First responders and mountain rescuers in the UK say they’re being increasingly burdened with calls for help from unprepared and clueless young “hikers” who wander into dangerous terrain without the proper knowledge and equipment.
According to the Lake District Search and Mountain Rescue Association (LDSAMRA), the number of rescue calls they’ve received this year is up 7 percent, and many of those are coming from “Gen Z.” The organization’s volunteers say much of this is down to social media, which glamorizes the images of a “lifestyle” including taking selfies at beauty spots. But this age cohort of hikers, they say, is inexperienced and ill-equipped for real hiking.
Failing to take training and preparation seriously causes many younger people to get lost in the wilderness, especially in mountain regions, and they call Mountain Rescue to come and fetch them.
LDSAMRA’s press officer Richard Warren, who is also an active rescuer, said the cohort that places the most calls are “in the age range of 18 to 30” and that “a lot of it is down to social media.” He says the prospect of getting a perfect picture (or selfie) for Instagram seems to be driving a lot of this reckless behavior, and it has changed the character of hiking.
Back when touring the Lake District for a hike was in its early days, Warren said, most hikers were experienced in long walks and climbing and were better prepared to tackle mountainous terrain. But younger people are replacing the hikers of the past, and the generation is so populous that it’s showing up in the number of rescue calls that need a response.
The newer hikers “don’t really plan their trip” to the Lake District, he said, and they “get themselves into trouble.”
Scafell Pike seems to be a kind of heat-sink for rescue calls. It is England’s highest mountain, though its peak is less than a mile high (3,120 feet at the summit). That mountain is on most people’s “bucket list,” said Warren, and it’s heavily featured in television programs and promotional tourism material.
The trouble is, the mountain can be a harsh mistress. Amateuer hikers do not realize that rain and gale-force winds, combined with freezing temperatures on the mountain can land them in danger quickly.
Amazingly, rescuers say they find young hikers out on mountains with virtually no equipment, not even a flashlight. They think they can rely on the tiny lights built into their phones, but these are woefully inadequate.
So far this year, 418 emergency calls have been placed to LDSAMRA, costing 22,000 hours of volunteer rescue time.
