UKC

It's really easy to be on a high horse about this issue but I would be interested to learn why it's happening. With such a sharp rise one would think it should be possible to quantify.

"The chief executive of Mountain Rescue England and Wales, Mike Park, said it was hard to give a “definitive reason” for the rise in rescues among younger people... ...But we know from incident reports that more and more people are tempted into risky locations by Instagram posts and the navigation apps being used aren’t always suitable for an outdoor environment,” Park said. 

Is this due to rises in participation in this age group? Higher visibility of mountaineering through social media has led to more people in the hills?

Is this due to changes in behaviour? 18-24 year olds may be more likely to act in a way which is dangerous, or may be more likely to use a mobile phone to call mountain rescue instead of attempting self-rescue?

My suggestion is the net effect of navigation apps is less people getting lost rather than more. Although perhaps as MR imply, digital technology makes mountaineering seem more accessible and therefore increases participation.

It would be really interesting to dig into this, my perception is that celebrating the UK's mountains through social media and widening access isn't inherently a bad thing.

The headline could also have been, call outs have doubled for 75‐79 year olds. I think all your points are possible, but agree that much deeper digging needs to be done before confidently drawing any conclusions.

I see the call outs for under 18's has hardly increased at all.

Covid will certainly have a affected the number of younger people learning to act semi independently on the hills, through DoE,  Scouts etc, for at least year or two, is this lack of experience now reflected in the 18 to 24 group?

This was the article I had meant to post:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/apr/16/record-high-british-mountain-...


Here is England and Wales Mountain Rescue Annual Review from 2024: https://www.mountain.rescue.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/AnnualReview2...

There’s also a noticeable rise in incidents in the 40-44 range. What’s that about? Gross data like this is not always very insightful - what kinds of incidents are involved in each age range?

Here’s a link to the Guardian item about this btw:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/apr/16/record-high-british-mountain-...

It could have been, but if you look at the absolute values, 18-24 feels to me the more appropriate headline.

I’m sure most of us will have tales like this, but I was near a summit in the Brecon Beacons on Friday and was asked about a triangular route that the guys “had seen on YouTube”. No map, digital or paper.

The key takeaway is the situation we face isn't sustainable for Mountain Rescue in the honeypot areas. I was annoyed with the article attaching selective blame in a very complex situation (many old people use Strava etc, as well as getting ideas on social media). My opinion is that situation is more to do with gaps in political action than the Aps which exasperate risks. 

Those on the Snowdon or Tryffan early this spring will tell you people following maps on phones with no other sense of where they were and when wearing completely inappropriate clothing was the modal average of ascent. Politicians, Public Health, National Parks, Mountain Rescue, Mountain Training and representative Mountaineering organisations are all very aware of the issues but need to coordinate better (especially the politicians). The politicians in particular need to invest a bit more public money in things that we know will help (especially in Wales where the worst UK hotspots are and public funding for the organisations is especially dire).

Enjoying the mountains should be a right, albeit with responsibilities. In the longer term such exercise and experience makes people healthier and happier on average. The public costs in those organisations that can really help reduce risks are miniscule compared to NHS expenditure down the line due to substandard public health.

But the absolute values in that group were much higher pre covid. Is a 30% rise amongst the under 30's a bigger concern than a 40% rise in the over 70, because the absolute numbers are about double?

Like Offwidth it's the general rise in numbers that concerns me,  they actually seem remarkably consistent across the age ranges. Not sure how it will affect the sustainability of MR in it's current form, which relies heavily on the generosity of local employers.

but is that becoming more common simply because more people are on the hills, I've anecdotes like that from 40 years ago, but they do seem to be more regularly now?

Or the same number of youngsters want to go on the hills, but funding to LEA outdoor centres has been cut, voluntary groups like the scouts struggle for money, leaders etc.. then add in influencers luring them out on the hills, many of whom demonstrate questionable practices or highly edited films.

An increase in number of people in the outdoors would result in more call outs. This is irrespective of whether or not you’re assuming people are less prepared than pre covid. that’s the real number that needs to be worked out before drawing too many conclusions. 
 

obviously even if people are being as “careful” as before and there are more call outs it’s still unsustainable for MR. 

It comes down to basic education. If you can read a map, have reasonable clothing and modest bag with a few spares (easily under 5kg) then 99.9% of the time people will have a safe day. 

