have plunged
>>from Ben Nevis' north face." Oops! ;-o BTW, What route did they give off the Ben?

>A bloody quick one...

>They simplified the summit bearing by omitting the dogleg required to avoid Gardyloo Gully.

>It was a straight GOTO for the Red Burn Area from the summit. Following it exactly would deliver
>your mortal remains to Coire Leis in the manner described by Sir I. Newton.

Today's (Thur 22 Jan) Metro newspaper devotes half a tabloid page to this Trail Mag error under
the headline: "Quickest Way off Ben Nevis? Straight down". They give a nice diagram of the gullies
surrounding the top, with the correct and erroneous route. They also mention the recent "snow
free" error.
--
Chris Malcolm [email protected] +44 (0)131 651 3445 DoD #205
IPAB, Informatics, JCMB, King's Buildings, Edinburgh, EH9 3JZ, UK
[http://www.dai.ed.ac.uk/homes/cam/]
 
"RJ Webb" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> >A mountain made out of a molehill;-)
> >
> >Not many, if any! What's the statistics for walkers walking of the North face to their deaths or
> >injury?
> >
>
> Not just the North face.. Navigating off the Ben is terrifying in poor weather... There are traps
> on either side -The infamous 5 finger gully! Overzealous avoidance of one famed hazard will pitch
> you into another.

True, but if you are "at" the Summit there should not be a problem of getting off safely. That's
if your map & compass work is up to scratch. Different matter though when you don't know your
position :-( Grim.

CB
--
Craven Birds

Bird sightings based around 'Craven' Skipton, North Yorks.
http://cravenbirds.mysite.freeserve.com/
http://mysite.freeserve.com/cravenbirds
 
"Craven Birds" <[email protected]> writes:

>"RJ Webb" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:400fa19e.5869390@news-
>text.blueyonder.co.uk...

>> >A mountain made out of a molehill;-)
>> >
>> >Not many, if any! What's the statistics for walkers walking of the North face to their deaths or
>> >injury?

>> Not just the North face.. Navigating off the Ben is terrifying in poor weather... There are traps
>> on either side -The infamous 5 finger gully! Overzealous avoidance of one famed hazard will pitch
>> you into another.

>True, but if you are "at" the Summit there should not be a problem of getting off safely. That's if
>your map & compass work is up to scratch. Different matter though when you don't know your position
>:-( Grim.

If you made a mistake about which way to adjust for magnetic declination, that would be enough to
lead you to an edge.

--
Chris Malcolm [email protected] +44 (0)131 651 3445 DoD #205
IPAB, Informatics, JCMB, King's Buildings, Edinburgh, EH9 3JZ, UK
[http://www.dai.ed.ac.uk/homes/cam/]
 
"Chris Malcolm" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> "Craven Birds" <[email protected]> writes:
>
> >"RJ Webb" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:400fa19e.5869390@news-
> >text.blueyonder.co.uk...
>
> >> >A mountain made out of a molehill;-)
> >> >
> >> >Not many, if any! What's the statistics for walkers walking of the
North
> >> >face to their deaths or injury?
>
> >> Not just the North face.. Navigating off the Ben is terrifying in poor weather... There are
> >> traps on either side -The infamous 5 finger gully! Overzealous avoidance of one famed hazard
> >> will pitch you into another.
>
> >True, but if you are "at" the Summit there should not be a problem of getting off safely. That's
> >if your map & compass work is up to scratch. Different matter though when you don't know your
> >position :-( Grim.
>
> If you made a mistake about which way to adjust for magnetic declination, that would be enough to
> lead you to an edge.

That's why M&C has to be up to scratch! I'd be alright with my maps for the area, the M. decl. is 0
degrees at the moment ;-) They are that old!

CB
--
Craven Birds

Bird sightings based around 'Craven' Skipton, North Yorks.
http://cravenbirds.mysite.freeserve.com/
http://mysite.freeserve.com/cravenbirds

>
>
>
> --
> Chris Malcolm [email protected] +44 (0)131 651 3445 DoD #205
> IPAB, Informatics, JCMB, King's Buildings, Edinburgh, EH9 3JZ, UK
> [http://www.dai.ed.ac.uk/homes/cam/]
 
>If you made a mistake about which way to adjust for magnetic declination, that would be enough to
>lead you to an edge.
>

I think you would live now.. but in the past things could have got hairy. Variation is rapidly
approaching the error in hand bearings.

Richard Webb
 
>They forgot to include the first leg of the dogleg, where you head off for
>150 metres to line up for the gap between the North Face and Five Finger
>Gully.
>See the map at
>http://www.mountaineering-scotland.org.uk/safety/nevis_bearing.html
>

Thanks.. copies have been waterproofed and added to my Ben maps. Nice and clear, which will be a
comfort if ever I need to use them in anger.

Sp far the Ben has been kind to me.. I am heavily overdrawn on that account so will be made
to pay soon.

Richard Webb
 
In message <[email protected]>, Chris Malcolm <[email protected]> writes
>"Craven Birds" <[email protected]> writes:
>
>>"RJ Webb" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:400fa19e.5869390@news-
>>text.blueyonder.co.uk...
>
>>> >A mountain made out of a molehill;-)
>>> >
>>> >Not many, if any! What's the statistics for walkers walking of the North face to their deaths
>>> >or injury?
>
>>> Not just the North face.. Navigating off the Ben is terrifying in poor weather... There are
>>> traps on either side -The infamous 5 finger gully! Overzealous avoidance of one famed hazard
>>> will pitch you into another.
>
>>True, but if you are "at" the Summit there should not be a problem of getting off safely. That's
>>if your map & compass work is up to scratch. Different matter though when you don't know your
>>position :-( Grim.
>
>If you made a mistake about which way to adjust for magnetic declination, that would be enough to
>lead you to an edge.

The truly organised would have a small laminated card with the instructions using magnetic (not
true) directions, and would replace it each time the magnetic north pole moved enough to make a
difference....

--
Five Cats Email to: cats_spam at uk2 dot net
 
"RJ Webb" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> >A mountain made out of a molehill;-)
> >
> >Not many, if any! What's the statistics for walkers walking of the North face to their deaths or
> >injury?
>
> Not just the North face.. Navigating off the Ben is terrifying in poor weather... There are traps
> on either side -The infamous 5 finger gully! Overzealous avoidance of one famed hazard will pitch
> you into another.
>
> Richard Webb
You mean there isn't a RED Marked handrail guiding you the correct way? Gadzooks! Whatever next? You
tell me next, there isn't a Father Christmas! ;-) Seriously though, not the place to be without good
viz or correct info. Be safe!
 
In message <[email protected]>, RJ Webb
<[email protected]> writes
>
>>A mountain made out of a molehill;-)
>>
>>Not many, if any! What's the statistics for walkers walking of the North face to their deaths
>>or injury?
>>
>
>Not just the North face.. Navigating off the Ben is terrifying in poor weather... There are traps
>on either side -The infamous 5 finger gully! Overzealous avoidance of one famed hazard will pitch
>you into another.
>
Phew - I am glad I have already bagged this one and never have to go back there :)

--
Martin Richardson
216/284 Munros (34/34 'Furths')
217/89 Donalds 397/1552 Marilyns 439/439 Nuttalls
 
Having had to do this bit of navigation at 7pm on a January winter's night in a white out, after
completing North East buttress I can guarantee that it is no fun even when you are damn sure you
know what you are doing. Personally I was bloody glad to descend out of the clouds and find myself
bang on the Red Burn path.

--
Len Trim [email protected]
 
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