Please, please let this turn out well.

[Diflower]

Were they Saundra, that is honestly surprising, I know it's chilly for June but blimey!

[Suff]

When the weather closes in hypothermia is very likely unless you are carrying the right gear. When it closes down you are literally walking inside the clouds and it is really chilly, add a wind and you have no heat left in no time.

When I walked with my Niece we were up in the clouds from 2,000 feet and the water was sheeting off our waterproofs just from the wind driving the moisture at us. If the kids did not have the right gear they could very easily have dropped into hypothermia. It's why I was walking with waterproofs, two jackets (the two make 4 season), a spare set of clothes in case I got wet (impossible to get warm with wet clothes once you are cold) and both hot liquids in flasks plus a stove and kettle to heat more if I needed it.

Needless to say I was overboard but I was warm, comfortable and could have fallen in a river and still survived. I doubt the DoE kids were adequately kitted out for any occasion. Rule of thumb in the Scottish mountains is any day can be a winters day, bring the kit to survive.

I'm glad they got back OK. Clearly they were able and had the skills to get down and out to safety. In my opinion, apart from the hypothermia which they should have been able to recognise the onset of and deal with, they should have been OK. We'll never get people with skills and knowledge if we wrap them in cotton wool and the only way to challenge them is to put them in difficult (not dangerous if you are equipped), situations and see how they do.

Clearly they had mobile connectivity so could have given GPS coordinates for a recovery if needed.

[TheOstrich]

Rule of thumb in the Scottish mountains is any day can be a winters day, bring the kit to survive.

The only time I've attempted to climb Ben Nevis was back around 1970, via the tourist path. It was in June. It was absolutely fine starting off, but around the 4,000 foot mark, we found ourselves entering low cloud. Within 100 yards or so, there was snow lying on the ground and we were in danger of losing the pathway. We were sensible and retreated fast ....

[Diflower]

But they should have been properly kitted out.
This was an official organised thing, not a Sunday school stroll.

[Suff]

But they should have been properly kitted out.
This was an official organised thing, not a Sunday school stroll.

Absolutely.

[Suff]

Rule of thumb in the Scottish mountains is any day can be a winters day, bring the kit to survive.

The only time I've attempted to climb Ben Nevis was back around 1970, via the tourist path. It was in June. It was absolutely fine starting off, but around the 4,000 foot mark, we found ourselves entering low cloud. Within 100 yards or so, there was snow lying on the ground and we were in danger of losing the pathway. We were sensible and retreated fast ....

Ossie, when Mrs S and I walked Nevis we came up from the other side, over the arête and up the back of the mountain. We arrived having only seen two people (an officer and soldier), on the way up. When we got to the top, there were people everywhere. Young children in shorts, T shirts and sandals.

There we were, packs, stoves, flasks, food, waterproofs, warm clothes.... The whole shebang. Yes, standing in our shorts, T shirts and boots because it was really warm. But prepared for what the mountain would throw at us.

I just wanted to shout at the parents "which part of 5 hours to get down don't you understand". When we were up there we were reading the plaques to the children who had died on the mountain...

The very next weekend, after we walked, at the end of August, was the fell running on Nevis. The snow came in and they were helicoptering them off because the runners had no gear to survive that cold.

[Workingman]

As a one-time avid Dales and Moors walker I second what Suff says.

It might be fine to set off in shorts and tee-shirt on a sunny day, but your pack, and you should always have one, must contain at least a complete set of warm and dry clothes in a sealed waterproof bag, energy bars, strong torch, loud whistle, silver thermal blanket, mirror and basic first aid kit.

The children on the Beacons might not have known that, but the adults who let them go certainly should have.