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Remote hiking issue

Re: Remote hiking issue

Postby rockhopper » Sat Apr 16, 2022 12:01 pm

al78 wrote:
Essan wrote:How on Earth did people manage to climb hills before they had mobile phones? :roll:

People worry about their loved ones doing activities they perceive as dangerous. Humans are primarily driven by emotion, not logic.

My OH didn't worry in the pre mobile days. Nowadays she's even less worried as she has details of my possible routes incl plans A, B etc and knows that if she does hear from me before we planned then it's a bonus. That said, we're both very logical people and not disposed to extreme emotion :wink:
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Re: Remote hiking issue

Postby Chris Henshall » Sat Apr 16, 2022 12:51 pm

I'm afraid that, to use Moriarty's terminology, I'm a bluff old crusty and relish setting out into the hills for days at a time without the means of contacting anyone (and, more importantly, the means of anyone contacting me). Part of what drew me into mountaineering in the first place were the qualities of independence and self-reliance which it demands (or, perhaps, used to demand) and I'd be reluctant to feel obliged to check in with hearth and home every evening. What's more, I suspect that my partner of 36 years would find it disconcerting!
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Re: Remote hiking issue

Postby Moriarty » Sat Apr 16, 2022 12:54 pm

Chris Henshall wrote:I'm afraid that, to use Moriarty's terminology, I'm a bluff old crusty


In the intervening 2 decades, I too have been working on my crust. ;)
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Re: Remote hiking issue

Postby Tringa » Sat Apr 16, 2022 2:34 pm

From your post it seems you (and perhaps your partner too) expected you would be have a phone signal and that was the problem. Therefore I can understand your partner would fear the worst given there was no contact.

Other than a GPS device I think leaving details of route and time is a way forward.

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Re: Remote hiking issue

Postby NickyRannoch » Sat Apr 16, 2022 3:33 pm

If I thought I would be out of contact for X hours I would just say I would be out for X hours and not to expect any contact until then.

I would say phone MRT with my route plan after X+Y hours.

Yes, I might break my leg in hour 1 which would be unfortunate but these things happen.

I think you are better to manage expectations by acknowledging there is inherent risk.
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Re: Remote hiking issue

Postby WeeHills » Sat Apr 16, 2022 4:45 pm

I'm rather perturbed to discover I'm a ' bluff old crusty', I'm still the right side of 50 dagnammit! But yeah, I guess there's a generational divide here, we just don't expect to be in constant touch with each other and I never do more than let my better half know where I'm going and when I'll be back. I only get in touch if I'm running late, which has only ever happened due to hold ups on the road rather than problems on the walk (touch wood). Hell I buggered off to Iceland to hike the Laugarvegur Trail with my auntie a few years back and he didn't hear from me from the moment I left until we touched down at Edinburgh Airport a week later. He'd probably think I'd lost my marbles if I started messaging from hill tops.

If contact is the expectation however, loved ones are bound to worry when it isn't forthcoming, money spent on peace of mind is probably money well spent.
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Re: Remote hiking issue

Postby joreidy » Sat Apr 16, 2022 5:25 pm

Thanks everyone for all your helpful suggestions! I've decided to buy a garmin inreach. Conveniently my birthday is at the end of the month so will be expecting some reimbursement on my investment :lol:
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Re: Remote hiking issue

Postby cruachan06 » Sat Apr 16, 2022 6:49 pm

I wonder if your partner is more concerned than in the past because there have been so many well-publicised incidents over the last few months? It seems almost every week there's been a rescue of some sort off a mountain in Scotland.
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Re: Remote hiking issue

Postby Sgurr » Sat Apr 16, 2022 9:42 pm

In the dawn of time, husband set off to walk ONE of the five sisters.He was going to return the same way to get back to his car, at least a 2 hour drive from our cottage. I had his 3 ancient aunties staying with me and my 2 young kids. . It was a wonderful day, and he met people along the ridge who promised him a lift back to his car. (No mobiles n those days. ) I expected him back mid afternoon and at 10 pm kept having to fend off queries from aunties about WHEN WAS HE COMING and pretend it was quite commoplace for him to be 7 or 8 hours late. That was the worst of the many days that I had been widowed in imagination. Eventually I just got immune to it. However I still remember the panic at the thought that I was sitting out hours that he could have been rescued, but instead was gradually losing his life which alternated with the extreme embarrassment at the idea of getting out MRT unnecessarily. That's partly why 240 Munros later on his part, I eventually joined him...just to keep an eye on him.

