Comments on: 14 good reasons to turn back before the summit http://blog.cheaptents.com/14-good-reasons-to-turn-back-before-the-summit/ ...not just tents...a camping equipment blog too! Tue, 31 Jan 2012 10:48:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Ben http://blog.cheaptents.com/14-good-reasons-to-turn-back-before-the-summit/comment-page-1/#comment-420 Ben Thu, 27 Nov 2008 15:04:08 +0000 http://blog.cheaptents.com/?p=1353#comment-420 Thanks for sharing your story Daniel. So does this mean that because you turned back, you are indeed a 'wuss'?! One thing though, although I am not a professional mountaineer, or anything close for that matter...I would be interested to hear what other people would do in a similar situation to yours...would they let their friend continue by themselves? How would you manage such a situation? Also, it would be good to know what the BMC's view is on such situations...I can imagine it would be to stay together, but at some point you have to think of the others that you are walking / running or riding with? I have emailed the BMC, referring to this post, to see what their stance is. Thanks Daniel for sharing and triggering this debate... Ben, admin Thanks for sharing your story Daniel. So does this mean that because you turned back, you are indeed a ‘wuss’?!

One thing though, although I am not a professional mountaineer, or anything close for that matter…I would be interested to hear what other people would do in a similar situation to yours…would they let their friend continue by themselves? How would you manage such a situation?

Also, it would be good to know what the BMC’s view is on such situations…I can imagine it would be to stay together, but at some point you have to think of the others that you are walking / running or riding with? I have emailed the BMC, referring to this post, to see what their stance is.

Thanks Daniel for sharing and triggering this debate…

Ben, admin

]]> By: Daniel - admin http://blog.cheaptents.com/14-good-reasons-to-turn-back-before-the-summit/comment-page-1/#comment-419 Daniel - admin Thu, 27 Nov 2008 13:48:53 +0000 http://blog.cheaptents.com/?p=1353#comment-419 There is only one reason to turn back before you reach the summit and that is because you are a wuss. Just because your broken leg is hanging onto the rest of your body by a single tendon after you were struck by a large boulder following a rock fall, that is no excuse for turning back. Always remember, whatever mountain you are on, my grandmother could skateboard up it. About 12 years ago I was backpacking in Scotland with two friends. We were climbing up Ciste Dhubh (981 meters), between Kintail Forest and Glen Affric Forest. The mountainside was steep, we had heavy rucksacks and progress was slow. We were perhaps 150 meters from the summit and we could see that the weather was closing in. One of my friends was reluctant to continue and the other wished to proceed to the summit. I went back down the mountain with one friend whilst the other friend headed up to the top. When the three of us met up again at the bottom I reprimanded my friend for splitting up with us and for continuing to the summit. He told me that he knew I would tell him off but that he could not bear to think of himself sitting in his office the next morning having failed to reach the summit when he was so close. As it happened no harm was done on that occasion but it could have ended badly. There is only one reason to turn back before you reach the summit and that is because you are a wuss.

Just because your broken leg is hanging onto the rest of your body by a single tendon after you were struck by a large boulder following a rock fall, that is no excuse for turning back.

Always remember, whatever mountain you are on, my grandmother could skateboard up it.

About 12 years ago I was backpacking in Scotland with two friends. We were climbing up Ciste Dhubh (981 meters), between Kintail Forest and Glen Affric Forest. The mountainside was steep, we had heavy rucksacks and progress was slow. We were perhaps 150 meters from the summit and we could see that the weather was closing in. One of my friends was reluctant to continue and the other wished to proceed to the summit. I went back down the mountain with one friend whilst the other friend headed up to the top. When the three of us met up again at the bottom I reprimanded my friend for splitting up with us and for continuing to the summit. He told me that he knew I would tell him off but that he could not bear to think of himself sitting in his office the next morning having failed to reach the summit when he was so close. As it happened no harm was done on that occasion but it could have ended badly.

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