A lot of people will pay £200 for 2 nights glamping, but wouldn't dream of spending £100 on a days navigation training, £50 on a reliable head torch...

its not just social media driving -- the young ones are actually going out and doing things. They are spending less time on computer games but even more noticeably their socialising isn't centered around sitting in a pub getting hammered like us middle ages ones did.

Maybe people get used to phones and car sat nav being ridiculously reliable so they have a go. Except knowing where you are within a few metres isn't enough when online map quality and personal terrain understanding isn't sufficient for mountains or rough ground. You may know where you are on a map that's blank for your immediate area without knowing there's a cliff, bog, river etc in the direction you are going.

And occasionally phones go wrong, at times my phone has had a location uncertainty of several km.

If you're looking at your phone, or trying to avoid dropping it scrambling up Tryfan, then it's likely many aren't paying full attention to feet placements, hand holds, or spotting the obvious line etc.. 

Not  sure what the national stats.are, but for my local team only a third of rescues (30ish) were for people who were "lost" and a number of those were for "missing" kids. Their annual report made the point that their increase in call outs was almost entirely due to multiple call outs, upto 5, on a few days during the year, which I think were weather related.

Being well equipped will certainly make the wait for the MR more comfortably, but does it make it less likely?

yes it's unsustainable for the teams in honeypot areas that's clear and I agree with the points you've made.

I'm interested in why it's happening, with solutions coming from the 'why'

you suggest that issues include navigation skills and inappropriate clothing, perhaps these represent a general change in 'approach'.

I can't find visitor numbers beyond 2022, how much of this effect is due to numbers increasing?

If 'call outs per visitor' is static then arguably popularity is the major cause instead of changes in approach. If call outs per visitor have increased then that's significant.

I was on tryfan and snowdon lots over spring and yes, you see lots of 'alarming' behavior, young kids leaning out to catch drones mid scramble, winter traverses of crib goch with pruning saws for ice axes

Right footwear, warm, dry and focused on the task, mentally alert. Possess a head torch and can read a map so aren't pressured to rush, take poor lines across complex terrain etc... 

I think most accidents are a chain of events, seemingly minor things building up, route choice, equipment, personal fitness and experience etc.. even the "I just slipped" and broken my ankle is really caused by something, it didn't just happen. Basics like how to edge in proper footwear across a bit of steep wet grass, most people in their sports direct bend a lot trail shoes wouldn't have a clue. 

I genuinely feel that statistically and in context of the post covid and cost of living impacts the variations (error bars) on those numbers make age assessments almost meaningless. Observing what's happening on the hills in accident blackspots is more important, alongside education and funding the organisations that would help.

The worst example I know in Wales is MTC get no public funding from the Welsh government at all.... despite being integral to local training and education efforts.

I would agree that a vast underestimation of what is required to move in the hills combined with algorithmic allure through socmed has put people in situations that they would never have guessed could be dangerous or frightening to them. In addition I do not think that many people are even aware that they could take some training or do some research; rather that adventure is a kind of 'off the shelf' activity like anything else - stemming from an increasingly pervasive naivety that 10second clips foster by leaving practically everything (years of experience, training, skills) out apart from the beautiful views. Anecdotally I had a friend who had bouldered indoors less than 15 times and wanted to go outside 'for the vibes' - wanted the nearest crag and just talked about how cool it would be to brew coffee in the forest (like the influencers...)

I would wager that Free Solo had an impact as well as general pandemic reasons. 

20 plus years ago we (RAF SAR) did a very unscientific study of data, we concluded that the average hill job on a summer weekend would be a lower limb fracture or suspected to be, walking off the hill, 1600-1800hrs, aged 40-60 and no exactly fully fit (ie carrying some winter reserves). 

Granted it's not very precise or even fair, but tired, less strong legs, descending broken terrain, end of a long day, with excess mass above them are increasing several risk factors. 

If you tell people these days it'll take them a few years to become fully competent at something a fair proportion aren't prepared to commit or put the time in. So they'll want to short cut it, human nature. 

