Braving the Elements
I know that Scotland's mountain rescue teams are a dedicated group of people, who do what they do for no monetary reward, but this recent incident reported in The Scotsman newspaper would surely have tried even the patience of a saint.
As for the idiot who tackled the mountain wearing flip flops, I think we should be entitled to know who he is and see a picture of him in his choice of footwear.
Lochaber's Nevis Range, where the tourists hoped to see some snow. Picture: TSPL
By LUCY CHRISTIE - The Scotsman
A tourist had to be stretchered off a mountain after hurting his ankle while climbing on one of Scotland’s highest peaks - in flip-flops.
The man and two friends were exploring 4,006ft Aonach Mor near Fort William when he slipped and hurt his ankle.
A team from Lochaber Mountain Rescue were called out and were surprised to see the casualty’s choice of footwear.
They reported that one of his companions was bare-foot when they saw him and the other was wearing trainers.
It is understood they took the gondola up the mountain - a sister peak of the UK’s highest mountain, Ben Nevis - on Wednesday and set off to reach a snow patch.
Rescue team leader John Stevenson told the Press and Journal newspaper: “We told them next time they come back to Scotland to stand on snow they should wear something more appropriate, like a good pair of boots. Having flip flops on is asking for trouble and he found it.”
It took a 2 and a half hour operation by members of Lochaber Mountain Rescue team to stretcher the man to the mountain’s ski lift and then on to a waiting ambulance which took him to hospital.
A spokesman for Nevis Range, the winter ski resort, said: “aVisitors take the gondola up so far and then walk the rest and they don’t always have the correct foot wear. We always advise them against this but they still do it.”
