this is typical of the man that died !!! he ll be very sorely missed xxx

So sad! Thank you to this MRT and all MRT's. What would we do without you. We risk our lives every time we step foot on one of our beautiful mountains. But you guy's are always in the back of our minds....Just in case!
A massive thanks from me!

i find it hard to why people climb these mountains in bad weather and put the rescue teams at risk

Does anyone go into the hills with the thought "I may put a rescue team at risk"? As the BMC and MCofS state, mountaineering carries the risk of injury or death, and it will continue to do so. The rescue teams are responsible for their own safety on a rescue, and as far as I know their safety record is very good.

You can't be a hill walker or climber without taking any risk, and it is up to each one to judge the risk they are taking and whether they can justify it. We learn by our near misses, and sadly sometimes we can make a fatal mistake. To avoid bad weather is to miss a part of mountaineering and to limit our ability to increase in competence.

john - the mountain rescue are themselves walkers and climbers, who will cheerfully pursue their hobby in your so-called 'bad weather' (though lying snow and ice are hardly 'bad', as it goes - Saturday was a grand day, if icy and needing equipment and care).

Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team, recent comment:-

"'We attend every rescue voluntarily, we fully accept and enjoy the risks involved and recognise that people make mistakes."

I'd rather take my chances walking up Helvelyn than die as a couch potato,RIP lad your fellow walkers are thinking of your family.

John, just because there is snow on the ground it doesn't equate to bad weather. I don't know why you ever cross a road or drive a car, both are incredibly dangerous activities, people die every day doing it ;)

John.. as others have said, it seemed an excellent day. Compared to the past week, when the wind and visibility had been reportedly dreadful, there is every chance people going up Helvellyn over this weekend have indeed waited sensibly for conditions to improve.

There is also every probability that people would (as they do in places where rescue services simply don't exist in the same capacity or at all) climb the mountains of the Lakes in these conditions (which are, at worst, 'good winter conditions', not bad weather as you put it) whether rescue teams are or are not there.

I appreciate perhaps you do make these comments as well on other news reports, but it is a bit like asking why anybody would do anything which could, in extremis or on odd occasion, lead to a need to phone 999... a house fire, food poisoning, a slip at work, a car accident. In any such circumstance, particularly where the event leads to the death of somebody who did nothing in cold blood or bad intent, I can think of little more obnoxious than the only comment coming to mind being to condescendingly criticise the deceased for the slight strain they put on an emergency service. Especially considering the emergency service would reject your attitude outright.

I'm going up on the fells tomorrow, Blencathra including Sharp Edge, and indeed perhaps Helvellyn if time allows it. It would be pointless trying to explain to you the delight I expect to find in doing so, kitted with the right gear, emergency equipment, axe, crampons and boots. But if I thought you would listen to a passionate description of why a fellwalker or mountaineer does what they do, despite the controlled risk and element of other risk, then I'd love to enlighten you. Let me know if you want some insight into that, you might even try it yourself at some point :)

Was crampons being use ----- I doubt it

RIP x, thinking of your Family,

Alan even if they had crampons on accidents can and do often happen. Prehaps think of the poor family left behind without their loved one .
rather than your negative comment.

John its the winter, bad weather happens, you just need to be careful and dont try and over do it Accidents do happen even to the best of us.

Once Again RIP , and I hope your friends recover soon.

Sean Winter ML

To Jon and Alan, these are uninformed, unhelpful comments, especially when the circumstances of the accident are unknown.

Jon, Yep, I ALWAYS go into the hills thinking I may put a rescue team at risk. Anyone who doesn't hasn't adequately considered the situation. I usually walk alone so the risks I'm putting on the shoulders of the rescue teams is potentially higher than those who walk in a party. That's why I don't push my limits as much as I might when I'm in a party. It's all a question of balance. As long as you're working reasonably well within the envelope defined by the terrain, the weather, your party, your equipment, your skills and your experience, no MRT is going to think badly of you if it goes wrong and they have to turn out.

You did what you loved R.I.P

no PVC i did not mean for it to look like i love RIP X , its just a form of my personal respect for the person who has passed away .

dont be an arse!

Agree with all that Mike. I go out determined to try not to be a statistic. To not ever call out MRT. That said, I also know its possible that I might need to. I might make a mistake, have an accident, become ill, have an equipment failure, be overtaken by a very rapidly changing weather environment that was not forecast etc.

We have no idea whether any or none of these things happened in this case. so shoudlnt speculate or criticise. Try your best, be well equipped, think hard about your personal safety and enjoy yourself. Thats all you can do. I've had slips that didn't turn into a fall, I've found myself outside of my capabilities and managed to retreat gingerly to a safer position with heart pounding. I've lost the path in bad weather. We all have. And perhaps thought afterwards 'that was close.'

For me Swirrral Edge in winter is probably well outside my envelope. Even with Crampons and Axe - but that's me. For others it might be easy peasy. Actually Striding is easier in some regards than Swirral. Its that very steep entrance/exit to Swirral that is so tricky and scary. It can end up being a steep sheet of ice.

Accident happen. I once witnessed a lad fall off Striding. He was a reservist in a group led by a qualified ML! Young, fit, well equipped and led by a professional on a clear day. And he still had an accident. It happens.

We were walking on the Lakeland Fells yesterday. It was beautiful, the weather wasn't particularly bad - just challenging which is why people go. As long as you are well equipped and prepared as well as some experience a great day can be had. Unfortunately accidents occur and you cannot say why this one happened or assign blame until the inquest. I fully intend to carry on walking in these conditions as it is wonderful and beautiful as well as challenging. People need to be less judgmental and part of the pleasure is the risk (which you try to minimise as much as possible)

Terribly sad end to what was probably a good day on the hill. RIP to the walker in question - at least he went doing what he enjoyed.

Thoughts with the family and fellow walkers.

my heart goes out to the family of this man i lost my son to a fall on snowdon he was just 25 but he lived for the mountains people who dont climb will never understand the pleasure and peace of being up in the mountains god bless you all and keep the climbers safe xx