There’s currently a debate raging on the FRA (Fell Runners Association) forum that is now up to thirty-nine pages long and 386 posts. Its title is “DQ the cheats” and it centres on whether pre-race compulsory kit checks need to be more stringent, are the definitions of mandatory kit clear enough ie. waterproof vs windproof and, if runners are found to be breaching the rules, should they be instantly disqualified.
Fell Running proudly places an emphasis on self-reliance and the argument made by many posters is that rules aren’t necessary as the majority of participants are experienced enough to determine what kit they need on the hills. The problem is though, there will always be less experienced runners, or more experienced runners who are stupid and want to push the rules for the sake of shaving 10g off their bumbag, and, if one of them gets into trouble because they don’t have the right kit, the bucks going to stop with the race organiser. I’ve no doubt that 99.9% of fell runners would never dream of pursuing a legal claim against a race organiser but, if the worse came to the worse and a runner died, there’s no accounting for the actions of their family and relatives. Unfortunately this isn’t a hypothetical scenario as at least one race organiser has already been dragged over the coals. In response to this some people are advocating more prescriptive wording to the mandatory kit rules and more draconian kit checks. The thread will probably go on and on and never reach a consensus but it did get me thinking about the kit I take when heading into the hills.
95% of the time when I’m out on the hills I’m running, so always tend to adopt a fast and light approach. On my normal morning runs with my dogs over the Dark Peak hills around my village, I’ll always dress appropriately to the conditions but, aside from some dog treats and poo bags, will rarely carry any extra kit. I’m not going anywhere especially remote and most of the time my wife knows where I am and how long I’ll be but am I skimping too much on kit? Should I be carrying waterproofs, a map/compass and a mobile phone? If I was in a fell race on the same hills and covering a similar distance I would, so why don’t I on my morning trots? I guess it’s a mixture of familiarity and complacency and, with winter weather finally approaching, I think I need to mend my ways and pack a bit more just in case.
There’s no doubt that fast and light can be taken too far, especially in competitive scenarios. I’m appalled by the level of discomfort that some elite Mountain Marathon competitors are willing to endure for the sake of a few saved grams. There’s a great story about a pair of competitors arguing that the Action Man waterproofs they’d packed complied with the rules as there was no mention about them actually having to fit. I’m convinced that, even when I’m packing what I consider to be extreme amounts of kit, some traditional hillwalkers would think I was woefully underprepared. I remember on a midwinter solo jaunt in the Lakes, taking in Illgill Head, Scafell, Great Gable and Kirk Fell, I went scampering past a group of walkers on a neve slope who looked as if they were on a winter Himalayan expedition. Even in the near blizzard conditions, I could hear their collective tuts as I overtook them despite the fact I was carrying an ice axe and was wearing Kahtoolah microspikes. In my admittedly small rucksack I had food and drink for the time I planned to be out, full waterproofs, spare base and mid-layers, a head torch and a bothy shelter but, because I was wearing tights and fell shoes, I’m sure they viewed me as behaving irresponsibly. In the accompanying photo to this piece I’m on a minor pimple in the Dark Peak called South Head and had just overtaken a walker in Arctic kit and full crampons! I’d argue that it can be as dangerous and irresponsible to carry too much kit and that sweltering in over the top waterproofs, lugging a massive pack and wearing stiff heavy boots is a recipe for disaster. Too much kit can be compounded by a lack of adequate fitness and, from what I’ve seen on the hills, the two often go hand in hand. I’ve been genuinely terrified by the slow pace I’ve seen people moving at, especially late on a winter’s day when they’re still heading up and I’m coming down.
Another issue in deciding how much to pack is are you just responsible for yourself or do you have a moral obligation to be able to help others who might be in trouble. This is one of the arguments for carrying full waterproofs in a fell race. You’d never need them while you were moving but, if you were rendered immobile or came across a similarly stricken competitor, you’d have enough protection against the elements for you or them while waiting for help to arrive. Outside of a race, should I be carrying extra kit just in case I come across someone in trouble and would I willingly give up my hard carried warm fleece and waterproof to a t-shirt and jeans wearing numpty halfway up Snowdon? Should we all carry a first-aid kit all the time and what should it contain? I’ve done a Remote Environments first aid course but am slightly ashamed to admit that, aside from a few “get me down” brufen and some Compeed, not a lot more medical kit regularly makes it into my pack.
The more I think about it, the more I can feel my pack growing. How much is too much, where do you draw the line and how many “what ifs” can you account for? I know some Mountain Rescue Teams do unofficial kit checks at popular trailheads as part of their fundraising but, as far as I know, they have no authority to stop someone without adequate equipment from continuing on with their walk. My libertarian side wouldn’t want them to have this authority but another part of me bristles every time I see someone on the hills in obviously inadequate kit and when I read reports of MR Teams getting called out to rescue these idiots. My fast and light mentality means that I rely heavily on my speed and fitness and will always adopt an approach that errs towards the bare minimum. With modern kit I believe this approach is just as safe as full-on hillwalking belts and braces but I know there are plenty who’ll disagree. So, my question is, for a full day out on the British Hills in winter what are the bare kit essentials that a responsible and self-reliant person should carry?
