Hello all. I’m here to offer balance to the hand wringers.
I’m good friends with the family.
Father is an MIC holder and mountain guide, and like me has spent 20 years in outdoor education, leading young people and adults all across uk and Alps. He has had far more hill days, mountain bike days, climbing days, remote wild camps and bothy nights than most of you lot put together. He is ‘proper’ mountain man, who has served on MRT teams and lectures in outdor education to teachers.
This family bothy trip is annual, always to another bothy.
Youngest child is 5. Eldest 10. They’ve climbed a few Munro’s already.
The call for help was for a few reasons.
The railway walk (obvious way out) is dangerous and illegal. He thought the police would say ‘do it, with our blessing’.
He thought the MRT/police would know someone with a boat, again the simple answer.
He knew the three mile walk involved streams, one of which had gone from 10′ wide ankle deep to ove 6′ and totally flooded a field. He was concerned that the three mile walk would involve trying to cross flooded streams with small children.
He didn’t expect police to call back and say ‘next train is stopping’ for you, or that train was due in 20 mins, or that it was the Potter train.
Pitchforks down folks.