If you can get a gizmo that allows you to communicate (as Walk With Wallace outlined) go for it. It isn't fun being the one who has you dying in imagination if she is only a little bit fond of you.
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Re: Remote hiking issue

Postby joreidy » Sun Apr 17, 2022 6:31 pm

I've been very lucky to have had my partner accompany me on about a quarter of my munros so far and no doubt she will continue to do so going forward.
The increased awareness of incidents being reported in the news regarding missing walkers has certainly increased her reservations about my solo hiking.
However, we have had a good chat about all this and have thankfully found common ground with me buying the garmin inreach and discussing rough estimates for times taken for routes. She understands that I have been munro bagging since before we met and it isn't something that I am going stop doing.
Common sense goes a long way on both sides and I've realised the conclusions someone could jump to if their loved one has not checked in as they usually would do.
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Re: Remote hiking issue

Postby Veryhappybunny » Sun Apr 17, 2022 10:10 pm

I have done a lot of my hills alone, just on the basis of letting my other half know where I was going and when I'd expect to return. However even if there are two of you, if something serious went wrong for one of you, without phone signal you don't have great choices. And there are lots of bits of the Highlands with no phone coverage.

I have now bought a PLB. Hope I don't need to use it, but it seems a sensible option, and free apart from the one off cost.
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Re: Remote hiking issue

Postby Alteknacker » Sun Apr 17, 2022 10:45 pm

As above, PLB. Guaranteed connection in an emergency, and well worth the cost (£200 when I got mine) for the peace of mind it buys my CEO and progeny. I went for many years doing solo walks without one, but after a serious outdoorsy accident (nothing to do with hills) some years ago, the family got a lot more concerned, and I decided (under much pressure) that it would be a worthwhile thing. You can't be contacted on one, but you can be located and found.
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Re: Remote hiking issue

Postby trailhombre » Tue Apr 26, 2022 4:54 pm

Essan wrote:How on Earth did people manage to climb hills before they had mobile phones? :roll:


They didn't. Simple rule is that if it's not on Instagram or TikTok it didn't happen.
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Re: Remote hiking issue

Postby yokehead » Tue Apr 26, 2022 9:10 pm

Caberfeidh wrote:Try taking your bonnie lass with you (make sure the weather and conditions will be good) and she might see that all is generally well.


Very thoughtful responses on this thread, as ever.

I did just this last week take my bonnie lass with me, we were based in Ballachulish and climbed The Pap, the 2 Aonachs, Beinn Fhionnlaidh, and traversed Stob Coire Nan Lochan so she experienced a decent cross section of wonderful Scottish mountain terrain. Previously she's been on Welsh hills with me including scrambles and in snow, however the Scottish scene is just so much bigger.

Most of my Scotland trips have been solo and she was worried at the time, however after I had a stroke last year now wants me to tell her where I'll be even if I'm going for a local walk when she's at work! Perfectly understandable.

Anyway, I'd hoped last week would ease her mind a bit but given the routes we did and when I pointed out some routes I'd done solo e.g. Aonach Eagach, Broad Gully on SCNL, she said it's made her feel worse seeing what I've done alone!

So I think she recognises my (hopefully not over) confidence, and competence through experience, and was pleased to have me as a mountain guide so that has helped. But the bottom line is you just never know what may happen in the mountains. Or elsewhere - indeed, a fall at home could be just as tragic!

Maybe I should get the beacon thing, perhaps apply for crowd funding.....
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Re: Remote hiking issue

Postby mynthdd2 » Wed Apr 27, 2022 5:39 pm

SPOT - or something like it - sorted!
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