Hill Walking & Climbing In The Winter

[earthdragon64]

After yesterday's tragic avalanche in Glencoe, just a reminder that if you are climbing or hill walking in the Scottish mountins in winter, there is a great website with information about the avalanche risk.

sportscotland Avalanche Information Service

My sympathies to those caught up in this tragic accident, and their families.

[camo]

Hi Earthdragon

I have checked out your link and it looks really useful. I didn't konw about the Avalanche at Glencoe, as you say tragic. Once again the Mountain Rescue team are the real heros, but should they have been on the Mountain with a grade 3 warning. They were obviousely experienced and knew what they were doing and it goes to underline that Mountains are dangerous places which should be treated with the utmost repsect.

Ps I envy you living where you do, you must be fed up of people wishing to see Pine Martins.

Roy

[seamusagleann]

the accident happened in Coire na Tulaich, which is well known as the ,non climbers ascent/descent of the mountain ,it's also prone to avalanche ,a few years ago a family were killed ,whilst coming down.it's always sad when people are killed on the hills and yesterdays accident moved us all in the inn that we asked band to announce a minutes silence before playing. there is more snow forecast for today ,lets hope the mountains remain safe.

[tcvarlh]

It seems as there are always people who refuse to consider that nature is called Mutha. She wipes out whole areas and leaves nothing to be seen. I got angry at a Dutch skier after the silly fool honestly thought he could do a James Bond across the face of an avalanche. After we got him out and down to the station the fellah came out with the biggest pile of nonsense I’ve ever heard. His first comment was ‘About *.....g time too!’ He never once said thanks or shook a hand. Basically, his accident was our fault because HE hadn’t seen the 2 meter by 2 meter bright orange signs, stating ‘LAVINEN GEFAHR’. There was one 4 metres from his hotel room. (The weather was clear, sun was out, blue sky, perfect weather for staying away from the ruddy piste when even the locals where staying indoors. I learnt very rapidly when the natives said ‘Scheissdrauf’ it was not a good idea to do anything on the slopes.) We had had a heavy snowfall two days earlier, a deep temperature drop overnight and 12 knots upslope wind. This silly man had roughly twenty-five days ski experience. The mountain has NO pretty colour pistes, the whole mountain is black, and it is not a mountain for the unprepared. After his tirade I was all for taking him back up and digging him a nice deep hole. I asked him if he would jump unprepared into water infested with 200 hammerhead-sharks. Do you know he said, ‘For the kick, yes!’ What should you do with such people?
No, Mutha Nature has absolutely no sense of humour or mercy.

My sympathies to those left behind.