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2421 Posts |
Posted - 08/05/2011 : 3:14 PM
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I share John's bias against church groups. Ran into one last weekend on Sulphur Skyline - half a dozen adults and maybe 15 kids.
The whole group was strung out all over the mountainside, and I'm sure no one had any idea where everyone else was. I had to politely ask the adults to stop feeding the ground squirrels at the summit, and the kids to stop short-cutting across the switchbacks on the way down. Then I picked up all the litter they'd left behind and carried it out with me.
Safety issues aside, I would have thought any responsible adult could have figured out those little details. |
Edited by - peter1955 on 08/05/2011 8:58 PM |
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Finally stopping that crazy suffering that is ice, climbing to concentrate on great ski tours!
3520 Posts |
Posted - 08/05/2011 : 3:23 PM
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Crampons and ice axe might have been nice to have, but the traverse was certainly doable without them.
THAT SAID, I'd be pretty hesitant to take other people's kids across such a place without more safeguards than he obviously planned on using. Sure, me and my chums would just kick some steps over it and be done, but with kids (even 16 yr olds) I would use a belay. Why? This guy CLEARLY illustrates what can happen when someone inexperienced ventures out on a steep snow slope. They think it's like walking on their snowy driveway at home, and have no idea of how fast they can end up whipping down the mountain. Hence, when I have inexperienced folks, and doubly so when it's kids, safety systems get amped up considerably.
There is a lesson here for parents: understand the qualifications and experience level of the people that take your kids into the mountains. My own daughter attends some climbing and white-water kayaking camps in the summer, and I investigate, in detail, the guiding qualifications of the staff.
I organize trips for kids/families into the mountains, including rock climbing and mountaineering. However, I am not creating a custodial group. The children have to have their parent(s) attend, and those parents need to be experienced/participating. I am simply the organizer, and I also tend to organize and administer the skills "classes" for the kids, but that's usually just because of my teaching background.
Returning to the scouting leader in the vid: Don't let jackasses like this discourage people from taking/sending their kids into the mountains. Just be careful about who is taking them, and where. |
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Alberta-based choss climbin', flame throwin', rappel lovin', ass talkin' hater who doesn't like "Gumby" for a descriptor
6302 Posts |
Posted - 08/05/2011 : 3:45 PM
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| Perhaps it's good he had an epic fail...i'm sure it will be fortified in the minds of the kids who were watching. Lesson by example, in this case of what not to do, and the consequences of being a jackass. |
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Smurf Village, BC
Canada
1529 Posts |
Posted - 08/05/2011 : 4:28 PM
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| OMG! What was he thinking? If I didn't know better, I would have thought he planned it from the way he basically lay down sideways in the "slide" position... |
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Port Moody, British columbia
Canada
276 Posts |
Posted - 08/05/2011 : 5:17 PM
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| Maybe he was practicing the "Rock in the Ribcage arrest Technique" ? He's certainly lucky that had a shallow washout and not a cliff at the end. |
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vancouver, bc
Canada
996 Posts |
Posted - 08/05/2011 : 6:01 PM
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Wow, just so dumb, It's terrifying that he was out there responsible for the lives of these children, probably child endangerment in fact given his ability/ lack of equipment (or any clue at all). This is just so obviously dangerous, with full potential of gross injury or death should a slip occur, he is so lucky to be alive and walking. I hope these children learned a stark lesson in group dynamics and how you must all play a roll in the decision making process, surely the rest of the troops day was greatly affected by this moron.
This is such a polar opposite to NOLS as a world class outdoors program, which of course just suffered a very unfortunate incident. I wonder how this scout group will adapt their trips and selection criteria of leaders.
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Happy go lucky, plaid wearin, postholin, safeway gaitor sportin, old-school film shootin, giver of many regards
Abbotsford, B.C.
Canada
13591 Posts |
Posted - 08/05/2011 : 6:25 PM
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Obviously very careless, the snow looked soft and mushy. What a boner..
Good the kids did not follow him and suffer the same fate and injuries.
K |
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Terminator shade wearing, summit questing, double Grinding, Gordo voting self annointed 'dumb ass' and Aconcagua Bagga who dreams of Robson, Teton, The Judge, and.....and....
Port Moody, B.C
Canada
2211 Posts |
Posted - 08/05/2011 : 7:28 PM
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I couldn't believe what I was seeing. That outcome was just way too obvious even from a non hiking perspective. I remember several years ago an entire group of younger people (mabye church group) all just started wandering out onto the snow covered glacier above Joffre lakes, but at least that danger wasn't so obvious.
Funny how god treats the believers no different that the non |
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Squamish, British Columbia
Canada
1027 Posts |
Posted - 08/05/2011 : 7:46 PM
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Seriously, I lol'd.
That looked so dumb. The running commentary from the guys filming it is hilarious.
