What an inconsiderate pair the two on Scafell Pike were. I wonder how they would react if they were called away from their jobs, families, + friends, to rescue someone, voluntarily, spending hours on the fell, only to learn "oh I'm fine, I just didn't bother to tell you", while team members were also trying to deal with another genuine incident. All credit to great MRTs X

Maybe they could not get a signal to say they were on there way down ? OR do they think the MRT are at everyone's command. It seems ring first, then think later. They would pay to get their car fixed to get home. Every credit to the MRT for there dedication and time wasted

this does not surprise me one little bit, after assending Scarfell Pike Monday 5 May with my son and finding adults with children wearing soft training shoes not being used for running and jeans when they have all the top gear on just boils my blood. They never think what could happen up there.
keep up the good work MRT guys

Being one of the pair that this article concerns, I can clarify that we only called the mountain rescue after more than five hours of walking on the descent in a dense fog. We became worried as we had both low battery on our phones and little signal the further we walked. At this point we were soaked to our skin and were worried for our safety due to the fact that it was getting darker and increasingly cold. I can understand that it sounds bad but we waited for hours to be found but realised that we had strayed too far from the path to be found and began walking across the plains for another two to three hours still with no clue where we were and with dead phones.Only until we found the two lakes in the distance did we find our way back and reached the car in the end. This could have ended completely different had we not kept on walking and we definitely wouldn't have seen the lakes had it become pitch black.They had found us at our car just about to make it to the nearest house or inn that had a phone which we would obviously use to call off the search. Mountain rescue was our last resort and we only called it when we thought our lives were at risk and were extremely scared. It's easy to be judgemental about something when you don't know the full details but had you have been in our situation I'm sure you would have done the same thing.We are extremely grateful for the team and promised to fund raise for them in the near future.

5 hour descent??? Walked across the plains for another 2 hours??? The mind boggles. If you had followed any on the very obvious paths down you surely would have landed back in any of the valleys which all have houses and phones. It's not like there had been an accident or other injury.

Why weren't your phones charged up?
Did you have a map and compass?
If you were off the path did you not have a whistle to attract attention?
If you were cold and waiting around were you not carrying a survival bag to keep warm?
Why was it going dark at 6.30pm?- It wasn't anywhere else!
Did you not have a torch in the rucksack?
Did you not have adequate waterproof gear?
Did you check out the weather forecast in advance?
The 2 lakes? Do you mean Styhead Tarn and Sprinkling Tarn?

My summation even of your explanation is that you didn't know what you were doing, you don't even know what features you were looking at and you didn't have a compass, possibly no map and had taken no consideration of the weather in advance.

MRT volunteers not only waste a lot of freely given time but they also put their own lives at risk every time they go out onto the mountains. What they don't need are ill equipped and ill prepared idiots wandering around creating totally avoidable situations.

Never mind fund raising, 4 tips; Go on a course and learn how to use a map and compass. Buy a map and compass. Use the MWIS in advance to understand weather conditons likely to be found before you go walking. Carry the correct gear - map compass, survial bag, whistle, torch adequate waterproof gear.

Hi Mary and John,

Nice to hear you got back down safe and well. However, I'd highly recommend you consider taking up courses in navigation. There's only one Lake in Wasdale for example. Not two. If you'd been able to use a map and compass properly (or even a handheld GPS with relevant mapping of the area) you may not have got into your predicament.

Handy to take a portable charger for emergency calls too.

Lesson learnt for you both and of course it's great you both got back down safe and well.

Mary and John- did you have a map and compass?

Glad your both safe and well, and I am sure the mountain rescue team are as well. :) x

Thanks Mary and John - pleased you managed to self rescue in the end - we would have found you especially as the cloud lifted and our whistles were travelling a distance. Only pleased you had not ventured into Piers Gill which is a notorious trap. lets hope it has not put you off, and with the added (and essential) help of map, compass and torch it will ensure you can always help get you out of a tricky situation.

Glad you are safe Mary and John, please don't take some of the negative comments on sites such as this to heart, not all mountain professional's and hill folk are so judgemental!

I do not doubt that you both learnt a lot by this experience and i hope it does not put you off hitting the hills again in the future. There are various hill/mountain skills courses available now from Mountain Leader Training UK, as well as the NNAS navigation courses which may be of benefit to you. I also highly recommend the outdoor first aid courses. You will be better hill walkers from now on, better prepared and equipped.

Best wishes

Well said Rob and well done Mary and John for telling your side of the story. Some of the other guys making comments here really do need to examine their motives.