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http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cumbria/7691531.stm

Mine manager Mark Weir was critical organisers had allowed the race to go ahead.

Speaking on Saturday night, he said: "We've overwhelmed the emergency services - the poor mountain rescue are out trying to find people on the side of the mountain, in the dark."

But organisers defended their actions, saying many people did not understand the nature of mountain marathons.

"the nature of mountain marathons"

To trim the heard?

i beleive mr little was doing this marathon this weekend, lets hope its not him

cheers gary

Chris got back to Keswick

It was Jan that needed rescueing!

As of about 2pm today, BBC News 24 is reporting ALL participants have now been accounted for.

A bit of wind and rain never did anybody any harm! I'm sure much of this was over hyped by the news organisations in search of a good story.

"1500 people missing in Lake District", "should't be allowed", "locals said they weather forecast was bad", etc. etc.
I'm now waiting for reports of how much the 'rescue' costed, and how every one should need rescue insurance.

Don't think it was over hyped too much really..........

You where there right?

No, I wasn't there. I don't doubt that the weather was atrocious, but the sort of commentary coming from the news 24 reporters was sensationalist rubbish.

For example, there was talk of people being 'forced to camp out overnight', forgetting to mention that this is actually part of the OMM.
There was also a strong implication that the 100's of competitors who hadn't reported in where somehow lost, in trouble, and in need of rescuing.

Don't know if you've read the Washington Times story on the web. According to http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/200 ... ted-for-1/ the mountains in the Lake District are as high as 7,054ft!.
Can you let us know where you keep these big hills?

mountains in the Lake District are as high as 7,054ft!.

That'll be Mount Bewaldelth no doubt

"1500 people missing in Lake District", "should't be allowed", "locals said they weather forecast was bad", etc. etc.
I'm now waiting for reports of how much the 'rescue' costed, and how every one should need rescue insurance.

Yeh F*&k the cost,..

Maybe once the event went ahead against advice, the emergency services should have withdrawn all services and made it clear they were on there own.

PS

I am no expert but I thought going hill climbing in poor conditions was not a good idea?!

Perverse as it may sound, going out in bad weather can give some great days out in the hills!

I once went up Beinn Alligin in Scotland after weather warnings of strong gales - and it was superb. Loose rocks on top of the hill were rocking in the wind, making these weird banging noises, something I've never seen (heard?) before. Coming down was interesting too, the three of us had to sit down on a particularly exposed section as the wind had already blown one of us of his feet. I weigh about 100Kg, and I could barely stand, let alone walk.
Even a stroll from Model to Clay Bank in a spring blizzard can be fun. Did that a few years ago, and with 40+mph gales, the windchill was down to about -20C.
Bad weather walks are often more challenging, harder to navigate, and generally far more interesting than the stroll up the local hill on a nice summers day with the milling hoardes.
Hope we get some snow this winter!

Its everyones choice on how you get your kicks ? but when the Mountain rescue team make the decision it too dangerous and people egnore this ?

They should be now on there own... why should someone risk their live to save a bloody idiot that think they know better.

Someone said to me once 'I would bloody charge them to get them off the mountain' my reply was... 'yep but it can still cost lives !'

An I wonder what the very same rescue team might say about free flying?

Brian, I will tell what they will say if we go against there decision not to go up the mountain.... bloody idiots

Hi all,

Apparently this weekend the Mountain Rescue Teams was struggling for volunteers to go and “rescue” all of these “idiots”.

It was because these “idiots” were some of the competitors.

You couldn’t make it up could you??

The old phrase “do as I say and not as I do” springs to mind……!!

If they enjoy it, as far as I am concerned, let them – or do we have to get a weather monitor, the same as some infant schools to decide if the kids can go outside to play??

Just put the last remark on to try and liven this Forum up and get some responses!!

Regards,

crook_I don’t do rain myself_101

If they enjoy it, as far as I am concerned, let them – or do we have to get a weather monitor, the same as some infant schools to decide if the kids can go outside to play??

