UKC

Hi.

Just wanted to get some thoughts on this. Im out in Wales most weekends over the last 15 years. I have had two incidents with mountain goats this year & also having been the first year I have encountered mountain goats in N.Wales.

A few months ago I was 1/2 way up Grooved Arete and a goat spotted me and charged while I was leading pitch 3. Fortunatly I moved around to the right of the arete out the way.

Yesterday I was completing the horseshoe on my own and was bimbling down Liwedd ridge (following the path) near the bottom. I turned a corner and there were three goats, two of which were rutting (locked horns/fighting) I was about 15 foot away. I started to move forward slowly, showing no fear. The third dropped its head, horns down and charged for me. I ran up/off to the side and fortunatly swung around the arete. I skirted of the face side for a while and rejoined the path back up to the summit. Decided to change my plan and go back up to Snowdon and pick up the Pyg'track even though I was a bit knacked. Fortunatly I saw some other guys coming down the ridge so I followed them down the ridge back onto my original plan. By this time the goats were gone.

After enountering ibex in the Alps which are much bigger, they were no problem and just move away. Now im not hamming it up for the story but these are not billy goats, they are bigger than a lab and 2ft horns..didnt fancy being jousted! Is it just my bad luck or has anyone else had any experiences lately?

In reply to JamesM:

I've seen them but can't say I've ever had an issue. I saw them only the other week in snowdonia!

In reply to JamesM: no, but.. youtube.com/watch?v=FGEoG3wyaG4&

In reply to JamesM: 'the goat charged you' i dont know i suppose its a just another stealh tax from the welsh assembly.

They rut this time of the year and get a little worked up bit like Stags, just steer clear and let them get on with it.

In reply to JamesM: Me any my dog got charged last week in the Slate Quarries, I had to jump a fence! Also saw one butting down a fence so that it could get through. It's been fascinating viewing their behaviour recently...

In reply to JamesM:


We used to keep a herd of goats, including billy goats. The nanny goats were lovely but the billy goats were hell-on-four-legs. The billys would eat out of my wife's hand and be really docile but if I had to go anywhere near them, I would always carry a pickaxe handle and wear a full set of waterproofs. The handle was a useful weapon when they reared up on their hind legs and tried to headbutt me and the waterproofs were a necessity since they would often spray me with pee. Their aim was uncannily accurate and the stench of it would make me gag. Sometimes I'd have to be power washed before I took off my waterproofs.

From your description of their behaviour, I strongly suspect you encountered billy goats. They will scent that you're a male and will immediately assume you are a threat. By walking towards them, you are only reinforcing that impression. Unlike sheep, they won't be in the slightest bit scared of you, but you'd probably worked that out already. ;¬)

Sounds as if you got away quite lightly. Best give them a wide berth in future, otherwise go into the hills armed with a baseball bat and always wear your waterproofs.

HTH

Dave

In reply to JamesM:
They were clearly just acting the goat.

In reply to Skol: lol

In reply to JamesM: I was cycling around The Great Orme in Llandudno last weekend and was warned of some goats by another cyclist who had turned back. I chose to ignore him and had no trouble. I guess he had had bother before. Like with deer it is October and 'The Rutt' is on.

In reply to JamesM: I hope you goat out of there before they got you!

In reply to JamesM:
I've met plenty of them on the Rhinogs, without any problems so far, they run away. But there's no reason why a stinking old billy goat in rut wouldn't get a bit feisty - they could hurt!

In reply to JamesM:

I suggest you wash your socks

In reply to JamesM:

This could be your solution

bit.ly/GUSv8c

In reply to JamesM:

There used to be the two that lived on top of Ben Vrackie - proper big farmyard goats, none of your scrawny feral hill things. They tended to mainly fight with each other, entertaining to watch, but if they got a whiff of your sandwiches it was a different story.

In reply to Dave Hewitt:

Hey ! They're not all that scrawny

In reply to lone:

Fair enough, although the Vrackie ones were about 50% bigger than any others I've seen on a hill, eg the Galloway or An Teallach ones.

Incidentally, a friend who was brought up in Blairlogie 70 or so years ago says that the gorse which clogs various potential routes up the steep southern side of Dumyat wasn't there in those days, at least not to anywhere near the extent that it is now. Most of the families in the village owned goats (for milk etc), a goatherd was retained and the things munched their way through any gorse bushes that dared to appear on the hillside above. Sounds like they ought to be reintroduced.

In reply to Skol:

Are you kidding?

In reply to ewar woowar: That one was baaaad

In reply to Dave Hewitt: Are gorse beneficial for any creatures is what I'm wondering?

In reply to Dave Hewitt: Are gorse beneficial for any creatures there, is what I'm wondering.

In reply to Timmd:

There probably are benefits of some kind, but the environment agency / council has been trying to zap the Dumyat stuff with a mix of chemicals and fire of late (with no great effect as yet), given how rampant it's become. Half a dozen goats would probably be cheaper and more fun.

In reply to JamesM:

What about this one!

http://semi-rad.com/2012/01/beware-the-urine-drinking-goats/

In reply to JamesM:

I'd just done the Cneifion Arete the other week and at the top there were a couple goats fighting! They were properly going at each other for about 15mins while I sat and grabbed some food nearby!

In reply to Dave Hewitt:
The Vrackie goats are strong buggers too, had to hoick the head of one of them out of my rucksack a few years ago as it moved quicker than I did(not difficult these days) and got there first. Just beat it to the malt loaf!