The couple initially got stuck on Striding Edge. Photo: Bob Smith/grough
A couple were rescued from England’s third-highest mountain after originally getting stuck on a scrambling route.
The pair called for help from Helvellyn after they got into difficulties on Striding Edge.
Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team, which went to the walkers’ aid, said: “By the time the team made contact they had managed to get on the Helvellyn plateau.
“It had gone dark by then and the couple were not confident navigating themselves off the mountain.”
Seven team members set off in two Land Rovers and then made their way onto the mountain and collected the stranded couple.
The team said: “They were escorted back down the valley and given a lift back to Glenridding in the Land Rover.”
Rod Hepplewhite
18 January 2022Patience is a virtue, so the saying goes. Patterdale MRT members must be very virtuous having to deal with people such as the couple mentioned in the report above. No common sense and no thoughts about timing, capabilities, equipment required etc etc. I hope they made a large contribution to Patterdale MRT's coffers.
Dave Evans
18 January 2022Tolerance is a virtue too. The last comment makes all sorts of assumptions. There is nothing in the article to suggest lack of common sense, lack of thought on timing or lack of equipment. Clearly the couple found the route challenged their capability and their night time navigation. So they did the right thing and called for help. Has the first commentator never pushed their boundaries and found themselves struggling? I would suggest that all of us with strong experience and confidence in the winter mountains have sometimes found ourselves in difficult situations. When it works out despite the problems then we can be self congratulatory. But our hard earned experience, skill and mountain judgement does not give us the right to sneer at others nor does it make us completely immune to future error. I remember Alan Hinkes getting avalanched from a Great End gully some years ago on a day when others were duspivious of the snow conditions. Should we have sneered at him? Thank goodness MRT teams usually take the the more tolerant view. Good luck to the couple. I hope they learn from the experience and, yes, make a contribution to MR but fo not feel too shamed by the sort of knee jerk comments others might make.
James
18 January 2022Just wait for the usual people to jump to their defense with naive comment such as "they'll learn from this" and "anyone can make a mistake".
The fact is, people like that will have put little or no thought into what they're setting off to do. Clearly they didn't need help in the first place and weren't actually stuck at all. If they had been stuck they wouldn't have been able to continue as they did.
Slightest sign of things getting hard and they call for help. If they were struggling that much why not turn back instead of carrying on into darkness.
Sheer stupidity.
Colin
18 January 2022Great photo Bob, very evocative.
Chris Pinder
20 January 2022Rod/James
Making assumptions without any context - you have no idea what thought this couple had re their walk. Keyboard warriors