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Solo hikers ?

Re: Solo hikers ?

Postby Caberfeidh » Thu Oct 22, 2020 4:08 pm

CharlesT wrote:
Marty_JG wrote:Look to the positives, to the best-of-both-worlds. Hike IN with a group, kill them all, loot their corpses, solo-hike out.

That way you'll have had everything needed for an enjoyable day out in the countryside: company, solitude, homicide.

You should team up with Caberfeidh, he with the bone saw and a Skye man's lust for barbarity. :shock:


Look, I've explained all about the Donner Party; nobody needs to dig it all up again. As for that plane crash in the Andes, it's still a bit, er... close to the bone... :shock:
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Re: Solo hikers ?

Postby Sgurr » Fri Oct 23, 2020 12:42 pm

Greigmartinwalk, don't be put off looking for someone to share your walks by the above. I LIKED walking in a group. All old college friends of husband, my only worry was one day they would notice I wasn't a bloke and would boot me out. Admittedly I DID notice that the most experienced was the least keen to proffer advice (a subconscious feeling he was low in the pecking order due to earning less?) but the others all had a fair amount of sense...though since he has gone to Oz, I don't miss one particular companion's tendency to teeter at the top of steep slopes and then belt off down them, assuming we all would follow, which we did. Life has inevitably become more sedate as we age.
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Re: Solo hikers ?

Postby Lightfoot2017 » Fri Oct 23, 2020 7:57 pm

Caberfeidh wrote:My tolerance for idiots is at an all-time low, so I prefer to go solo. It saves getting blood stains on my nice oilskins and sou'wester. Perhaps you should change the title of this post to "Gregarious Hikers". :shock:


What he said.
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Re: Solo hikers ?

Postby Lightfoot2017 » Fri Oct 23, 2020 7:57 pm

CharlesT wrote:
Caberfeidh wrote:My tolerance for idiots is at an all-time low, so I prefer to go solo. It saves getting blood stains on my nice oilskins and sou'wester. Perhaps you should change the title of this post to "Gregarious Hikers". :shock:

Me too! I can get into enough arguments with myself without having someone else to provoke me. :roll:


And what he said.
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Re: Solo hikers ?

Postby Lightfoot2017 » Fri Oct 23, 2020 8:09 pm

Glengavel wrote:
Marty_JG wrote:Look to the positives, to the best-of-both-worlds. Hike IN with a group, kill them all, loot their corpses, solo-hike out.

That way you'll have had everything needed for an enjoyable day out in the countryside: company, solitude, homicide.


When out walking with Lady G we often have a running joke of commenting on other walkers being murderers or serial killers. Maybe it's not such a joke after all :shock:



On the issue of serial killers on our hills, THE scariest person I've ever met in my life was a walker I crossed paths with when I was doing Sgor Gaoith and Mullach Clach a Bhlair together. I stopped for this guy to walk past me, exchange a few friendly words ( "Where have you come from?" "Hows the weather at the summit?" That kinda thing.) I have NEVER experienced such an evil glare in my life before. Or since. This guy was malevolent. He didnt say a word in response to my friendly greeting. Just strode past me with evil intent burning in his eyes. :shock:

If anyone knows this guy, tell him I said hello.
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Re: Solo hikers ?

Postby rabthecairnterrier » Sat Oct 24, 2020 5:00 pm

Sgurr wrote:Greigmartinwalk, don't be put off looking for someone to share your walks by the above. I LIKED walking in a group. All old college friends of husband, my only worry was one day they would notice I wasn't a bloke and would boot me out. Admittedly I DID notice that the most experienced was the least keen to proffer advice (a subconscious feeling he was low in the pecking order due to earning less?) but the others all had a fair amount of sense...though since he has gone to Oz, I don't miss one particular companion's tendency to teeter at the top of steep slopes and then belt off down them, assuming we all would follow, which we did. Life has inevitably become more sedate as we age.


Any walking group where there is a "pecking order" based on how much - or how little - people earn sounds like a group well worth avoiding. Sensible folk head for the hills to get away from such pettiness (amongst other things).
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Re: Solo hikers ?

Postby Sgurr » Sat Oct 24, 2020 5:44 pm

rabthecairnterrier wrote:
Sgurr wrote:Greigmartinwalk, don't be put off looking for someone to share your walks by the above. I LIKED walking in a group. All old college friends of husband, my only worry was one day they would notice I wasn't a bloke and would boot me out. Admittedly I DID notice that the most experienced was the least keen to proffer advice (a subconscious feeling he was low in the pecking order due to earning less?) but the others all had a fair amount of sense...though since he has gone to Oz, I don't miss one particular companion's tendency to teeter at the top of steep slopes and then belt off down them, assuming we all would follow, which we did. Life has inevitably become more sedate as we age.


