Plough On or Play Safe? Why turning back is sometimes the best choice for hikers
It is the question that faces every hiker sooner or later when hiking in the hills and mountains, and one to be taken seriously. Whilst there are clear and obvious reasons to turn back mid-hike — such as the weather, low supplies or illness — your gut feeling is just as much a valid reason to call it a day. It can be something as simple as you just aren’t feeling it anymore, don’t like the look of a ridge or something about it all just isn’t sitting right with you. Always listen to these instincts. Sure it can be bruising to your ego to turn around before reaching your destination, but just remind yourself of the quote by American mountaineer Ed Viesturs “Getting to the top is optional. Getting down is mandatory.”
This month’s edition of Trail magazine had a feature article that weighed up risk vs reward by Matt Jones following his attempt to hike the famous North Ridge of Tryfan. Before even receiving the latest edition of Trail in the post (a small highlight I look forward to each month) I read the Trail Notes email from Editor Oli Reed. In the email, Oli stated after sending the issue to print, he heard on the news about 200 hikers being trapped in a snow storm on Mount Everest’s eastern slopes in Tibet after unusual snowfall in October. He summed up how the “mountains play by their own rules,” and how “turning back most definitely doesn’t mean defeat”.
Reading Oli’s words got me thinking about my own time in the mountains, and the moments when I’ve had to make that same call.
Don’t ignore nature’s warnings
It’s a fine line between determination and danger. Clear skies, cloud inversions, sunrise or sunset — nature often plays a major role in why we seek the summit in the first place. It can also be instrumental in why we retreat from the summit.
In September 2024, three of us (and Ledley the dog) had planned to hike Blencathra’s Sharp Edge, however, the weather had other ideas. A storm warning came into force the night before, but we decided to still make the two-and-a-half hour trip up to the Lake District. Hoping to “get away” with the weather, we began our ascent up towards Sharp Edge.
Before we even reached the famous ridge we had stopped several times, the last of which was to decide to turn back. What had started out as a bit of wind and rain had turned into gale force winds, hail and driving rain. Add to that a complete lack of vision, and you can see why the decision to return back to safety was made.I’ve found that friends new to hiking (or non-hiker friends) always seem to think you are being dramatic when talking about how risky the mountains can be — but only this summer a hiker died following a fall off that very same Blencathra ridge.
On that day last September when the three of us decided to turn back, the decision was an easy one to make and was made quickly, allowing us to get back to safety as soon as possible. These days I find myself often hiking in mixed groups, however, when I first got the bug for hiking it happened to be all-male groups of friends. One thought that crossed my mind early on with it being all lads was whether anyone would be willing to say “let’s turn back” for fear of ridicule. In those days, I admit I probably would have been swayed to continue a hike under any kind of pressure from the group. Thankfully, the friends I’ve shared ridges and summits with have never let pride outweigh sense, so the question never became a problem.
Mental and physical fatigue
Unfortunately, it isn’t just the weather you have to concern yourself with when you’ve made the decision to venture into the hills and mountains. Your mental and physical state also play a huge role in whether you should decide to ‘plough on or play safe’. Being mentally or physically tired can be just as dangerous, especially on difficult terrain or exposed ridges.
Fuelling your body and keeping hydrated are such key elements to keeping yourself safe on a hike, and should never be overlooked. The rule of thumb is to have 1 litre of water for every two hours of hiking — this, however, is only a rough guide. There are several other factors that come into play: weather conditions and the difficulty and level of physical exertion required are two of the most common. Remember to always keep your water and snacks handy so they are easy to get to.
Two weeks before I completed the Race The Sun Challenge in Keswick, I had to turn back from a walk with my girlfriend. I had completed my training, and my girlfriend and I headed out for a short walk in Clitheroe. Not even a big hill, just a bit of a wander. really. However, I was tired, hadn’t hydrated properly and had skipped breakfast. All of this led to me feeling dizzy, overheating and being very unstable on my feet, so we decided to call it a day and head back. It just wasn’t worth risking it, even though there were no sharp edges or thunderstorms rolling in. I was just as likely to cause myself a mischief here as anywhere else.
Perhaps the most important warning to listen to is your own gut instinct. We all hike at different ability levels, so there is nobody better positioned to tell you what you can and can’t do. It doesn’t have to be poor weather conditions or missing breakfast that causes you to turn back; it can be as simple as “I don’t like the look of that” to turn you around or find an alternative route. A friend of mine was hiking Crib Goch once when he got roughly half way over to find a woman who was completely frozen with fear. Several people were trying to coach her along, but she wouldn’t budge. My friend even had rope with him and suggested he attach them together and go along slowly, but she just couldn’t move. So don’t ignore those gut feelings because sometimes, calling it quits isn’t defeat — it’s experience, judgment, and respect rolled into one.
