Trail gets a b*llocking on Radio 4!

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Dan G
27/11/2003 at 07:25
Heard on Radio 4 news in the Today programme - Trail has published three routes it describes as being guaranteed snow-free and needs to ice axe or crampons, but Cairngorm Mountain Rescue, the BMC and even Chris Bonnington have all pointed out that they're wrong, called Trail irresponsible and demanded that a retraction be published!
Jules aka Bat Girl
27/11/2003 at 08:21
Its not that long scince I had to sleep on the floor in a class room due to four foot of snow in Bradford city centre so how can anywhere be guaranteed snow free in scotland.It aparantly snowed in the sahara desert once, it just a silly claim for anywhere in britain never mind scotland.
Jez
27/11/2003 at 08:34
Last time I was at Glenmore, they were blasting Trail for undersetimating some of the routes they were publishing for the Cairngorms...

Nice to see Radio 4 is up to date though, 'cos wasn't that issue published nearly three weeks ago?
Damo
27/11/2003 at 10:00
Here it is:
BBC news article
Damo
27/11/2003 at 10:01
Pants. try that again

BBC news article
Jenny Smith
27/11/2003 at 10:03
Looking at the photos, I guess they probably went in October or November (the grass is very green and heather is still out!). It must be hard to imagine what it can really be like when you are sitting in an office in Peterborough. Surely the woman in the Lairig Ghru article from Glenmore Lodge could have put them straight?
Darren Moseley
27/11/2003 at 10:29
I caught the tail-end of the story this morning. The editor of Trail, Guy Proctor admitted they had got it wrong.

Interestingly, the news article on the BBC website quotes the magazine as saying that "the magazine is written for, and read by, regular hillwalkers" who "do not need dire warnings on every page of the myriad potential dangers which await the unprepared, that the weather is unpredictable, or that conditions in the mountains on the day you want to walk are the ultimate make-or-break factor".

The readers do, however, seem to need advice on how to make sandwiches, pack a rucksac, and, oh I've forgotten all the other banal things.
Mike M
27/11/2003 at 11:06
I'm sorry Darren, but how can you possible critisise that article on how to make a BLT.
That totally rocked the stuffy, hide bound traditionalists at the BMC. It was both thought provoking and cutting edge.
And as for that article on how ot feels to take your boots off at the end of the day, well...


(really must cancel my subscription to it)
Drew
27/11/2003 at 11:27
I like this quote. John Allen, leader of the Cairngorm mountain rescue team said:


"You get snow on the Lairig Ghru all year round. In fact, I've seen snow there in June, in the mid-summer."


What? Is it possible to have a June which isn't in mid-Summer?
Jez
27/11/2003 at 11:32
Anyone know who the author of the Trail article is?

I haven't got it with me, but I've a feeling its our old mate, Piers Pickard.

Cue, fervent Trail bashing...
mark sharples
27/11/2003 at 12:01
so they got it wrong so does that mean they should get hamerd for it ,,

anyone who ventures into the wilderness should take the relevent preventative actions these include looking at creditable sourcesin the main trail offers a whole range of information for all levels of outddor peoples at the end of the day its down to YOU to work it out
Jez
27/11/2003 at 12:21
The point is that Trail gave mis-leading information and assumes that its readers are experienced (or sensible enough) to make that decision.

Anyone who goes on to the hills has a duty of care to themselves and should consult relevant sources of information, but if that information isn't accurate then the issue should be raised.

We all (especially here on OM) expect Trail to get it right and sometimes it doesn't. So we criticise it and point out its weaknesses so that hopefully it will be as good as we want it to be.
Si
27/11/2003 at 12:56
Stone them! Stone them!

Si
Alison Stockwell
27/11/2003 at 13:25
Well I haven't read this month's Trail but according to radio 4 the three routes were guaranteed snow free in winter. If that is true then it does sound irresponsible. The Lairig Ghru is a notorious death-trap in winter, in fact I'm sure Trail related a story about some people who died on it in last month's edition. Stac Pollaidh is capped by a sort rocky scramble, which would be unsuitable for beginners if it was icy, and as for Great Gable; it's as susceptible as any other Lakeland peak to the ravages of winter conditions.
I don't see who the article would have been directed at if not for novices looking to do "safe" routes in the winter since experienced people can make those decisions for themselves. It's bonkers to say that everyone who reads Trail knows what they are doing. Some people read Trail for advice and information, just as they do this forum. This forum is largely self-moderating because it accommodates different opinions but Trail can normally only be challenged retrospectively after a time-lag. It is also in a de-facto position of authority because it is an established publication and many people believe what they read in the press.
I don't agree with Trail-bashing, but I do think it's important to speak up if something is wrong.
Dan G
27/11/2003 at 14:20
I don't think this is Trail-bashing - I dont buy it, so I couldn't 'bash' if I wanted to - but they really have screwed up on this one!
Dan G
27/11/2003 at 14:30
Jez
27/11/2003 at 14:31
It think its a case of hurting the one you love.
Si
27/11/2003 at 14:35
Not too sure about that Jeremy. But just cos I dont find it interesting / useful enough to buy, doesn't mean that other people dont like it.

Yeah, trail gets a bit of a pasting now and then - but if so many people like it, why don't they start a thread praising it, or a particular article they found worthwhile.

Opinions eh? Dont you just love 'em.

Si
Alison Stockwell
27/11/2003 at 16:03
It's not about hurting the one you love, it's about ensuring that people seeking information are appropriately advised. I think Trail's credibility is compromised in situations like this, and that is a pity because it undermines the very worthwhile advice and information that they usually provide. It is a journalist's responsibility to check their own work for accuracy, and an editor's responsibility to supervise content. I am frequently asked questions than can affect people's safety and I do make an effort to check if I'm at all unsure. It's wrong to assume that people are knowledgeable especially about something as complex as winter mountain conditions. I am not perfect and do not expect the staff at Trail to be, but in this instance it sounds as though the mistake was pretty fundamental.
Dan G
27/11/2003 at 16:17
I think Jeremy's post was a joke :)
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