Any walking group where there is a "pecking order" based on how much - or how little - people earn sounds like a group well worth avoiding. Sensible folk head for the hills to get away from such pettiness (amongst other things).


I think it was totally sub-conscious. If you have 4 blokes, all of whom are roughly on a par in hill walking terms, when they start debating what to do, the one with most confidence seemed to take over, and he was the one who happened to be in charge of most people at work, and earned most. But it didn't always happen that way, as he was persuadable. The one with the most experience had had periods of unemployment when he headed for the hills, but very tentative in putting his views forward. I can only remember " taking over" on one occasion when I refused to continue in what seemed dangerous conditions, and they all agreed, but I had far less experience than any of them, when we were walking together.
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Re: Solo hikers ?

Postby rabthecairnterrier » Sat Oct 24, 2020 11:30 pm

Sgurr wrote:
rabthecairnterrier wrote:
Sgurr wrote:Greigmartinwalk, don't be put off looking for someone to share your walks by the above. I LIKED walking in a group. All old college friends of husband, my only worry was one day they would notice I wasn't a bloke and would boot me out. Admittedly I DID notice that the most experienced was the least keen to proffer advice (a subconscious feeling he was low in the pecking order due to earning less?) but the others all had a fair amount of sense...though since he has gone to Oz, I don't miss one particular companion's tendency to teeter at the top of steep slopes and then belt off down them, assuming we all would follow, which we did. Life has inevitably become more sedate as we age.


Any walking group where there is a "pecking order" based on how much - or how little - people earn sounds like a group well worth avoiding. Sensible folk head for the hills to get away from such pettiness (amongst other things).


I think it was totally sub-conscious. If you have 4 blokes, all of whom are roughly on a par in hill walking terms, when they start debating what to do, the one with most confidence seemed to take over, and he was the one who happened to be in charge of most people at work, and earned most. But it didn't always happen that way, as he was persuadable. The one with the most experience had had periods of unemployment when he headed for the hills, but very tentative in putting his views forward. I can only remember " taking over" on one occasion when I refused to continue in what seemed dangerous conditions, and they all agreed, but I had far less experience than any of them, when we were walking together.

Subconscious? Interesting. My regular hillgoing companions include a group of three one of whom was previously the other two's Boss - and a pretty hard one by all accounts. All three retired now, but you'll not find any sign of personal deference there, despite the ex-Boss's pension probably outstripping the ex-employees maximum salary by a handsome margin.
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Re: Solo hikers ?

Postby Lightfoot2017 » Sun Oct 25, 2020 8:41 am

A few posts here outlining why its rarely a good idea to go walking with colleagues from work. Chances are you're going to end up talking about....work. :crazy:

Precisely the thing you go hillwalking to get away from.
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Re: Solo hikers ?

Postby walkingpoles » Sun Oct 25, 2020 1:28 pm

Group dynamics is a mighty interesting subject to study, especially if things start to go wrong. I learnt many lessons about it while out there hiking in or with groups. So far, nobody died (some close calls due to rockfall caused by members of the party). In my experience it is harder in a group to turn back and hence more likely to end up in a stupid situation (everybody thinks the others are still in the comfort zone, or a rambo tried to impress somebody and took over the lead). If you go out with more experienced hikers, do not only try to learn from their hiking skills but also from their group management skills or their lack of it. Everybody makes mistakes (apart from Chuck Norris or Caberfeidh).


@Greigmartinwalk: if you post your request in the "meet up"-subforum you're probably getting more sensible replies than here. Corona seems to have put the sarcasm level on a new height. But thanks for starting the discussions. :D
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Re: Solo hikers ?

Postby CharlesT » Sun Oct 25, 2020 3:09 pm

Sgurr wrote:
rabthecairnterrier wrote:
Sgurr wrote:Greigmartinwalk, don't be put off looking for someone to share your walks by the above. I LIKED walking in a group. All old college friends of husband, my only worry was one day they would notice I wasn't a bloke and would boot me out. Admittedly I DID notice that the most experienced was the least keen to proffer advice (a subconscious feeling he was low in the pecking order due to earning less?) but the others all had a fair amount of sense...though since he has gone to Oz, I don't miss one particular companion's tendency to teeter at the top of steep slopes and then belt off down them, assuming we all would follow, which we did. Life has inevitably become more sedate as we age.


