Well I was utterly baffled when I went up snowdon today. People must know that they need Ice Axe and Crampons on the hill at the moment, not to mention the ability to use them. Although it is quite nice at the bottom of the hill, but as soon as you reach the old snow line, there is deep, bullet hard snow/neve.
I was amazed that so many people had managed to slip there way to the top, and then slip down again, and at the time I write this there hasn’t been a call out. I did however question walking down the mountain as I fear only having to head back up there to help one of these hapless fools. Which kind of got me thinking that if I knew that someone who call out the team was so badly equipped would I still bother attending the call out.
I probably would, but there would come a point. Today though I was disgusted by a family of four (see photo). With two kids about 9 and 11 with no ice axe and crampons between them. They then head straight down the railway line towards the killer convex and clogwyn coch, which took so many lives last year that you’d think people would be aware of the risk by now.
They were lucky, I headed down there to see what it was like and the railway isn’t totally banked out, but it is very close to being deadly.
