F**king Ramblers.

toad said:

We did a spot of Hewitt bagging this weekend, enjoying some superb
scenery on and around Bannau Sir Gaer, Fan Brycheiniog, Fan Gyhirych &
Fan Nedd.

However for myself and my companion Fan Brycheiniog was slightly
spoiled by a gang of geriatric walkers.

I think there's unwritten agreement that when you reach the top of a
'busy' hill, you have a look, get a photo if you wish, then move a few
yards away to give other people the top to themselves even if it is
just for a few seconds.

At the top of Fan Brycheiniog about 50 ramblers were crowding round
the trig chatting loudly and generally making it uncomfortable to
approach for others. (Well not for me, I elbowed my way to the trig
and got my photo taken as is my want. Sadly surrounded by other
people's grandparents but never mind. :-) )

As they were going the same way as us they were in ear shot for a fair
period of time where their noise was spoiling the hill for us but to
be fair there aint much they can do about that (the hills aren't a
library) so I forgive them that.

I was pretty peeved but wondered if I was being a little intolerant -
the hills are there for everyone, why not them. However on Bannau Sir
Gaer we fell into step with a party of school children. Yes they were
noisy but every time they stopped they moved a good few yards away
from the path so although not fully out of sight or earshot they were
not intruding on the experience of others too much. At the summit they
milled around the cairn at the top for 2 minutes or so and then moved
off a few yards for sandwiches etc to give everyone else a chance to
have the top briefly to themselves.

Groups can't be expected to walk in silence, or avoid hilltops but
these kids showed the effort required by groups to avoid marring the
hills for everyone else is minimal and makes a real difference.

Maybe it's my fault for going on a BH weekend.

I am a Grandparent rambler, however I never go in a group, always just
my wife and myself. If a group are in my way then I can move off, what
niggles me most (unlike you) is the gabble. Chances of seeing wild life
is zilch, it has all run away long before they are within sight,
frightened (like me) by the noise.

On 8 May 2007 01:06:25 -0700, toad <[email hidden]> wrote:

|!However for myself and my companion Fan Brycheiniog was slightly
|!spoiled by a gang of geriatric walkers.

So will you give up walking when you pass 60?
--
Dave Fawthrop <sf hyphenologist.co.uk> 165 *Free* SF ebooks.
165 Sci Fi books on CDROM, from Project Gutenberg
http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page Completely Free to any
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Broadback said:

toad said:

We did a spot of Hewitt bagging this weekend, enjoying some superb
scenery on and around Bannau Sir Gaer, Fan Brycheiniog, Fan Gyhirych &
Fan Nedd.

Quoted message said:

However for myself and my companion Fan Brycheiniog was slightly
spoiled by a gang of geriatric walkers.

Quoted message said:

I think there's unwritten agreement that when you reach the top of a
'busy' hill, you have a look, get a photo if you wish, then move a few
yards away to give other people the top to themselves even if it is
just for a few seconds.

Quoted message said:

At the top of Fan Brycheiniog about 50 ramblers were crowding round
the trig chatting loudly and generally making it uncomfortable to
approach for others. (Well not for me, I elbowed my way to the trig
and got my photo taken as is my want. Sadly surrounded by other
people's grandparents but never mind. :-) )

Quoted message said:

As they were going the same way as us they were in ear shot for a fair
period of time where their noise was spoiling the hill for us but to
be fair there aint much they can do about that (the hills aren't a
library) so I forgive them that.

Quoted message said:

I was pretty peeved but wondered if I was being a little intolerant -
the hills are there for everyone, why not them. However on Bannau Sir
Gaer we fell into step with a party of school children. Yes they were
noisy but every time they stopped they moved a good few yards away
from the path so although not fully out of sight or earshot they were
not intruding on the experience of others too much. At the summit they
milled around the cairn at the top for 2 minutes or so and then moved
off a few yards for sandwiches etc to give everyone else a chance to
have the top briefly to themselves.

Quoted message said:

Groups can't be expected to walk in silence, or avoid hilltops but
these kids showed the effort required by groups to avoid marring the
hills for everyone else is minimal and makes a real difference.

Quoted message said:

Maybe it's my fault for going on a BH weekend.

I am a Grandparent rambler, however I never go in a group, always just
my wife and myself. If a group are in my way then I can move off, what
niggles me most (unlike you) is the gabble. Chances of seeing wild life
is zilch, it has all run away long before they are within sight,
frightened (like me) by the noise.

I agree. The noise was a PITA (frankly from both groups) but what can
you do about that? Large groups of people are going to be noisy & you
can't ask people to walk in silence. All I'm really saying is that for
almost zero effort they could have reduced their impact on other's a
great deal, yet the arrogant tossers decided not to.

On 8 May, 09:21, Dave Fawthrop <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

On 8 May 2007 01:06:25 -0700, toad <[email hidden]> wrote:

|!However for myself and my companion Fan Brycheiniog was slightly
|!spoiled by a gang of geriatric walkers.