Sometimes I get suggested outdoor influencer content made by tough looking/sounding blokes doing a grade 1 scramble in Wales filmed by a drone with very dramatic music and a hyperbolic description suggesting that it was EXTREMELY risky and dangerous, and that he did it anyway/toughed it out/overcame it and is therefore tough blah blah blah. I think that young adults (old enough to drive to snowdonia) are primed to consume a lot of such content (I probably would have too as a city-hating teen stuck in brum) and maybe be attracted to those ideas and that representation of crib goch or snowdonia in shit weather or whatever as defying death, and then they go and give it a go and some get out of their depth. I guess the squaddie/tough bloke influencer funnel into mountain bimbling is becoming more prominent with this kind of content inspiring people, rather than the ron hills and your friends scrawny bespectacled dad looking like a drowned rat in a paramo coat funnel (no offence to bespectacled ron hill paramo dads of course), which lets face it isn't very sexy. In hindsight I'm glad that my ideas of going to the hills were shaped by my ron hill/paramo scout leaders rather than videos like those.

I also reckon that some people watch every video they can find about a certain hill or scramble and then convince themselves that they know what its going to be like, and from the warmth of their own home they are duped into a false sense of security, when actually they have little idea what strong winds and driven rain actually feel like when you are tired and maybe a bit scared, and how easily that can lead to getting seriously cold and ol faithful slips, trips and falls.

The statistics released by Scottish Mountain Rescue broadly support that anecdote. https://www.scottishmountainrescue.org/facts-and-statistics/

For my local team in seems the main cause is Osteoporosis. A slip/stumble  that would be the source of amusement in you 20's results in a broken ankle/leg, for women in particular, after 70.

Again isn't that being the reason for a callout to assist younger people relatively rare? Pre existing medical conditions causing a problem, being more common 

The effect you speak of (with which I agree as part of the problem) is accentuated by the prevalence of black clothing, jackets, hats, trousers, gloves, rucsacs and gaiters (have you tried to get some colourful gaiters in the last 10 years or so?).

This gives a hard man ninja/SAS/outing as mission/mission critical/macho look to the outdoors.

Bring back colour into the hills!

I even heard a story about a young lad trying to go climbing on Kinder with his mum's washing line for a rope! I shudder to think what happened to him...

good reply  . I bet you or your partner are involved in sone way ? Mrt , paramedic , police. ( don’t answer ! ) 

I think if it were possible to this analysis then there will be more call outs per visitor 

Poetry!

I haven’t drilled down (don’t know if you can) into the causal details of the rescue stats but I suspect just the presence of hill related activities on social media must get a lot of people out without necessarily the support they might benefit from in terms of risk assessment and planning.    Couple of years ago I effected a “rescue” off Tinto in a fairly chilly spring gale. A young student (of physical education, ironically) was sat on a boulder just down from the summit, and slurred a request for food and drink complaining that he didn’t feel well. He was wearing shorts and a cotton jumper over a t shirt and had no protection from the wind at all so it was plain he had mild hypothermia. The rescue consisted of lending him my Goretex and a hat and gloves, giving him a drink, then brusquely ordering him on to his feet and walking him down the hill. He was fine in ten minutes but hadn’t a clue what he had done wrong. More fleeting encounters - this January a trip up Ben Lomond revealed lots of young folk, completely unsuitably shod for the icy conditions. 
wWhere the hill apprenticeship was either (1) at the hands of more experienced companions or (2) by reading - or some combination - it now seems to involve images and selfies on social media without much hillcraft passing on. 
Equally the hills have become a lot busier and with a new generation discovering them - a good thing - maybe the increased rescue traffic is just proportionate.

Is that not how Tom Weir started in the 1920’s, on crumbly rock on the front face of the Campsies?

and Joe Brown...
(Though, according to Wikipedia, Brown said it was actually rope that he stole from some roadworks).

Sounds like me, but looking over a map from the warmth of a pub and a few beers. 

It does seem like the honey spots are getting more busy, but the random hills/tracks etc are getting quieter. 

When 8 ish we lowered each other using body belay & washing line, you've got to start somewhere...

Yup, me too. Climbing around Beeston Castle (sandstone) with old climbing rope that buddy's dad used as a tow rope. Body belay, of course. Just did that for half a day, enough to get a taste for this climbing lark.

Gotta start somewhere, right ?

What a horrible, judgmental thread this is.

Speaking as a statistician there is almost nothing that can be inferred from these numbers. I can’t be bothered slogging through why but put simply without knowing how many extra participants in each age group, how on earth can you make judgments on the outcome data? Has participation doubled? You can’t judge a trend from a single, highly variable, small sample. Many things can affect these data. Has education in calling the police (MR) been improved? Has mobile coverage been improved, facilitating calls? 
 

No, let’s just make up a whole load of nonsense about how young people are so feckless.

Toccata (over 50 btw)

Well, that's a shame, because that is exactly what is needed.