Spot on. They're all adults and just because the organisers said "It's on" doesn't mean they have to do it. I understand where Dave is coming from I quite like wild weather myself including white outs very strong wind and torrential rain....

there has been an awful lot of rubbish written and spoken about the events of the weekend in the press. very little has been said of the individuals responsibility, no one held a gun to there head and made them compete. if you fly in a competition you are told the responsibility to fly when a task is called rests with the competitor, you assess the conditions and make a choice, theres no difference. as for the official who said that the cost of the rescue ran into the hundreds of thousands that stuff ticks me off the police would be getting paid the same if it had been a sunny day, the mountain rescue don't charge and its good practice for the helicopter thats what they are there for. who gets this money? i would like to see the invoice. as for leaving them to it i'm a member of a mountain rescue team and it doesn't matter who,where,when or what conditions or circumstance, we go. everyone is treated the same. whether the event should have gone ahead at all is for others to decide but there is alot to be said for personal choice and personal responsibility

So very well said. Stand up the UK! That is where the back Bone has always come from.

There are a lot of 'facts' floating around. I will repeat what I have heard from someone who I believe to be reliable regarding the one of the mountain rescue teams, who we all know are volunteers. On the Saturday they were willing to go out and rescue known casualties who needed their help, but not just go searching for all the competitors. I don't think many people would argue against that approach. On Sunday the conditions were fairly normal, apart from swollen streams.

They, like us, enjoy being in the fells and are there to rescue like minded people who undertake what can be dangerous activities. We're all responsible for our own actions and should at least take the basic precautions to ensure that we're not putting ourselves at undue risk. For us this certainly includes having appropriate equipment and knowing the forecast and reading the conditions.

As for flying related accidents, I know from first hand experience that they are very willing to attend paragliding accidents but do so in a little fear that they are sometimes serious and sometimes people they know. As for my first hand experience, Jocky was one of the first there and the x-ray showed that it wasn't as serious as I or the doctor with them thought.

As for whether the event should have taken place, I'm undecided, I wasn't there and I don't know what the route was.

My Two Penny Worth

I have competed in this event in the past...Its not meant to be easy...ALL Competitors have a strict Kit List which includes Light weight Tent or Bivvy for over night stop. Provisions for such a stop over. Maps Compass (and knowing how to use one) Wet weather gear, dry Gear etc etc.

I was also a member of or Local Search and Rescue Team for over 4 Years.
Yes all volunteers, and all like minded people. The incident that occured over the weekend is just what I joined for...To help out when needed.

The incidents which did really Tick Us Off where going looking for folk who set off across the Moors in Flip Flops using the World Atlas in the Back of their diary.......It Happens

So. Yes in my view it is a shame what happened at the weekend, but all this talk of Irresponsibility and Cost gets right up my nose..
Plus TV Coverage !!! I think take that with a pinch of salt They love a Really Good Disaster....How about the positive..
Ar'nt we Very Lucky to have such excellent Search & Rescue Free of charge to Joe Bloggs who are there when you need them.
Is/nt it great to see so many Enthusiastic People wanting to set real challanges for them selves..whilst enjoying some of our fantastic Wild Country Side......We Dont All Want To Sign Up To
Celebrity Come Bloody Dancing you know

Hi Kay,

I agree with you 100%, esp about the media circus - nothing like a hyped up story for additional sales / viewing. I know about this!! Shock, horror, lost, missing, tragedy, disaster, Police advised against, blah blah blah etc etc, these are all excellent media buzz words that promote sales / increase viewing figures / hits on news websites than the usual local news fare of Mrs Smith's cat is stuck in a tree......having said that, given the nanny state at the minute, Mrs Smith would probably have to go through post traumatic stress counselling, the local H & S brigade would have the tree felled as a possible risk to life, Mrs Smith would then have to attend tree loss counselling, Tiddles would have to attend a height awareness course for special access to a wooden environment Parts I, II & III, Tiddles would also have to complete risk assessment forms(triplicate) before utilising the cat flap (also now marked up with "Danger Area" signage) and complete a disclaimer prior to accessing any further trees indicating the Tiddles was climbing under his own volition, was not pressured into it and had not taken alcohol within the previous 24 hours and have to take with him emergency descent equipment, a GPS tracker, altimeter and a signed agreement that he would not disturb any bird life Rant over, thank you, I feel better now, please can you fasten my nice tight white jacket as I cannot reach the buckles at the back and return me to my nice white padded room until the voices in my head stop........

