Hill Rage - A cautionary tale

[lochlaggan]

He sounds like a pure fanny, forget and move on to more positive experiences which you will have many more.

[simon-b]

According to Mandy, one of my fellow rucksack leavers, the aggressive man's accent placed him as either from Yorkshire or Lancashire.

It wasn't me!

[Tomsie]

Maybe they got rumbled going through the rucksacks and this was the reaction so to look guilty.

[johnkaysleftleg]

Maybe they got rumbled going through the rucksacks and this was the reaction so to look not guilty.

Now this makes sense, would certainly explain the ott reaction verging upon violence.

[teaandpies]

Watching this video made me think of this topic. Skip to 4minutes 30seconds for the relevant part.

[Walkinmyfootsteps]

I'm sorry you had that experience. I do wonder if they would have been so aggressive had you not been on your own or less senior in your years, no offence.
I notice more and more people are very vocal in their opinions on others who have made genuine errors of judgement or are inexperienced in the hills.
I include in that the mountain rescue groups who are particularly vocal. There are idiots out there but I don't believe any of them set out to deliberately get themselves into danger or indeed others.
It used to be the hill walking community looked out for each other, now it seems they want to score points on those who have found themselves in an unfortunate situation.

[meursault]

RTC, this is just absolute nonsense.

There are countless 'out and back' walks where walkers leave their bags at some point before ascent to the furthest summit. I think your experience was exceptional, don't take it to heart.

Certainly don't allow yourself to assume that these people knew what they were talking about.
I'm nearing the end of the 1150 UK 2000's (Munros, Corbetts, Grahams, Donalds, New Donalds, English Hewitts & Welsh Hewitts - still to visit NI Hewitts) and once or twice I've encountered pricks who think they can tell me what to do. Perhaps I don't get it so much because I'm 6' 2", but every now and then I do receive some unsolicited advice.

My answer, always, is, "You must have mistaken me for someone who has less experience than yourself...Goodbye"

[doggy]

The guy has completely over reacted, he's the wanker. I often leave my bag if i know i'm coming back the same route, sometimes I hide it sometimes I dump it if the hill is empty.

If i was contemplating suicide I wouldn't climb a **** hill with a rucksac. i would jump out of a very high building or a bridge. And if I did choose to use a mountain for a suicide bid why would I take a rucsac?

[Walkinmyfootsteps]

Thanks walkinmyfootsteps and meursault. I've a lot more to worry me than hill bullies. All the best, Russell.

Well said Russell and good to know you haven't let these warmers put you off

[johnnyaztec]

I was doing the South Glen Shiel Ridge a few years back and dumped my rucksack while i went for a water replen into one of the corries ,on my return ,and it was starting to get dark i couldn't find were i stashed my pack ,which resulted in a slightly panicked 10 minute search until i found it,however prior to dumping my gear i had taken out my head torch map and compass and car keys and was quite prepared and capable of humping it all the way back to the Cluanie and kipping in my car had i not been able to locate it.

Unfortunately Some people just love to get on board the outrage bus at any opportunity!

Doing an out and back is perfectly fine in my view as long as your prepared and capable to extract yourself off the hill without it,as im sure you were/are.

The zealot you encountered has had his wet dream come true,leave him to his folly

[Ceannacrocked]

Russell, thanks for mentioning this again at the park with Alfie yesterday.

Reading your original, comments and replies, it seems unanimous the self entitled d******d had no right to speak to you in that manner. As for whether to leave or not leave the sack(s), I left one on the shoulder of Tellach and never saw it again! I think it probably got blown down in strong winds, but I've wondered if anyone came across it and looked for a corpse.

In Coire Lair on Tuesday, I met a bloke who had left his tent (packed), stove and unnecessary stuff prior to getting up Sgorr Ruadh. he wrapped everything up in bright blue bivvy bag. Pretty obvious to anyone coming across it what was going on.

Perhaps even to the numptie with anger management issues.

Good post, mate.
Mike and Vinnie.

[Giant Stoneater]

The guy has completely over reacted, he's the wanker. I often leave my bag if i know i'm coming back the same route, sometimes I hide it sometimes I dump it if the hill is empty.

If i was contemplating suicide I wouldn't climb a **** hill with a rucksac. i would jump out of a very high building or a bridge. And if I did choose to use a mountain for a suicide bid why would I take a rucsac?

Suicide on Ben Alder 1995
https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/2002/jan/05/weekend7.weekend1

[Briqual]

The guy has completely over reacted, he's the wanker. I often leave my bag if i know i'm coming back the same route, sometimes I hide it sometimes I dump it if the hill is empty.

If i was contemplating suicide I wouldn't climb a **** hill with a rucksac. i would jump out of a very high building or a bridge. And if I did choose to use a mountain for a suicide bid why would I take a rucsac?

Suicide on Ben Alder 1995
https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/2002/jan/05/weekend7.weekend1

It would be interesting to know how many people have (tragically) committed suicide since that report was written then to filter how many climbed a hill to do it. Once we had the percentage we could all make a call on whether we'd even think there's the possibility that an unattended sac could be considered an indication that somebody may have decided they wanted to climb a hill and commit suicide.

I'd hazard a guess at less than 0.1% and my decision being 'na , somebody's dumped their bag to save carrying it'.

[RedAndy54]

It would be interesting to know how many people have (tragically) committed suicide since that report was written then to filter how many climbed a hill to do it. Once we had the percentage we could all make a call on whether we'd even think there's the possibility that an unattended sac could be considered an indication that somebody may have decided they wanted to climb a hill and commit suicide.

I don't think you even need to go that far. Just look at the experiences of people on this thread. Lots of people have come across stowed gear in the hills - many have done it themselves - and no one yet has admitted to encountering a suicide or suicide attempt.

That tells us plenty about the likelihood of a seemingly abandoned rucksack belonging to a suicidal person, even leaving aside the implausibility of someone carrying a full pack into the mountains while intent on ending their own life.

What we can safely conclude is that the gentleman in the OP's anecdote is lacking experience of the hills, as well as a few other things.

[Jokester]

Bizarre. Is it much of a problem for jumpers to trek for miles into the hills kitted out to then jump off cliffs?

Standard practice to leave a rucksack if you're going to be coming back that way, forget about it and move on I think!