Lingmell Col, Scafell Pike – Mon 29th May 2023

The team received a call yesterday evening from Cumbria Police about a lone walker who was tired and worried about being able to safely return to Seathwaite in the dark. She had no torch, was inexperienced on the high fells and had low battery life on her mobile phone. She had set off in the afternoon at 2.30pm. As she was not lost and on a path with walkers still on the fell, she was advised to take the shorter route down to Wasdale with others from other groups. However, contact was lost and she did not confirm she was safely back in a valley overnight, so a search was initiated by both Keswick MRT and Wasdale in the morning. Search dogs were also called out. Fortunately shortly after the callout it was confirmed that she had made it safely down, after spending the night somewhere around Middleboot Knotts. It’s a good reminder that although the nights are short at this time of the year, adequate equipment is still needed if there are delays or things go wrong. Also that a walk up Scafell Pike can take many hours depending on starting point and route, conditions, experience and fitness so give yourself plenty of time. We wish the walker well after her adventure. Please share freely to raise awareness, but please refrain from criticism, as this could indirectly prevent others from asking for help from us in the future.

#BeAdventureSmart and make a good day better.

Ask yourself three questions before you set off:

1. Do I have the right GEAR ?

2. Do I know what the WEATHER will be like?

3. Am I confident that I have the KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS for the day?