The hire shop team with the bikes abandoned on Broad Crag
A team from a Windermere cycle-hire company has its retrieved mountain bikes abandoned by a group who got into difficulties on an ill judged ride across England’s highest fells.
The group of six were advised by shop staff against their venture, cycling from Windermere to Wasdale Head via roads and fells, in forecast foul weather.
The cycle shop sent a team up to bring the mountain bikes back down from Broad Crag, the 934m (3,064ft) fell north-east of Scafell Pike, England’s highest mountain. The company said it needed to recover the machines for other customers to use.
The cyclists were reported overdue on Wednesday evening when they failed to arrive at their destination. Four mountain rescue teams took part in the search for the missing group.
Richard Warren of Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team said: “Supported by Langdale Ambleside, Keswick and Duddon and Furness MRTs, investigations were made including analysis of mobile phone use, understanding intentions and how the missing group’s day might have developed.
“With very little information to confirm a route and a location to search, team members were sent out in vehicles to search the roads and pubs between Langdale and Wasdale. Searching the fells in storm conditions was not considered appropriate with the lack of information on their route and contact could not be made with their mobile phones.
“Early the following morning groups of team members were mobilised to search various routes on the mountain. However, after a cold, wet and uncomfortable night on high on the mountain, the missing mountain bikers arrived at Wasdale head safe and sound minus their hired bikes. Thanks to all the teams involved through the night and early morning.”
Mr Warren said the mountain bikers had got into difficulties in the dark in storm conditions. The group abandoned their bikes on the summit plateau of Broad Crag, a boulder-strewn area, and walked down to the col between it and Scafell Pike, then down towards Piers Gill, an accident blackspot.
The bikes were later found on a grassy area a short distance from a steep drop into Little Narrowcove. He said: “This outdoor adventure could have ended tragically. If they had gone over the edge of that grassed area, they would have taken a 100m fall into Little Narrowcove.”
They avoided Piers Gill and turned on to the Corridor Route and found a more sheltered site to spend the night before walking down to Wasdale Head in the early morning.
Mr Warren said: “I think it was a very lucky escape for the family. I think lessons were learnt and it’s a classic example of not heeding the advice of the hire company not to go on the fells that day; not to take that route. The outcome could have been extremely serious.
“It was a happy ending, which is great, but there was a lot of learning. It’s always good to have such an outcome.”
Mr Warren also thanked the rescue team volunteers who took part in the search and the RAF Mountain Rescue Service who were put on standby during the incident.
He urged any walkers or mountain bikers planning to take to the Lakeland fells to visit the Adventure Smart website before heading out, for advice on how to plan and keep safe on the mountains.
Christine Benjamin-Young
09 August 2020It was the groups decision to ignore the advice of the shop staff, but maybe knowing the proposed route and forecasted poor conditions the staff could have refused not to hire the bikes out.
Ian Benson
09 August 2020If the shop refused to hire bikes to everyone who said they were doing a bad route in bad weather they'd soon be out of business.
OK, I understand the MRT can't or won't charge the people but there's no reason whatsoever that the bike hire shop shouldn't charge them for additional days hire / wages for the staff sent to get the bikes and any damage caused by dumping them up there. They must have had to sign something which states the bike must be returned to the shop rather than be left near Broad Crag for the shop to collect the bikes themselves
Bad weather or not, to end up near Broad Crag their navigational skills must have been absolute zero if the were heading over from Angle Tarn to the top of Styhead Pass via Esk Hause.
Local fellwalker
09 August 2020I would have made the people who hired the bike retrieve them {generally that is the process if hiring, you return the bikes after an agreed period)
Obviously tourist with no morale values or standards in there upbringing.
Carole
09 August 2020It's difficult to absove the group of six on any grounds, but I doubt they feel any guilt, remorse or shame. Not only did they cause unnecessary concern to a load of people, they created a problem for the hire company and four groups of volunteer mountain rescue teams who not only went out searching, they also had all the extra eork of cleaning kit et al under Covid conditions.
Tell me I'm wrong and that they gave LDMRT a huge donation and reimbursed the bike hirer.
James
10 August 2020The moment you place the responsibility for refusing hire onto the hire company is the moment you remove personal responsibility from the people who made a stupid mistake. But worse, you set an example where now hire companies are responsible for the safety of people who choose to do things and the cost and insurance go through the roof to cover the hire company. Let's just accept that some well advised, poor thinking folk chose to do something silly and it turned out to be a disruption but luckily noone died. Place the responsibility on the people who's fault it was, and leave everyone else to make their own call as has been the case for years. Personal responsibility.