Ben MacDui. Photo: Graham Ellis CC-BY-SA-2.0
Ill prepared hillwalkers relying on smartphones to navigate on Highland mountains are putting lives at risk, police said.
The head of mountain rescue for Grampian Police criticised groups of walkers who went on to the hills without the skills and knowledge to find their way.
Chief Inspector Andrew Todd’s comments follow the rescue of 14 people last night on Britain’s second-highest mountain, Ben MacDui.
The Grampian force said: “Over the past four nights, Friday to Monday, both Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team and the joint Grampian Police-Braemar Mountain Rescue Team, supported by colleagues from the Search and Rescue Dog Association, Aberdeen Mountain Rescue and Royal Navy Search and Rescue helicopter from Prestwick have collectively responded to four separate incidents within the Cairngorms.
“The 18 individuals involved all appear to have been attempting to navigate within the Cairngorms using smartphone-type technology.
“Whilst all were traced safe and well, it is disappointing to both the police and the mountain rescue teams that there appeared to be a complete reliance on a navigation technology which we would consider unsuitable for the terrain these groups are traversing.
“Grampian Police wish to take this opportunity to bring to hillwalkers’ attention the need for parties to have the correct level of skill and equipment, particularly with regards to navigation.”
Ch Insp Todd, co-ordinator of mountain rescue in Grampian, said: “I have been involved in mountain rescue for nearly 20 years and, while technology can and does play an important part in raising the alarm or assisting navigation, it appears we may be about to witness a marked increase in the complete reliance of smartphone apps to navigate some of the UK’s highest mountains.
“What is particularly concerning is that the individuals who are relying on this apparently inappropriate technology often do not possess even rudimentary mountain navigation skills.
“This is putting their lives at risk, and while Scotland’s mountains are there for all to enjoy, there is a personal responsibility on those who venture into the mountains to do so only when properly equipped and skilled.”
The group of 14 people was walked to safety from 1,309m (4,295ft) Ben MacDui last night after getting lost in fog at around 7pm. Police said no-one was injured as a result.
Chapas
14 August 2012If they haven't got a map and compass have they got other essentials like torch and survival bag?
It must be frustrating for Mountain Rescue Volunteers, they have my sympathy.
Would an awarenss raising campaign based around car parks and visitor centres about the use of smartphones have any impact?
Could the 'ill prepared' be billed for their rescue? But then who decides whose 'ill prepared'?
Gerald Davison
14 August 2012@chapas to answer your questions.
It is frustrating, very!
The awareness campaign needs to be much further back than that. We have to get to these people in gear shops, over the internet and through magazines. By the time they reach the hills they will ignore any signs or leaflets as they have driven a long way and won't just turn around and go home.
In some ways there is no point in billing people. Once they have been rescued they have learned the best possible lesson and effectively "fining" them through a charge won't make that any more of a better lesson. Interestingly many of these people go on to raise funds for MR teams (but by no means all).
I teach navigation professionally (part time) and I would estimate 50% of people that book onto a two day basic/intermediate course have "had a fright" (we used to call it an "epic" when I was a lad) and have had a realisation of "what they don't know". Most of these haven't been involved in a rescue, they extracted themselves.
The irony is that in the old days people still got lost, but they usually didn't have a phone to "get out of jail", so they wandered around for several hours and figured it out, either that or they died.... which is of course why the mobile phone is a good thing, even if it is massively increasing the workload on teams for people that might otherwise have eventually helped themselves.
Wish I knew the answer to this conundrum. Maybe it would be a good subject for someone's Master's thesis on the psychology of this increasing phenomenon and how to combat it? Darned if I have got any good answers.
Jhimmy
14 August 2012What happens is this.
1. Many read a great article in a magazine showing sunny mountains.
2. They drive to the mountain and start the walk. They don't know much about the weather, navigation, equipment or mountains.
3. They are either lucky or not.
4. If unlucky, just phone MRT, that's what they're there for!
The question most fail to ask is "Why are people heading into the hills?". The answer is because there's far too many people encouraging them to do so. Maybe I might be a bit selfish, but I'm a great believer of self discovering. I don't want adverts telling me mountains are a great place. This smacks of commercialisation of the hills.
Tell someone who's never been on a mountain before it's a great place and discover yourself in the wilderness, oh and by the way, buy our £300 Goretex jacket. This is so different from my first days in the 60's when I loved the school trips to Yorkshire and the Lakes with my cheap and nasty fell boots and clothing!
Anyone know the correlation between a magazine article appearing and MRT rescues for that same articles route?
I'd love to know how many people who climb Ben Nevis, Snowdon or Scafell Pike will ever climb another mountain?
Margaret
17 August 2012Re the previous comment, "because there's far too many people encouraging them" - it's interesting to note that a few decades ago (I think the 1970/80s) the MCofS stated that it was "not in the business of promoting mountaineering".
AndyIntheHighlands
21 August 2012By rescuing people like this it is allowing their genes to carry on and future generations will devolve to be even less intelligent. Why not leave them there.
The problem would be how do you identify when a reasonable person who is in to trouble and that they are worth rescuing?