Thoughts with the Team member and their family.

I wish these selfish mindless people would stay away and the mountains will be there for us all when this is over . I wish for a speedy recovery and a return to full fitness. The mountain rescue do an excellent job and don’t get praised enough.

This makes me very sad. I hope they recover well, thanks for everything the rescuers do.

@NorthernWalker now is not the time to troll. Our thoughts are with the rescuer and his family as this very sad and upsetting time. They obviously had a medical emergency. I agree everyone should stay at home as prescribed by law. But there are 100’s walkers out there also breaking the law.

This is a sobering reminder to everyone who is out fell walking to also stay indoors. There is no excuse to be out on the fells. Is does not constitute minimal exercise whatsoever.

Stay off the hills and stop putting others at risk.

Ermm.. LeeDRich. I think Northern walker said exactly what you said??? Or did I miss something?

Thoughts are with the Team Member and their family.

Why oh why is someone camping up there at this time of year and during a National Emergency (Lockdown)? Unfortunately, some still think that it's a National Holiday! Really, those of us who live here can see it on a regular basis! During the summer a total mess was left here in Cumbria by Campervans and other campers! Also, many of us here were surprised when KMR joked about a couple on a date who needed rescueing from Sharp Edge, joking that 'Another date had been arranged'! The next day another couple on a date needed rescueing from Helvellyn, both rescues during the Autumn lockdown! Some need to take the national situation a bit more seriously, both in the countryside and within urban areas!

Sitting at home with a glass of wine after another slightly dull day wishing I was in the hills. This has really upset me. My admiration for MR teams is beyond words. But why would you flout the law which is very clear that spending the night away from your main residence is illegal apart from for work or other prescribed reasons. Camping for leisure purposes is legally and morally so very very wrong. If you intend to endanger others if you get sick then it’s even more unforgivable. Having made your choice then harsh though it seems you should be prepared to suffer the consequences when you have chosen to be so reckless and contemptuous of others. And if that means dying then so be it. Your choice. You have no right to ask for help.

What an appalling tragedy. This is not some ill advised walk by someone inexperienced that went wrong. This is wilful selfishness by someone who presumably has the resources and experience to have the kit required for a winter wild camp in the mountains and I suspect is of an age to really know better. I hope he recovers and spends the rest of his life reflecting on his behaviour and trying to be a better person.

@LeeDRich

Not sure what you're been reading or watching on TV but no one has said 'by Law' we have to stay at home. In fact walking / taking exercise is actually encouraged by the government. Why would you mention minimal exercise? We have been told in no uncertain terms that exercise does not have a limit on it.IT did in the first lockdown but definitely not in this one.

The fells and the countryside aren't shut so if we live here why shouldn't we get out walking.

A really shocking and awful day for all involved. Let’s hope for a full recovery for this chap who obviously puts other lives before his own on a regular basis.
Cheers to all rescuers in the air and on the ground. YOU are so valued, you really are. We love you and all you do to keep us safe.

Lakeland Local. You are wrong mate. We do have to stay at home. “ You must not leave or be outside of your home except where you have a ‘reasonable excuse’. This is the law. ”. That’s the summary statement from the government. Underpinning that is detailed and specific legislation passed by parliament.

Exercise is permitted once a day and you are not allowed to leave home without a reasonable excuse. If you live locally you can leave your house and walk in the hills once a day. IF the person was local he was allowed to do so If he travelled from outside the area by car he was breaking the law.

Similarly “ You cannot leave your home or the place where you are living for holidays or overnight stays” Camping, staying in B and B, caravans, hotels is all illegal and specifically proscribed unless you meet certain very specific criteria. Fancying a night on the fells is not one of them It’s all there on Gov UK

If he survives his illness then the person involved should be deeply ashamed of his actions

I personally am very bored with walking the footpaths in the woods and the couple of small Marilyns within 10 minutes drive of my home. But I do it because I am not a selfish bastard.

Government rules were supported in law for the current lockdown. We were told to exercise in our village,town or part of the city in which we live.
Staying away from home unless for specific reasons is not permitted.
So on two counts these two campers are in breach of both. Shame on them. Self entitled pratt.

Tragedy all round here and I’m sure I don’t want to imagine how I’d be feeling now if I was the one having to be rescued. One can certainly question his motivations. There is a broader point however. Many MRT people work in the NHS for example. While they are out on shouts they are either away from that vital work or not getting the downtime they so desperately need.

The fine should have been £1000 not a paltry £200

In all honesty the Mountain Rescue teams should all be stood down. If they feel that strongly about being called out during these times they should just hand the keys and all gear in till they feel safe again. The MR bases, vehicles and equipment should then be used by the army to carry out any call outs. These guys are paid and I believe would jump at the chance of training and working in the mountains whilst contributing to help keep the MR teams and families safe, whilst also potentially saving people’s lives who get into difficulties on the fells.

