I was reading the story of the couple that survived the night in their bivvy bags with their collie all huddled up for warmth, and was very glad of the happy ending.

The newspaper report, however, just had to describe the conditions as ‘arctic’. I hear this all the time when it is cold in this country, and especially if snow is forecast.

To be clear, -7 with a bit of snow does NOT constitute ‘arctic conditions’. -32 with snow drifting up to your rooftop and completely covering your car might start to approach it.

This is where I come from, for example, and the poor folk that still live there find it somewhat amusing that our press can even use such terms.

Sometimes I am amazed that the British were so successful at blazing the trails across Canada.

Ohhh No We Don’t ..

…

…

Waves hands about….encouraging audience ..

Yeah but yours is that lovely dry cold. Ours is that awful damp cold. Much worse according to me and I’ve experienced both so am an expert!

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUyjZHyacMg[/video]

you do know the arctic is a big area right and has seasons?

Ok, so you know the Arctic is cold, right? But did you know that minimum temperatures of -90°Fahrenheit (-68° Celsius) can be reached in Greenland and northern Siberia during winter months?!? That’s pretty cold! Now it’s not that cold all the time all over the Arctic. The average Arctic winter temperature is -30° F (-34°C), while the average Arctic summer temperature is 37-54° F (3-12° C).

minus 7 and a bit snowy falls into that range and is therefore valid! 😛

Sometimes I am amazed that the British were so successful at blazing the trails across Canada.

I’m also guessing the brits understood seasons too! 😛

Sounds Baltic.

I was on Ben Chonzie yesterday.

Air was -6.

Winchill was -15 to -20.

My son got frost nip – in under an hour on the summit ridge.

While I agree much of our approach to weather is over exaggeration, the rescue team are likely keen to remind folk with a cavalier attitude that even our small Scottish hills are risky places places to be at this time of year.

On the other hand.. I stayed with friends in Medicine Hat in April 2000 & one day we had what I’d call a ‘slight breeze’, but Brad said, ‘whoaa, it’s windy today eh’?

We cut the grass one day cos it was sunny & quite warm. Next morning there was 4″ of snow.

I love Canada me!

That kid needs to grow a beard.

His dad needs some training on safety in the hills! 😉

This is where I come from, for example, and the poor folk that still live there find it somewhat amusing that our press can even use such terms.

But they are not that bothered

I watched the rescue footage on the news, it looked very unpleasant, and I’m pretty sure that if they hadn’t been prepared there would have been a completely different outcome. There have been numerous examples of hill-walkers dying in less ‘extreme’ conditions, just because they didn’t have the appropriate equipment and succumbed to cold and damp.
There was a news item tonight about injuries suffered by troops through cold, damp conditions, which have had long-lasting, probably permanent affects on their health, damp cold always feels worse than dry cold.

I’m also claiming that scotland has more right to claim arctic weather conditions than winnipeg, after all we’re closer to the arctic circle! 😛

His dad needs some training on safety in the hills!

That kid needs to
a) remember his buff,
B) wear the buff his father loaned him over his face
C) have a father with more awareness and sympathetic attitude when bailing off a suddenly clag-filled and snowing summit…

Thought we only had cold snaps.

“Well Huw, in extraordinary events today here in ….”

I think it is our press that is sensationalist. And our H&S industry. I think most people are fairly sensible and realise that the description of Arctic conditions was overeating things. Though to be fair, -7 degs might be Arctic conditions in the height of an Arctic summer.

You can talk, Mr three layers. It’s all an act, he’s always got two more layers on than me on bike rides 🙂

On another historical point though, when the British were blazing trails, it was a lot colder here in winter. Plus many of them were Scottish, and mad.

I hear this all the time when it is cold in this country, and especially if snow is forecast.

When snow is forecast it’s sometimes because Arctic weather is expected to hit the UK, eg the result of polar vortexes and Arctic blasts.

That’s what headlines such as “UK braced for Arctic weather” refers to.

