Mountain marathon

[Paul Barton]

If your going to give it a bash, try the LAMM (if it's still sponsored by Lowe Alpine) or the Saunders (local to the lakes) both smaller events with better feel than following several hundred from point to point in the OMM. LAMM try to doing something special each year, on Skye ridge, steam train across Rannoch Moor for the start, ferry crossings outside Fort William.

Which bit is the IT band?

 

LAMM sounds great. Have you done a few?

[treedave]

I did a few LAMM but non recently (bust tib fib, running partner moved to OZ then 2 kids) but if I get a job that leaves me time and energy I'd get back into it, for the health benefits if nothing else.

The best one I did was over the 7 sisters of Kintail, an absolute monster (>4000' climb on day 1 and >2000' on the 2nd and that in C class!) but a great part of the world and a camp at a shooting lodge that they shipped a bar into - and they took IOU's:001_tt1:

 

As for this OMM, yep got to agree some people have got their knickers in a twist but >1000 people unaccounted for overnight is some real bad weather, not that good. I wonder about the organisers liability / duty of care if someone had curled up their toes due to hypothermia after a lower leg injury?

I don't buy the "it's an extreme sport" line, can it be that extreme if >3000 folk can turn up and participate?

[jacko]

Both the police and the mountain rescue told the organisers it was inadvisable to run this event, yet they went ahead in some horendous conditions putting numerous lives at risk, some of my freinds are in the Mountain rescue and were involved in the rescue putting ther own lives on the line for others.

There was no reason to not postpone until the weather was better.

In my opinion a foolish move by the organisers, But its your own choice to take part in things like this so if it goes pear shaped and youve been warned then you should be accountable for any costs involved in your rescue.

I live and work in these Mountains respect is due.

[Jason James Gairn]

Both the police and the mountain rescue told the organisers it was inadvisable to run this event, yet they went ahead in some horendous conditions putting numerous lives at risk, some of my freinds are in the Mountain rescue and were involved in the rescue putting ther own lives on the line for others.

There was no reason to not postpone until the weather was better.

In my opinion a foolish move by the organisers, But its your own choice to take part in things like this so if it goes pear shaped and youve been warned then you should be accountable for any costs involved in your rescue.

I live and work in these Mountains respect is due.

That's an interesting idea. Do you know offhand how much an average MR callout with Navy chopper would cost? I have had to rely on MR once before. I was 15. My job in the chip shop wouldn't have paid for it. Mountain rescue are heroic volunteers and I would like to see them paid like retained firemen. But getting the hapless or unlucky mountaineer to pay for it seems a bit extreme. What do your MR mates think about the financial side of rescues? If I was lucky enough to live in the mountains, I would volunteer for sure.

[Rupe]

Having the intelligence to take note of the weather is the first bit of equipment you need in the mountains. All the high tec gear etc is only secondary to that.

They should have postponed it.

[Jason James Gairn]

I guess that a few things conflict here. Bad weather can be and is part of the mountain experience. The organizers would have postponed it had they been able to predict the severity of the conditions. The MR and police will always (and justifiably) err on the side of caution. Mountain sports do not by definition follow this principle. which is why I choose rock climbing and not football. The organizers would want to provide a challenging and exciting event, but the unpredictable nature of Weather can and does take the most seasoned mountaineer off guard, why not the organizers of this event? I don't know the ins and outs of the conversations between the MR police and the organizers, and some were proven to be wrong others right, hey we all get it wrong at some point. Retrospect is a wonderful thing isn't it. Had the weather not gone crazy arse mad, then the organizers would have been vindicated. Luckily for all the event took place in the relatively easy topography of the lakes.

[Paul Barton]

Amazingly some competitors completed their courses and made it to the overnight camp no probs. They admitted it was quite tough but not impossible. I think the major problem was the volume of water around the HQ and car park.

[Jason James Gairn]

Amazingly some competitors completed their courses and made it to the overnight camp no probs. They admitted it was quite tough but not impossible. I think the major problem was the volume of water around the HQ and car park.

 

Yes I saw that last night. wow! That's heavy rain alright.

[skyhuck]

In my opinion a foolish move by the organisers, But its your own choice to take part in things like this so if it goes pear shaped and youve been warned then you should be accountable for any costs involved in your rescue.

 

Very slippery slope, IMO, where would you draw the line?

 

Should smokers, fat people, and speeding or careless motorists, pay for their own health care?

[Jason James Gairn]

Very slippery slope, IMO, where would you draw the line?

 

Should smokers, fat people, and speeding or careless motorists, pay for their own health care?

 

If this thread falls into `the wrong hands', a top question like that will unleash hell. hurrah!