Mountain nutters
Quote from Cliff_C on May 15, 2024, 1:57 pmI was just going to add this onto "Mountain days" but thought it warranted its own title.
Me and my long term mate Martyn, he is ex Rhodesian SAS although that was at least 4 stone ago.
He is the best friend anyone could ask for, no chance of him reading this so thats fine! Martyn has always been a mountaineer since he was a teenager but never in the winter. He asked if I could introduce him to winter climbing so off we went one April to climb the Black Spout, a 750 foot gully on Lochnagar. It had been a good season and there was still lots of snow. This was at least 20 years ago so we were both thinner and fitter.
A two and a half hours walk into the corrie and then on with the crampons and axes ready. Half way up the gully and because of the warm weather the snow is melting and the cornice starts to collapse. We both dig our axes in and wait for the hit, its a horrible feeling knowing that something life threatening is about to happen. Lucky we were wearing helmets, I took the brunt as I was leading, it soon passed and we carried on to the top and onto the plateau. As we were sitting down and coiling the ropes, the cloud came down making viz about 20 meters. Out of the cloud came the "nutter" at over 3600 feet this young girl staggered from the cloud, wearing jeans, white trainers and a long white fur coat. To be honest, I am sick and tired of theses folk not prepared on the hills. Martyn says "we should go and help her" I said "*** I am nackered" and a few other words! by then she had stumbled back into the cloud which then became a whiteout. I had other plans, so I got compass out and we walked on a heading to find our next climb which was at the Dhuib Loch a few miles away. We did the climb and headed back to the car park. Whilst at the car we see her again, staggering into the car park. She is now wearing a very soggy long grey fur coat, muddy at the edges, soaked and muddy jeans and brown trainers. She had also a very wet French boyfriend.
They were french tourists and had just followed the path from the car park into the hills!
Its not the first or last nutters I have came across on the hill.
I am sure you have came across nutters where you are!!
All the best
Cliff
I was just going to add this onto "Mountain days" but thought it warranted its own title.
Me and my long term mate Martyn, he is ex Rhodesian SAS although that was at least 4 stone ago.
He is the best friend anyone could ask for, no chance of him reading this so thats fine! Martyn has always been a mountaineer since he was a teenager but never in the winter. He asked if I could introduce him to winter climbing so off we went one April to climb the Black Spout, a 750 foot gully on Lochnagar. It had been a good season and there was still lots of snow. This was at least 20 years ago so we were both thinner and fitter.
A two and a half hours walk into the corrie and then on with the crampons and axes ready. Half way up the gully and because of the warm weather the snow is melting and the cornice starts to collapse. We both dig our axes in and wait for the hit, its a horrible feeling knowing that something life threatening is about to happen. Lucky we were wearing helmets, I took the brunt as I was leading, it soon passed and we carried on to the top and onto the plateau. As we were sitting down and coiling the ropes, the cloud came down making viz about 20 meters. Out of the cloud came the "nutter" at over 3600 feet this young girl staggered from the cloud, wearing jeans, white trainers and a long white fur coat. To be honest, I am sick and tired of theses folk not prepared on the hills. Martyn says "we should go and help her" I said "*** I am nackered" and a few other words! by then she had stumbled back into the cloud which then became a whiteout. I had other plans, so I got compass out and we walked on a heading to find our next climb which was at the Dhuib Loch a few miles away. We did the climb and headed back to the car park. Whilst at the car we see her again, staggering into the car park. She is now wearing a very soggy long grey fur coat, muddy at the edges, soaked and muddy jeans and brown trainers. She had also a very wet French boyfriend.
They were french tourists and had just followed the path from the car park into the hills!
Its not the first or last nutters I have came across on the hill.
I am sure you have came across nutters where you are!!
All the best
Cliff
Quote from jkwebster06 on May 15, 2024, 8:52 pmCliff,"I am sure you have came across nutters where you are!!" Certainly did in my last job, including a former QDG RSMI (D&M School) who got lifed off for killing his wife because she gave him a banana butty for his tea ! Another was (IS) the one who changed his name to Charles Bronson , a real handful, judged by the fact he's been transferred to every prison in the country capable of holding him. He very rarely gave the staff at HMP Liverpool much grief though, apart from when he got on the roof demanding wads of cash and a helicopter to come down - he eventually agreed to descend after my pal Geoff C offered him a can of Coke & a Mars bar !! John (JKW)
Cliff,"I am sure you have came across nutters where you are!!" Certainly did in my last job, including a former QDG RSMI (D&M School) who got lifed off for killing his wife because she gave him a banana butty for his tea ! Another was (IS) the one who changed his name to Charles Bronson , a real handful, judged by the fact he's been transferred to every prison in the country capable of holding him. He very rarely gave the staff at HMP Liverpool much grief though, apart from when he got on the roof demanding wads of cash and a helicopter to come down - he eventually agreed to descend after my pal Geoff C offered him a can of Coke & a Mars bar !! John (JKW)