So will you give up walking when you pass 60?

I'll rewrite the post removing all reference to ages of both parties:

<PC Version>
We did a spot of Hewitt bagging this weekend, enjoying some superb
scenery on and around Bannau Sir Gaer, Fan Brycheiniog, Fan Gyhirych
&
Fan Nedd.

However for myself and my companion Fan Brycheiniog was slightly
spoiled by a gang of walkers.

I think there's unwritten agreement that when you reach the top of a
'busy' hill, you have a look, get a photo if you wish, then move a
few
yards away to give other people the top to themselves even if it is
just for a few seconds.

At the top of Fan Brycheiniog about 50 ramblers were crowding round
the trig chatting loudly and generally making it uncomfortable to
approach for others. (Well not for me, I elbowed my way to the trig
and got my photo taken as is my want. Sadly surrounded by other
people but never mind. :-) )

As they were going the same way as us they were in ear shot for a
fair
period of time where their noise was spoiling the hill for us but to
be fair there aint much they can do about that (the hills aren't a
library) so I forgive them that.

I was pretty peeved but wondered if I was being a little intolerant -
the hills are there for everyone, why not them. However on Bannau Sir
Gaer we fell into step with a party of people. Yes they were
noisy but every time they stopped they moved a good few yards away
from the path so although not fully out of sight or earshot they were
not intruding on the experience of others too much. At the summit
they
milled around the cairn at the top for 2 minutes or so and then moved
off a few yards for sandwiches etc to give everyone else a chance to
have the top briefly to themselves.

Groups can't be expected to walk in silence, or avoid hilltops but
these kids showed the effort required by groups to avoid marring the
hills for everyone else is minimal and makes a real difference.

Maybe it's my fault for going on a BH weekend.
</PC Version>

That better?

Broadback said:

what
niggles me most (unlike you) is the gabble.

Me too - and it isn't necessarily large groups who are the culprits.
There appears to be a species of walker which has to talk non stop
(presumably to demonstrate their superior cardio vascular performance).
They don't appear to notice that what they think is conversation is in
fact monologue.

I don't go into the hills to listen to other folk whittering on, I can
get that at work all week.

Roy.

The message <[email hidden]>
from toad <[email hidden]> contains these words:

Quoted message said:

At the top of Fan Brycheiniog about 50 ramblers were crowding round
the trig chatting loudly and generally making it uncomfortable to
approach for others.

Were they indeed "Ramblers", viz card-carrying members of that, er,
(dis)organisation? If so, case explained, and can you expect any better
from them? In deepest Surrey they quite often pass my wee holiday
cottage, armoured for a full week out, so deeply involved in reading
their (uncased, brand new) OS maps, that if Lady Godiva were to ride by
they wouldn't notice.

It takes all sorts, I suppose, but I just wish the other sort would do
their, er, thing somewhere else or, at least, when I'm otherwise
engaged!

Richard

Message-ID: <[email hidden]> from
toad contained the following:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

So will you give up walking when you pass 60?

I'll rewrite the post removing all reference to ages of both parties:

Surely the age of the parties was entirely relevant to the point you
were trying to make? One would have expected the older people to behave
better than younger people.

--
Geoff Berrow (put thecat out to email)
It's only Usenet, no one dies.
My opinions, not the committee's, mine.
Simple RFDs http://www.ckdog.co.uk/rfdmaker/

toad wrote

Quoted message said:

I agree. The noise was a PITA (frankly from both groups) but what can
you do about that?

Not a great deal, frankly. Different people engage with the
countryside in different ways. Some just see it as a place
where their dogs can exercise thier bowels, which is far
more offensive than a group of noisy geriatrics, which at
least go home at the end of the day.

The trick is working out where to go to get the kind of
experience that you love and sometimes that involves a
bit of planning and thinking ahead. Not visiting honeypots
at peak times is a good start and the Ramblers do usually
publisicise where they are going to be. While it removes
some of the sponanaity and intimacy it can also preserve
the blood pressure.

Chris

Geoff Berrow said:

Message-ID: <[email hidden]> from
toad contained the following:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

So will you give up walking when you pass 60?

Quoted message said:

I'll rewrite the post removing all reference to ages of both parties:

Surely the age of the parties was entirely relevant to the point you
were trying to make?

I can't bloody win! :-)

To be honest the ages were irrelevant. One party made themselves a
nuisance. Another party proved that minimal effort reduces the impact
other hillwalkers greatly. Not to zero, but enough to be really
appreciated.

Message-ID: <[email hidden]> from
toad contained the following:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Surely the age of the parties was entirely relevant to the point you
were trying to make?

I can't bloody win! :-)

Of course not. This is Usenet. :-)

--
Geoff Berrow (put thecat out to email)
It's only Usenet, no one dies.
My opinions, not the committee's, mine.
Simple RFDs http://www.ckdog.co.uk/rfdmaker/

Richard Spencer said:

The message <[email hidden]>
from toad <[email hidden]> contains these words:

Quoted message said:

At the top of Fan Brycheiniog about 50 ramblers were crowding round
the trig chatting loudly and generally making it uncomfortable to
approach for others.

