Bit Of A Panic..

[FUJI 17,327]

Well had a wander out for a stress free hike yesterday morning with just Don & Ruby..I set off with the intention of just walking some 6 miles or so on the fells,weather was dry & the skies were clear so all was set fair ? ...Or so I thought!! As we headed higher up the fell the weather began to change,the rain started & although very fine was still a hindrance & the further up we climbed the wind strengthened but we were dressed appropriately so all was good but then low lying cloud,mist,fog call it what you will just came in within minutes & reduced visibility to no more than 20 yards & as I rarely keep to the paths I began to get disorientated,I lost all sense of direction & typically I'd left my GPS tracking device at home! I had no idea where the hell I was? I really was on the verge of calling the mountain rescue,I walked for over 2 hours when I stumbled upon a line of very old iron fence posts & I decided to try & follow these and see where they led,I was thankful to see a boot print heading the way I was going but that didn't prove I was going the right way! Eventually I seen through the cloud a very brief glimpse of a small tarn which I recognised although it was on another mountain across a valley I knew where I was thankfully so I headed in the direction of the tarn and decided to clamber down over 2000 feet of wet scree,boulders,snow patches etc to the valley floor,it was a real long walk back to the motor infact I'd walked almost 18 miles when I got back lol.. Definitely a lesson learnt in that never ever think that just because the weather is nice at ground level it will be up there plus I won't ever go again without my GPS but one thing I'm going to do is buy a compass & learn how to use it!! I have the maps which is all well & good if the weather etc is good but a compass could of made things so much easier..Knackered to the core but thankfully still here & like I said lesson learnt ?

[FUJI 17,327]

 

Weather starting to close in

[Flacko 1,755]

All good that ends well& you a well seasoned walker mate see how easy someone like me could feck up atb Flacko

[Flacko 1,755]

I've got compass on phone ? Have to try & work that one out myself as I want to get them hills this summer in preparation for the winter coming

[FUJI 17,327]

All good that ends well& you a well seasoned walker mate see how easy someone like me could feck up atb Flacko

It's on the news almost daily about people getting into difficulty on the mountains/fells Flacko & most are far more experienced than myself,i thought i was retracing my steps pretty much but i was not just a little off track i was a good several miles off track!! That alone could of had me going anywhere & having me having to have spent the night on the hills,you just have to stop,clear your mind of irrational thoughts & try & keep calm,easier said than done i know.. Realistically you wont be a million miles from where you were last in good visibility but the loss of any sense of direction & not being able to see nothing beyond a few yards starts playing tricks on your mind lol

[D Lloyd 2,790]

Glad you OK Andy is that your cock pointing the way home in first pic lol

[Flacko 1,755]

Was ask you to do a few guided trips up there with me lol atb Flacko

[FUJI 17,327]

Was ask you to do a few guided trips up there with me lol atb Flacko

Be like the blind leading the blind bud haha,if you ever fancy a wander just shout up matey,im always good for a trek up the hills although just at a snails pace lol

[forest of dean redneck 11,694]

On a brighter note the dogs got some exercise .

[Flacko 1,755]

That'll do me mate ime no Chris Brasher atb Flacko

[TOMO 26,543]

lol,,bloody hell

[Flacko 1,755]

Feck me don't say that Lloydy I might get stuck up there a night with him lol

[jake824 517]

18 miles is a bloody long way . Bet there was a big big sigh when u sat in the motor. Joking aside it does show how easily it can go wrong. I lamp alone mostly and it only takes a nasty trip and have no phone signal and ur knackered

[Guest edrd]

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Edited February 9, 2017 by edrd

[FUJI 17,327]

18 miles is a bloody long way . Bet there was a big big sigh when u sat in the motor. Joking aside it does show how easily it can go wrong. I lamp alone mostly and it only takes a nasty trip and have no phone signal and ur knackered

Yeah 99% of the time im out on my own,often where there is no phone signal or anything,i actually fell when coming down a mountain a couple of months ago,i was like a pin ball machine bouncing from rock to rock,fortunately my rucksack got wedged in between some rocks which probably saved me some serious grief at the least,i initially thought id broken my leg such was the pain,no phone signal so talk about a long painful hobble of 7 miles to the car i was in agony & my lower leg had swollen to the size of my thigh lol..anyways we are still here for now & my original post was just to highlight the dangers if being out & about especially if alone in remote areas,take nothing for granted & be prepared for the worst ?