All mountain rescue volunteers are absolute heroes, it’s such a tragedy that someone’s life, and their family’s life, can be affected this. My thoughts are with them. Missing the Lakes so much, but staying away as I’m not local. Stay safe everyone.

Mountain rescuers are real heroes, so selfless. My heart goes out to the man and his family, and his team, what a horrible situation for them all. Wishing a good outcome for him.

In Scotland last week two climbers who were rescued off the hill were fined for breaking the law by travelling more than 5 miles to take reasonable exercise.

This was entirely avoidable, they should not have been there. Travelling from Leicester and Liverpool and camping together is in clear breach of coronavirus rules and has resulted in an MRT volunteer suffering life-changing injuries. Let's not split hairs, dig into the minutiae of the law, or try to make this acceptable - it isn't.

I miss the hills as much as anyone, but I am staying away for the greater good

My very best wishes to the MRT chap and his family.

The climbers in Scotland were not fined for travelling more than 5 miles but for travelling more than 5 miles beyond their local authority boundary. In Scotland people can meet one other person for pursuits such as walking and an activity should start and finish at the same place, and can be up to five miles (8km) from the boundary of a person's local authority area. Cars cannot be shared and overnight camps are not allowed.

You don't half contradict yourself Mike,

After kindly explaining to us why the law states we must stay at home, you finish be telling everyone you're:
"bored with walking the footpaths in the woods and the couple of small Marilyns within 10 minutes drive of my home."

Driving 10 minutes to do a walk isn't exactly staying at home is it? I'm not saying you shouldn't be doing that because I think that fine.

Which is it then, stay at home or drive a short distance to walk on the hills?

To those of you trying to make excuses for this pair. They were were NOT local, they travelled from Leicester and Liverpool for a jolly in mid winter, when they should NOT have done so. As a result of their selfishness, they have now caused a noble decent person to be injured. No excuses. Unforgivable.

@Jo

Not sure what you've read but I don't see anyone trying to make excuses for those two

I completely agree with Jo they have broken the travel rule and also surely shouldn't have been meeting up - Leicester ad Liverpool seem very far apart for them to have been a 'social bubble'. They have caused hurt and tragedy to their courageous rescuer and his family and friends.

Thoughtless,selfish people, who don’t deserve to come to our beautiful Lake District. £200-00 fine is not enough I’m sorry they should go to jail. Thank You mountain rescue and all rescuers involved what would we do without you I send my very best wishes to your injured colleague and wish him a speedy recovery.

It's like reading the Daily Mail here.

I'm out.

Thoughtless,selfish people, who don’t deserve to come to our beautiful Lake District. £200-00 fine is not enough I’m sorry they should go to jail. Thank You mountain rescue and all rescuers involved what would we do without you I send my very best wishes to your injured colleague and wish him a speedy recovery.

This sums up the mentality of the so called “locals”!
It’s all about them, people are going to come to the Lakes,I know you want it has your own back yard but tough it’s a National park . The clues in the name. So suck it up buttercup because come March when this so called lock down ends the barbarians are coming in force. Don’t worry we will bail “your” local economy out of the s**t and keep you guys in jobs. So in the meantime keep telling people to stay away whilst you do your online shopping for goods and food that is handled, packed and delivered by the same people you want to keep away.
You want the products of the towns and cities but don’t want to share your outdoor spaces yet you have the nerve to call people selfish.......

Much energy and ire has been expended here by various “disgusted of wherever” folk which one can understand.
Of more concern once the dust settles is why this accident occurred.
Red Screes in winter using the main route up from the Kirkstone Pass Inn is a climb requiring great care and obviously crampons and ice axe etc. One assumes that a member of an MRT would have had this, in which case this type of incident should have been very unlikely.
Regardless of the issue of the visitors from afar, as someone who is a regular winter fell climber (I live in Scotland in fact), how the accident happened is of more concern than the Covid rules. This could equally have happened in non-covidacious times.

#Narrowmindedsocialclub

I'm laughing my head off at what you wrote and I can't pin point why I find it so funny.

Thinking about it, it's not actually what you wrote that's funny, it's what must have been going through your mind to think of all that absolute nonsense.

See ya Mike,,,,,,,,

Antony there is a comment about them not having broken any law, they have, that is why the police can fine them! If it wasn't law there would be no facility to fine them. I didn't want to single the commenter out however!

Lots of people here thinking they out for a walk but don't often hear about asking someone for help to walk off a mountain.

Maybe a person didn't think a fine would be selfish to others.

The government has advised us to excercise as much as is required but to leave the house to do it no more than once a day and keep within reasonable distance from start point. Five miles seems reasonable but when I go cycling or walking no one expects me to achieve metre perfect GPS confirmed milage limitations on my outward journey

Someone living in Patterdale say could traverse Helvellyn on that basis. There is no law against going up mountains.