Any walking group where there is a "pecking order" based on how much - or how little - people earn sounds like a group well worth avoiding. Sensible folk head for the hills to get away from such pettiness (amongst other things).


I think it was totally sub-conscious. If you have 4 blokes, all of whom are roughly on a par in hill walking terms, when they start debating what to do, the one with most confidence seemed to take over, and he was the one who happened to be in charge of most people at work, and earned most. But it didn't always happen that way, as he was persuadable. The one with the most experience had had periods of unemployment when he headed for the hills, but very tentative in putting his views forward. I can only remember " taking over" on one occasion when I refused to continue in what seemed dangerous conditions, and they all agreed, but I had far less experience than any of them, when we were walking together.


This isn't solely a male group characteristic, bear in mind that "pecking order" derives from the study of hierarchical social organisation in hens.I believe four women of similar attributes and in similar circumstances might behave similarly. Admittedly they might be more inclined to have a "committee meeting" about it, so believe they have arrived at a collective decision, but it is probably the most assertive who will get her way.

With regard to the instance of you "taking over" that is a good example of the "mum factor", whenever a single woman in a group of men insists she becomes Mum and the boys obey, or else. 😄
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Re: Solo hikers ?

Postby Sgurr » Sun Oct 25, 2020 6:28 pm

CharlesT Mum factor. Possibly. . I just said I was going home as we were all get getting blown over trying to ascend a ridge, and a couple of them had started CRAWLING up. Didn't mind if nobody came too (tho' suspected husband would), and to be honest, was rather surprised when they all said "Good idea.".
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Re: Solo hikers ?

Postby Glengavel » Sun Oct 25, 2020 10:53 pm

Lightfoot2017 wrote:
Glengavel wrote:
Marty_JG wrote:Look to the positives, to the best-of-both-worlds. Hike IN with a group, kill them all, loot their corpses, solo-hike out.

That way you'll have had everything needed for an enjoyable day out in the countryside: company, solitude, homicide.


When out walking with Lady G we often have a running joke of commenting on other walkers being murderers or serial killers. Maybe it's not such a joke after all :shock:



On the issue of serial killers on our hills, THE scariest person I've ever met in my life was a walker I crossed paths with when I was doing Sgor Gaoith and Mullach Clach a Bhlair together. I stopped for this guy to walk past me, exchange a few friendly words ( "Where have you come from?" "Hows the weather at the summit?" That kinda thing.) I have NEVER experienced such an evil glare in my life before. Or since. This guy was malevolent. He didnt say a word in response to my friendly greeting. Just strode past me with evil intent burning in his eyes. :shock:

If anyone knows this guy, tell him I said hello.


Wasn't wearing oilskins and a pith helmet by any chance...
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Re: Solo hikers ?

Postby penelope1 » Mon Oct 26, 2020 2:32 pm

When I was out yesterday I passed a child who had rocks in his hands and threateing to throw them at me, a bit depressing really, all I said was hello. The adult was ahead on the track almost out of sight
Think I would have been glad of some company...
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Re: Solo hikers ?

Postby LobeyD » Tue Oct 27, 2020 1:46 pm

Lightfoot2017 wrote:
Glengavel wrote:
Marty_JG wrote:Look to the positives, to the best-of-both-worlds. Hike IN with a group, kill them all, loot their corpses, solo-hike out.

That way you'll have had everything needed for an enjoyable day out in the countryside: company, solitude, homicide.


When out walking with Lady G we often have a running joke of commenting on other walkers being murderers or serial killers. Maybe it's not such a joke after all :shock:



On the issue of serial killers on our hills, THE scariest person I've ever met in my life was a walker I crossed paths with when I was doing Sgor Gaoith and Mullach Clach a Bhlair together. I stopped for this guy to walk past me, exchange a few friendly words ( "Where have you come from?" "Hows the weather at the summit?" That kinda thing.) I have NEVER experienced such an evil glare in my life before. Or since. This guy was malevolent. He didnt say a word in response to my friendly greeting. Just strode past me with evil intent burning in his eyes. :shock:

If anyone knows this guy, tell him I said hello.


At least you got a response of sorts. Climbing up the east side of Meall Gorm in the Fannichs a couple of months ago I spotted someone descending. It's a wide slope with no clear path and the guy was coming at a slight angle towards me as I headed straight up. Not another soul in sight. As he got within a few yards I looked up with cheery 'morning'. Total blank. No eye contact, nothing. Now I understand that some folk have issues with social contact etc. but it wasn't like there was a need to get close on such a wide slope. He could have gone straighter down the slope and missed me by 30 yards. Totally freaked me out.
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