Were they indeed "Ramblers", viz card-carrying members of that, er,
(dis)organisation?

Not sure. I suppose I could have kidnapped one of them, interogated
him/her at knifepoint until he/she identified herself and her party,
then dressed him/her in an orange boiler suit and beheaded him/her on
film. ...but that might be considered by some to be OTT. ...and the
papers would have distorted the story to make it look like *I* was in
the wrong.

Quoted message said:

If so, case explained, and can you expect any better
from them?

True.

Good point. 90 per cent of the joy of hill walking would seem to
evaporate if you go in the company of 60 other people.

"Geoff Berrow" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Message-ID: <[email hidden]> from
toad contained the following:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Surely the age of the parties was entirely relevant to the point you
were trying to make?

I can't bloody win! :-)

Of course not. This is Usenet. :-)

--
Geoff Berrow (put thecat out to email)
It's only Usenet, no one dies.
My opinions, not the committee's, mine.
Simple RFDs http://www.ckdog.co.uk/rfdmaker/

as a senior member of society, I have been asked by friends to join their
rambling clubs, they are all retired and do things like U3A etc. I have been
on one and that was it.

It really [censored] me off. it was the talking, all the bloody time. I was told
off for holding up the group. I had my bins and was looking at the birds and
the wild flowers. You all have to stop at the same time. L
"lets sit down and have a cup of tea."

I could have been a geriatric killing geriatrics. but live and let live.

So I will wander on my own, perhaps with wife and dog, at my pace and in
peace.

Senior rant over

JT

On 8 May 2007 01:54:28 -0700, toad <[email hidden]> wrote:

|!On 8 May, 09:21, Dave Fawthrop <[email hidden]>
|!wrote:
|!> On 8 May 2007 01:06:25 -0700, toad <[email hidden]> wrote:
|!>
|!> |!However for myself and my companion Fan Brycheiniog was slightly
|!> |!spoiled by a gang of geriatric walkers.
|!>
|!> So will you give up walking when you pass 60?
|!
|!I'll rewrite the post removing all reference to ages of both parties:
|!
|!<PC Version>

|!</PC Version>

|!That better?

No! *All* PC is rubbish.

Just pointing out a problem with your post.
--
Dave Fawthrop <sf hyphenologist.co.uk> 165 *Free* SF ebooks.
165 Sci Fi books on CDROM, from Project Gutenberg
http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page Completely Free to any
address in the UK. Contact me on the *above* email address.

On 8 May 2007 01:06:25 -0700, toad <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

I was pretty peeved but wondered if I was being a little intolerant -
the hills are there for everyone, why not them.

I would just say that you have your labels wrong. Some groups (most?)
are noisy. The geriatric tag is slightly offensive and I dont think
older walkers make more noise than young on average.
--
Mike Reid
SWLDP photos "http://www.fellwalk.co.uk/southwestphotos.htm"

Roy x@y said:

There appears to be a species of walker which has to talk non stop
(presumably to demonstrate their superior cardio vascular performance).
They don't appear to notice that what they think is conversation is in
fact monologue.

I have two friends like that, don't know why they go walking, they
just want to blather nonsense non stop.
--
Mike Reid
SWLDP photos "http://www.fellwalk.co.uk/southwestphotos.htm"

Geoff Berrow said:

Message-ID: <[email hidden]> from
toad contained the following:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

So will you give up walking when you pass 60?

I'll rewrite the post removing all reference to ages of both parties:

Surely the age of the parties was entirely relevant to the point you
were trying to make? One would have expected the older people to behave
better than younger people.

In YHs, often it's the older ones that start yattering at about 0630 as
they don't sleep as long. Had this at York: I was totally ,er, tired after
a 430km Arrow to York and the oldies started at about 6.

Mind you, I'm 60 but on the hills (uphill at least) can leave 'em for dead
and thus 'escape'.
--
Peter.
If you can do it today, you didn't put off enough yesterday.

The Reid said:

The geriatric tag is slightly offensive

I come from a long line of elderly people. With luck I shall be
elderly myself at some point. Hard to see why that would be offensive.
However you are in luck.

In response to Dave F I reposted with all reference to ages removed
so you might prefer to read that version. Ages were irrelevant to the
point anyway.

The Reid said:

On 8 May 2007 01:06:25 -0700, toad <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

I was pretty peeved but wondered if I was being a little intolerant -
the hills are there for everyone, why not them.

I would just say that you have your labels wrong. Some groups (most?)
are noisy. The geriatric tag is slightly offensive and I dont think
older walkers make more noise than young on average.

Geriatric delinquents!

(Peter, 60).
--
Peter.
If you can do it today, you didn't put off enough yesterday.