Regarding Church groups in the mountains, don't get me started. Passed what sounded like a Creationist group around this time last year as one of the leaders was giving the teens a "Geology" lesson on how God pinched the earth and lifted it to make the mountains, then pressed his thumb into the earth to create the lakes. Pretty much ruined my day knowing those kids where being fed such BS. |
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rockies, alberta
Canada
252 Posts |
Posted - 08/05/2011 : 7:56 PM
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| and to think he has offspring on the way! I think I might be getting cranky, but seriously! |
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Terminator shade wearing, summit questing, double Grinding, Gordo voting self annointed 'dumb ass' and Aconcagua Bagga who dreams of Robson, Teton, The Judge, and.....and....
Port Moody, B.C
Canada
2211 Posts |
Posted - 08/05/2011 : 8:39 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by leimrod
Seriously, I lol'd.
That looked so dumb. The running commentary from the guys filming it is hilarious.
Regarding Church groups in the mountains, don't get me started. Passed what sounded like a Creationist group around this time last year as one of the leaders was giving the teens a "Geology" lesson on how God pinched the earth and lifted it to make the mountains, then pressed his thumb into the earth to create the lakes. Pretty much ruined my day knowing those kids where being fed such BS.
LMAO!! They could hear me laughing next door after reading this description. I would have gone off. |
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 | Q
Senior Member
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chocolate lovin, Bailey's slurpin, cold feet hatin', veggie eatin', true Cancerian water lovin', CT smilin', boulder dodgin', nosummitosis survivor
1594 Posts |
Posted - 08/05/2011 : 8:41 PM
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| ANd the Darwin award goes to........ |
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981 Posts |
Posted - 08/05/2011 : 11:06 PM
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he's looks to be pretty skilled..........hey,let's just step/roll onto this snow without testing how soft it is or even kicking a good foot hold and see what happens.
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Vancouver, BC
Canada
876 Posts |
Posted - 08/06/2011 : 12:32 AM
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Snow slopes can be be treacherous are often unpredictable. A soft friendly snow slope in the afternoon can become a lethal bob-sled ride when the sun goes down. Most hikers discover this painful fact early in their hiking career, so they invest in proper boots and ice axes.
I still recall a very fast and unintended descent on My Frosty, a long time ago - coincidentally the day before I bought my first ice axe. |
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North Vancouver, BC
Canada
1272 Posts |
Posted - 08/06/2011 : 08:44 AM
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No one is completely useless, they can always serve as a bad example.
Wot a blithering idiot, twould have been nice to have no cell phone and no rescue for someone who clearly does not know what he is doing. Raven food. |
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2421 Posts |
Posted - 08/08/2011 : 07:16 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by weedWhacker
I still recall a very fast and unintended descent on My Frosty, a long time ago - coincidentally the day before I bought my first ice axe.
LOL. 'Coincidently'? That's one way to learn! |
Edited by - peter1955 on 08/08/2011 09:39 AM |
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Calgary, Alberta
Andorra
3828 Posts |
Posted - 08/10/2011 : 07:25 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by brucew
No one is completely useless, they can always serve as a bad example.
Problem is, with the media attention given, he's not even an effective bad example.
It's playing as "be careful - freak accidents can happen!" instead of "be careful - you can kill yourself when you do completely stupid things!"
I can't figure out what he was trying to do. He really looks like he lies down and then goes for a slide. It's so inept I can't even figure out the intention. Was he really trying to cross it like that? Doing about the opposite of any directions? |
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Happy go lucky, plaid wearin, postholin, safeway gaitor sportin, old-school film shootin, giver of many regards
Abbotsford, B.C.
Canada
13591 Posts |
Posted - 08/10/2011 : 12:59 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by weedWhacker
Snow slopes can be be treacherous are often unpredictable. A soft friendly snow slope in the afternoon can become a lethal bob-sled ride when the sun goes down. Most hikers discover this painful fact early in their hiking career, so they invest in proper boots and ice axes.
I still recall a very fast and unintended descent on My Frosty, a long time ago - coincidentally the day before I bought my first ice axe.
Soft slippery weeds underfoot on a steep hard slope can be just as deadly. Squish a few green plants under your boot on a hard stony surface and you can get a good fast uncontrollable slide.
K |
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Vancouver, BC
Canada
876 Posts |
Posted - 08/10/2011 : 1:35 PM
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Especially if you are wearing rain gear!
Ice-axes work just as well in alpine meadows as snow fields - mine has saved me from numerous hospital visits.
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Edited by - weedWhacker on 08/10/2011 1:37 PM |
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884 Posts |
Posted - 08/10/2011 : 2:29 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Rachelo
It's so inept I can't even figure out the intention.
You said it so perfectly I'm still laughing  |
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How to NOT cross snow
