Lakes Chief Issues Warning

The head of the Lake District National Park is encouraging visitors over half term and Valentine's Day weekend, but he's also warning people to 'act sensibly and be aware of their personal safety limits' after two walkers died in Langdale this week.


Richard Leafe says with the current winter icy blast coinciding with half-term school holidays, many people will probably get their first chance to experience “a taste of a real winter” high up in the Lake District fells and mountains and may be tempted out of their comfort zone.

“It’s a different world up on the mountains. A truly magical place I would encourage sensible walkers to sample – but only if they are properly equipped with an ice axe and crampons for the high fells and only if they are skilled in their use.”

Leafe spent a day last week with Fell Top Assessor Jon Bennett on one of his trips up Helvellyn and encountered  temperatures of -5C and a wind chill factor of -10C along with extensive snow and icing of paths. And it's thought that these conditions may continue for the remainder of February.

“I would like as many people as possible to enjoy the kind of day I did in the mountains, but please act sensibly by keeping within the limits of your capabilities and experience, and behave responsibly by dressing and equipping yourselves to match the conditions you will undoubtedly encounter.

“Please enjoy these fantastic winter mountain conditions, but don’t let your day end with friends and family having to call on the area’s wonderful mountain rescue teams to bring you down to safety – or worse still deal with a fatality,”

You can get the latest weather forecasts from Weatherline by calling 08700 55 0575 or on line at www.lake-district.gov.uk/weatherline.