IMO anyway – I don’t think they are trying to tell me that the weather will be same as the Arctic Circle. For that I would expect the headline “UK braced for temperatures as cold as the Arctic”.

I’ll tell you what is very British though…….not getting angry over the words used in weather forecasts.

In fact British etiquette and politeness requires that when someone proclaims “It’s turned out nice”
one agrees with them, even if it’s pissing down.

It’s a British thing that foreigners and those from the colonies don’t necessarily understand.

I thought the BBC report I saw earlier was quite funny: The reporter was doing his best to build up the drama, and then shows you the footage of a fairly relaxed group of mountain rescuers calmly escorting the couple to an off-road buggy.

The mountain rescue dude didn’t seem too concerned about the temperature, either: He seemed more worried about them falling off a cliff in the poor visibility.

The one thing they only paid lip-service to was the fact that the couple, and dog, survived because they took survival kit with them (I was especially impressed by the dog having his own bivvy-bag 😀 although wouldn’t they all be better off huddling together?)

From what was said on news they did the Glenmore-Strath Nethy-back up over Coire Raibert(sp) route.
They sheltered at the summit overnight. They had one working head torch at the end.
The whiteout would mean they had no idea that the path to the top station was 50m away – and roped as a marker, all the way to the same top station building.

Just for clarification, where was the -7 measured? If it was say at glenmore or aviemore the the top of Cairngorm would be a fair bit cooler. iI was the MRT that called conditions Arctic and I’d be prepared to take their word for it.

It wasn’t -7 in Aviemore the other night, but it would have been -7 (static) at the AWS. Throw in the windchill and they are very lucky to be alive.

FWIW there was another call-out today. Hypothermic walker was escorted off by two younger mountaineers who just stumbled across him when out. That’s the 6th callout since NYE for the Cairngorm MRT.

The plants and animals on the higher slopes and plateau of the Cairngorms are considered Arctic.

I’m distantly related to Ranulph Fiennes apparently, so when I get frost nip – I go all the way, get frostbite and cut my fingers off. 😀 The kid definately needs to grow a beard.

I carry a coffin made from Kendal mint cake. Everywhere. Just in case.

Kendal Mint cake is for amateurs, Pemmican if you’re really serious about getting frostbite and a mild case of death.

My eyes froze shut while walking off the top of Cairngorm after a gulley climb in Coire an t-Sneachda

It was definitely arctic that day 🙂

Is not just the press though is it? You see it all the time on here and in other forums, this overplaying of the conditions / risks of the British hills and the equipment you need to tackle them. Usually it’s done by those with a little bit of experience who nevertheless like to use that experience to beat others over the head.

A little learning is a dangerous thing ;
Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring :
There shallow draughts intoxicate the brain,
And drinking largely sobers us again.

Oh and for the record Saxonrider, I have stood at the corner of Portage and Main so I know. 😉

@spin – While I think you are onto something with the experienced set using it to show off, the problem is so many take to the hills with zero common sense, let alone half an inkling that there are things they do not know they don’t know.

Sometimes I am amazed that the British were so successful at blazing the trails across Canada.

I suspect that the successful ones got a bit of help from the locals. Others died horrible deaths.

Sometimes I am amazed that the British were so successful at blazing the trails across Canada

And it was mainly the French

@spin – While I think you are onto something with the experienced set using it to show off, the problem is so many take to the hills with zero common sense, let alone half an inkling that there are things they do not know they don’t know.

+1. How many times do we see people climbing hills in the Lakes wearing jeans and trainers?

The great thing is this demonstrates the outcome of going into the hills well prepared and being caught out. I suspect that couple would have been perfectly fine to walk out the next day.

I’ve had to overnight on the top of the Corrieyairack in a whiteout blizzard in August. Next day was sunburn weather.

Every year people die in the Highland mountains because they are not adequately prepared, eg experienced climbers dressed for a quick climb and return rather than a night out in Scotland’s worst, or because they have come a long way and are feel obliged to do that walk/climb even though conditions are potentially dangerous.