Have a great day.
crook_i have issues with the nanny state - if you own 2 legs stand on them_101

I just got back last night after taking part in the OMM this weekend.
The conditions were the worst I have ever experienced in 20+ years of being out on the fells with gusts recorded of 120mph and torrential rain. We were blown off our feet at times and couldn’t look into the rain because it was to painful when it hit your face.
We decided to abandon the race about an hour before the organisers called it off and headed back to the start, which was interesting trying to cross streams that were now fast flowing rivers.
We did expect conditions to be bad and have taken part in this event and other similar events before – this one is purposely held at this time of year to test yourself in poor weather conditions. I am a great believer of taking personal responsibility for yourself and making your own decision whether to take part – and I’m pleased we did. It was a good test of endurance, navigation and survival.
I think the organisers were always going to be open to loads of criticism for running the event, which given the forecast was a bad call, mainly from the fact that it brings so much negative publicity to these types of things where people should be allowed to do what they want (like many so called dangerous sports such as paragliding) There’ll always be people who don’t understand the reasons for doing the things we do. Life without risk is or testing yourself is pretty dull. We live in a world now where Health & Safety has gone mad and there are people to blame for everything that goes wrong. It’s a nanny state
The people doing this event are all experienced and all equipped with tents spare clothes, maps survival equipment and the media as always blow these things out of all proportion. There were always going to be a few cases of hypothermia and the odd broken limb; the runners got themselves to safety, and the media saying there were over a 1000 lost on the fells is absolute crap. - Only 13 of 2500 were taken to hospital. There were no fatalities Mountain rescue is a voluntary organisation and they choose to be part of this because they are like minded people. Costs of the so-called rescue are again massively exaggerated. Its people who don’t understand what living is really about who criticise these activities and personal freedom. Anyway that’s my rant about it.
On a funnier note – after we got back to the start we hitched a lift back in one of the few cars to get through the flooded roads through buttermere and the Newlands pass. We’d texted Jan to come and get us when we were coming off the hill and didn’t imagine that when we’d hitched that she’d ever get through but she did and when we got back to Keswick to Steves’ Shop we got a call from Jan saying she was stuck at Seathwaite and was flooded in and was expecting to spend the night there! So after getting dried and changed at Steve Giles house Steve took his car back through the floods to rescue Jan who’d walked out upto waist deep along flooded roads We retrieved her and another 2 competitors and returned back to his house again to warm up. Great job Steve. Good service from the Sick and Wrong yet again. (Going above and beyond paragliding services –now retrieve and rescue)

Of course this is going to be BIG news and so it should be, its darn more light hearted than hearing all the other mess we have at the mo. Yes its going to get blown up to biblical proportions, I would be surprised if it was not.

When authorities (allegedly) requested the event was cancel, advice was ignored. Your leaving yourself open to having egg on your face, this is the main thing that I can see would really get up peoples noses who are not involved in such behavior. The f%$k you we are doing it, what do you know attitude, then a few hours later,......... erm..............HELP.

I might have it all wrong, but that how it looks to me.

The organisers maybe need to be changed for next year?

Chris L wrote:We live in a world now where Health & Safety has gone mad and there are people to blame for everything that goes wrong. It’s a nanny state

Hear Hear Chris

Our household just fell apart in laughter listening to the news reports, getting more incredulous by the hour

The people whoi are putting our lives in REAL danger are the b(w)ankers and herdge funds. F**K them I say

Fingers wrote:When authorities (allegedly) requested the event was cancel, advice was ignored. Your leaving yourself open to having egg on your face,
The f%$k you we are doing it, what do you know attitude, then a few hours later,......... erm..............HELP.

There's a element of crying "wolf". Authorities are bound to say don't go so they'll not be sued. They've probably done so many times in the past. The competitors are equiped for and expecting a rough time. You've got to find out for yourself. Have you ever flown when someones said it's turbulent? You still do just to see if you're up to it. It's the challenge that drives many of us.
Pete

What's all the fuss about??? When I saw the news I only regretted not being there myself. I'm sure Garys flown in worse conditions.


Ali