There is currently a law against travelling too far and with mixed households and that is why the men were fined.

It is very upsetting that a MRT man was badly injured but it could have happened in pre Covid winters just as easily. I just hope he recovers OK

Covid wise a mountain is pretty safe compared to your local shop or supermarket (where I also wear PPE)

People climb mountains where the MRT has never been heard of. Not many MRT on Denali, and there were not many on the Eiger in the glory days. If the MRT wish to declare that they will not rescue anyone in the UK till Covid abates (it will never go away) then that is their right - but they havent done that.

Before I get to the point, I will let you all know that I have kept off the fells during this lockdown, as it seems the right thing to do in these extreme circumstances. Also, I condemn the actions of the two people involved.

Unfortunately, there is no limit in current law as to how far you can travel for exercise, as it is only in the Government guidance, which is non-enforceable. Government legislation is law, which is enforcable.

The fine they received might have been for sharing transport with someone from another household, sharing accommodation with a person from another household, or having an overnight stay without a reasonable excuse. All three could've resulted in a fine, as they are in the Government legislation.

In my opinion, the Government need to impose a travel lockdown similar to that imposed in March, i.e. exercised allowed from home, but no travelling for exercise. It would make it easier to police. If you feel strongly enough, you could contact your local MP.

#Ian S That's an absurd suggestion!

Thoughts for all involved.
my first post for years But From someone just on the outside of the "boundary" i can see the fells from my house!
I do think its a bit rich the comments from "locals" I've never before seen such a sense of "them and us" what makes me laugh is very few in the actual "park" are true locals...the true locals can't afford to live there anymore..its generally "we've moved into our lifestyle plot or blown the inheritance on a old farm etc etc.
Few points I've observed:
Why is "fell top assessors" still running? seems a bit rich in the current climate? just for the benefit of patterdale folk? from my reckoning anyone else up there is traveling outside their "village or town".
Then you get the posts from folk who live below Coniston lake going for a walk at Tarn Howes tweeing pics etc..
and i guess we'll have the east side of the lake closed again as its a nice excuse for certain folk to keep the riiif-raff out..
Be careful what you wish for when you rely on 100% tourism for your income i say, i think its time for a some reflection and a welcoming attitude?

Sorry a bit of a rant (-:

Lancs Lad

You really need to get over yourself and understand why us proper locals are trying to keep our local area safe. Yes I was actually born and bred here. A lot of us would be over the moon if the amount of tourists that come here was more than cut in half because it's just getting daft.

How would you like it if hoards of people turned up to walk in your immediate area this weekend. They'd park anywhere including in front of your driveway, they'd leave litter all over the place and they'd have the potential to bring a serious virus with them

Yep, get over yourself

Is this the path to...

And you think all those problems are just exclusive to the Lake District try living in a Large town or city and you would really know what over population, litter and parking issues really are. Add in the threat of gangs/violence if you stray into the wrong area or the pollution problems of running the streets.

Not saying that the litter, parking problems and people making the area busy on weekends is nice for you guys but I bet anyone who lives in a town or city would swap places in a heartbeat so think yourself lucky.

I think by your reply you have validated Lance Lads comments so well done.

Have a good weekend

FellrunnerH

"validated Lancs Lads Comments" Hahaha,, I don't think so. It's just you being childish and trying to get the upper hand by coming out with rubbish like that.

What he said was nonsense and what you said was true until you told me why I'd done well

Is this the path to....

Get caught out showing your true colours so resort to name calling, bravo very mature of you.

A poor bloke is in hospital with serious injuries and you use this very sad news to air your grievances about tourists and somebody parking across your drive.
You should be ashamed.

Unfortunately i don’t believe you will.

Blah, blah, blah
Me, name calling; err I don't think so,

Is this the path to...

You really are making a fool of yourself with your stupid comments. FellrunnerH is making sense.

I can see the Lakeland fells from my house, but I have resisted the termptation. Cumbrian fell-goers think they are entitled to walk all the fells in Cumbria. The guideance says walk from home if possible, which applies to all peole in the National Park. Travelling from Ambleside to Borrowdale doesn't count as walking from home. Stuff like that appears on social media, with people posting photos and bragging about the fantastic snow conditions on Great End.

It doesn't encourage others to try and help with the lockdown. So try and look closer to home before you criticise others.

I think Ian S needs to read these comments again. If he did he'd see that I actually agreed with FellrunnerH; up to a point.

I can't work out why you said all that and aim it at me because I haven't even hinted that it's acceptable for people to travel for a walk, even those of us who are local.

Only one person sounding like a fool and it's you.

Maybe you think I can't put a sentence together that makes sense but doesn't give you the right to TROLL me by using my name.

Bob: if you check the email addresses from the posts you'll see the above comment must have been from someone else. Maybe you could remove the above comment which is clearly from an internet troll.

Thank you