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Should I have intervened?

Re: Should I have intervened?

Postby JonetCol » Mon Nov 16, 2020 12:50 pm

I think I'm a decent navigator, but you can't always be sure exactly where you are without GPS. If you look at walk reports/guides there are several which say "when you reach the cairn, remember the true summit is.....xxx metres to the.etc.."

I was walking in KIntail, pre GPS days, and asked a group I came across if I was on the best track for the summit. I got the "if you don't know that you shouldn't be here" crap. . I let them know what I thought of them and carried on.. I made it no problem, but an otherwise good day was spoiled a bit.
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Re: Should I have intervened?

Postby Sunset tripper » Mon Nov 16, 2020 1:21 pm

JonetCol wrote:I think I'm a decent navigator, but you can't always be sure exactly where you are without GPS. If you look at walk reports/guides there are several which say "when you reach the cairn, remember the true summit is.....xxx metres to the.etc.."

I was walking in KIntail, pre GPS days, and asked a group I came across if I was on the best track for the summit. I got the "if you don't know that you shouldn't be here" crap. . I let them know what I thought of them and carried on.. I made it no problem, but an otherwise good day was spoiled a bit.


What incredibly pompous people you met that day. It just looks like a form of bullying or some sort of deranged superiority complex to me.

I normally wouldn't offer or ask for advice while out on the hills but I have done both in the past.
I guess you never know what sort of response you are going to get but I wouldn't worry about it too much.

Glad you gave that idiots a piece of your mind and hopefully it helped them to modify their manner thereafter :D
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Re: Should I have intervened?

Postby Border Reiver » Mon Nov 16, 2020 5:17 pm

I've never been judged on my navigation, but twice I've been told off for enjoying a sitting glissade (with ice axe) and twice for not wearing what the other party thought was inappropriate clothing on a cool day (shorts and t-shirt) My warm and waterproof gear was in my rucksack, taken off because I get very warm when walking up hills.
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Re: Should I have intervened?

Postby dav2930 » Tue Nov 17, 2020 12:50 am

JonetCol wrote:I was walking in KIntail, pre GPS days, and asked a group I came across if I was on the best track for the summit. I got the "if you don't know that you shouldn't be here" crap. . I let them know what I thought of them and carried on.. I made it no problem, but an otherwise good day was spoiled a bit.

Not to do with navigation, but I elicited a similar response once on Sgurr na Ciche in Knoydart. Two of us were descending from the summit towards the gully in thick clag, when we encountered three deerstalkers dressed in their tweeds and plus-fours, one carrying a shotgun, struggling to get down one of the rocky steps. We said hello and, as we by-passed them, I said "It's a shame we can't see the views" (because I thought the views would have been worth seeing). I didn't hear the response myself, but my companion did and apparently one of the three said "If you don't like the weather you shouldn't be here". When my friend told me I couldn't help laughing at such an idiotic and transparently bigoted comment. They clearly resented anyone outside their social circle being on "their" hill. But they wouldn't have heard my laughter as by then we were too far below them. I was rather glad I hadn't heard the fellow at the time as I might have reciprocated his bad manners, which may have been less than wise given the shotgun! :roll:
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Re: Should I have intervened?

Postby al78 » Tue Nov 17, 2020 2:35 pm

dav2930 wrote: I said "It's a shame we can't see the views" (because I thought the views would have been worth seeing). I didn't hear the response myself, but my companion did and apparently one of the three said "If you don't like the weather you shouldn't be here".


There is a name for that sort of dumb response.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ergo_decedo

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Re: Should I have intervened?

Postby rabthecairnterrier » Tue Nov 17, 2020 5:40 pm

[quote="dav2930"][quote="JonetCol"] Two of us were descending from the summit towards the gully in thick clag, when we encountered three deerstalkers dressed in their tweeds and plus-fours, one carrying a shotgun,
/quote]
Shooting deer with a "shotgun" would be highly illegal.
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Re: Should I have intervened?

Postby dav2930 » Tue Nov 17, 2020 6:58 pm

rabthecairnterrier wrote:
dav2930 wrote: Two of us were descending from the summit towards the gully in thick clag, when we encountered three deerstalkers dressed in their tweeds and plus-fours, one carrying a shotgun,
Shooting deer with a "shotgun" would be highly illegal.

Sorry, yes, it'll have been a rifle! :roll:
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Re: Should I have intervened?

Postby JonetCol » Thu Nov 19, 2020 3:28 pm

Interesting additional examples of why 'you shouldn't be here'. In my case I could be excused for taking it personally.

To keep out of the way of the party I referred to, I let them go on ahead, only to catch up with them after half an hour. A female member of the group had decided to turn back and one of the males in the group told me "You should go back too" Where's that deerstalker's shotgun/rifle when you need it?

PS I wasn't struggling, or interfering with their walk in any way. Just caught them on the wrong day I guess. I found it really odd, because almost everyone else I come across on the hills has a cheery word in passing.
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Re: Should I have intervened?

Postby SpamFritter » Thu Dec 31, 2020 10:23 am

I did tell a couple of American lads with converse shoes, no rucksack, no water and no map they they should think about retracing their steps halfway up Bidean Nam Bian. They asked me if there was a "round tour" they could do at the top :lol:

My walking companion said I shouldn't have advised them to go back as they're tourists and they'll probably only get this one chance and it was a fine day. I was thinking more along the lines of them avoiding a mountain rescue situation or possible death although I suspect mountain rescue had to march a lot of zoomers off the hill that day. It's hard to call it really :?
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Re: Should I have intervened?

Postby al78 » Thu Dec 31, 2020 11:43 am

I've never suggested to anyone they shouldn't be doing a hill climb due to apparent poor preparedness, once when I was trying Crib Goch for the first time, I got to the point where the path to Crib Goch leaves the Pyg track and a man with a young child asked me if this was the way to Crib Goch. I think he then asked about what it is like, and I gave him the most objective description of the ridge based on my own research, then let him decide.
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Re: Should I have intervened?

Postby CharlesT » Thu Dec 31, 2020 11:52 am

al78 wrote:I've never suggested to anyone they shouldn't be doing a hill climb due to apparent poor preparedness, once when I was trying Crib Goch for the first time, I got to the point where the path to Crib Goch leaves the Pyg track and a man with a young child asked me if this was the way to Crib Goch. I think he then asked about what it is like, and I gave him the most objective description of the ridge based on my own research, then let him decide.

You were very restrained. I would have suggested to him politely that Crib Goch in any conditions is not suitable for a young child and if necessary explained why.
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Re: Should I have intervened?

Postby al78 » Fri Jan 01, 2021 11:41 am

CharlesT wrote:
al78 wrote:I've never suggested to anyone they shouldn't be doing a hill climb due to apparent poor preparedness, once when I was trying Crib Goch for the first time, I got to the point where the path to Crib Goch leaves the Pyg track and a man with a young child asked me if this was the way to Crib Goch. I think he then asked about what it is like, and I gave him the most objective description of the ridge based on my own research, then let him decide.

You were very restrained. I would have suggested to him politely that Crib Goch in any conditions is not suitable for a young child and if necessary explained why.


I think my wording was along those lines (I was polite throughout), it was sufficient to make him think twice and they carried on along the Pyg track.
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