And you're not the first on the thread to say that, by any means; it hasn't been universally judgemental.

Though the Bare Gyrlls YouTube types don't help matters, I'm sure...

Apologies. Bit judgmental myself. Get frustrated about UKC occasionally.

Perhaps, but I don't think 18 or 20 year olds have that kind of money to spare for either of those things, really. 

I did DofE at school but I'm not sure it really fully equipped me for actual mountains, rather than what we actually did, walking across fields. And which of us didn't know less, and do things we'd be redfaced about now, in our 20s?

I'm not saying this isn't a problem, but I'm more interested in the general trend rather than the age groups. 

One thing I noted was that I'd always understood Tryfan to get the most callouts in North Wales. Was that wrong or has that changed?

I started getting curious about the nature of callouts, but this feels like uncomfortable territory - and possibly risks a cosy illusion that those sorts of things happen to other, silly, people. I am not fit (and have no hope of being so), I have preexisting medical conditions, my nav could be better... I know how to mitigate some risks, and I often feel like Crag Mum, asking cold-looking young people I pass on the hill whether they have a head torch. It would be very easy for some people to say that only fit people should be in the hills (though I strongly disagree). I often think about that standard media phrase, they were an 'experienced' climber/hiker - personally, I always want more experience! 

as its my thread i feel slightly defensive about the horrible, judgemental line, I dont think you could take that view from my opening post, as i say, 'its easy to be on a high horse'. overall i think the discussion here has been fairly balanced and informed compared to seeing this article discussed on other social media.

it would certainly be interesting to have a professional statistician look at the data 

I'm with you... BS statistical analysis and lots of judgemental people letting the politicians off for not funding public health initiatives linked to the mountains (esp for youth through schools etc), reduced national park funding, reduced or no mountaineering organisation funding for participation issues, too little help for seriously strained MRT efforts and no pushback against the social media giants for their content providers (aka influencers) spreading bad advice. Hey! It's the fault of feckless young folk following their noses (what all would do without decent education).

I don't think LEA centres, DoE, initial scouting type experiences taught everything either, but they did cover the basics a little, which potentially stopped people biting off more than they could chew.

Yeah it's not cheap. Which is why many people started walking, then scrambling, climbing, winter, alpine... you progressed as much because of your budget than a desire or skill set. Think back 30 or 40 years only the best paid could imagine walking into a shop and buying a rack, rope and harness in one go. 

The internet does have a lot to answer for. Imagine if Highlander the movie came out now, there'd be people falling off the Cioch every week.

My statistical generalisation isn't so far from the truth. But we should still improve funding for LEA outdoor centres, improve sport in schools, and have greater funding support schemes for clubs helping everyone under 21. Many people drop out of sports at 16 and 18 so more should be done to counter this. Maybe some subsidy increase towards the courses leaders need to teach, coach or supervise sports, their registration fees etc.. make being a voluntary unpaid adult helper a little easier. 

A new risqué naturist movement?

But what about the younger age groups? https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cdxgyp7pyv9o

Yours were based on sound qualitative experience. My comments on bs stats relates to reading too much into the quantitive data on age groups in that Guardian article.

Sport Wales do some fabulous work in some sports but I'd hope so with well over a hundred staff and a salary bill alone of over £6million. Read their annual report and try and find the love of lifelong sustainable activity that responsible hill and mountain walking provide for a pretty significant percentage of the Welsh, let alone visitors. I really think they need to stop splitting mountain sports (climbing and skiing) from walking and make some investment.

https://senedd.wales/media/x5vdruw0/gen-ld16711-e.pdf

Not a single photograph of person on a hill when that is one of the Welsh national activity 'jewels'.

Only 168 pages! 

I'd agree with your point, the bonus of the outdoors is whilst you still need to build car parks everything else exists naturally, you don't need buildings etc.. plus for basics like walking on a signed path you need practically no extra equipment. 

To me, South and North Wales are just outdoor sports centres, South Wales often under rated, but it's got hills, cliffs, rivers, lakes, surf, awesome caving etc.. there isn't much you can't do within 1 hour of Swansea or Cardiff, but it's massively undersold. 

If it’s good enough for Bonatti

When visiting England, there are some smaller hills where I do not want to be seen. Black is fine in darkness, but far too contrasty for sneaking about in daylight.

pastel shades or gentler colours then  - dress like a Heaton Cooper landscape, anything but black