another day another lone walker lost in the mountains

[menthe]

Here we go, yet another British doctor reported missing in mountainous areas in a foreign country.

After all that big hooha of Dr Mosely being lost and found dead in Greece, there is now another doctor lost in Ariège, high up in the Pyrenées.

You'd think, being doctors, they'd have more sense?

What half-knowledgeable walker would go off on their own, walking in mountains, apparently ill-equipped in terms of basics (suitable clothing, nutrition, etc), and not even familiar with the area in which they are walking?

I have spent several holidays, walking in the Ariège, but never gone off on my own and never when unprepared for change in the weather conditions. The reports say visibility was bad!  What do they expect?  Weather conditions in mountains, whatever the season, are notoriously quick to chang;, thick mists and biting winds can disorientate anyone except those who have deep and extensive knowledge of their patch of the mountains.

[NormanH]

Quite right. I know the road up the valley from Tarascon towards Andorra quite well, and the reported area in which he was reported missing is remote and fearsome looking. A friend of mine who used to work for the Départment looking after the roads told me  that he and his wife were once surprised by snowflakes in July, which isn't as odd as it sounds when you take into account the altitude

[menthe]

What makes me cross is that this irresponsibility would mean that the gendarmes, mountain rescue, volunteers would then have to spend considerable time and effort looking for them and possibly putting their own lives at risk.

[Lehaut]

The older I get, the less surprised I am by the stupidity of people!

https://www.laprovence.com/article/france-monde/1936558394968415/sans-equipement-et-en-short-un-randonneur-filme-sur-un-glacier-en-espagne-a-plus-de-3400-metres-laltitude

In January this year whilst walking in the mountains at Chamonix we were tracking our way across a steep slope in thigh deep fresh snow on a marked, but unused trail.  Hard going and crossing two avalanche gullies. My wife and I had boots, full winter equipment, batons etc, with a rucksack each with waterproofs, hot water,  blankets etc.  We heard a noise behind us and saw two women running our fresh tracks.  Light lycra running gear, trainers, no safety gear, rucksacks or anything else.  As you say menthe, who has to help them out if one of them twists and ankle?

[DaveLister]

I've just read they've called off the search.

[menthe]

Well, that doesn't seem many days to have searched, compared to the time they spent searching for Mosely in Greece and the time the Spanish searched for that immature boy in Tenerife.

Must think it is fruitless.  Simply not possible to cover the terrain on foot but I am not sure how effective drones are (in fact, I know very little about what drones are capable of doing)

[Lehaut]

12 hours ago, menthe said:

I am not sure how effective drones are

You might like to see this BBC article about how UK search and rescue organisations are turning to drones to enhance their efforts,  (acknowledging that network coverage can be a problem in some areas).