Scarey Bogs - How Deep ?

Shaun Woodward said:

One bog which I have not yet had intimate acquaintance in is one that is
locally called a "cow belly", these are the ones that seem to shake and
ripple as you stand on them as if they have a skin on top of them which may
break plunging the unfortunate walker into unheard of depths of who knows
what .

Has anyone fallen into one of these and just how deep are they, I wobbled on
top of one the other day on my local hill, Holcombe Hill and it gave me a
fair old scare.

Not had one that's weight bearing for any appreciable length of time
before going through, but plenty of svagnum disasters, a lot of them a
couple of weekends ago on the LAMM.

Deepest of those was up to my crotch, and I saw one unfortunate chap go
in up past his waist, and that's unusually deep. I think if they ever
claimed lives there'd be more Dire Warnings, so the worst you'll
typically suffer is an extra run through the wash for everything
(including yourself!).

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

Shaun Woodward said:

One of the fundamental techniques required of a seasoned hillwalker is bog
recognition and subsequent avoidance, usually acquired from partial
submergence to ankle- knee level or worse if really unlucky.

One bog which I have not yet had intimate acquaintance in is one that is
locally called a "cow belly", these are the ones that seem to shake and
ripple as you stand on them as if they have a skin on top of them which may
break plunging the unfortunate walker into unheard of depths of who knows
what .

Has anyone fallen into one of these and just how deep are they, I wobbled on
top of one the other day on my local hill, Holcombe Hill and it gave me a
fair old scare.

If no one replies then I know that everyone who has fell into one has
perished......!

Shaun Woodward

I discovered a bottomless bog whilst overtaking on my mtb at bloodybush,
Kielder, went in up to the axle and thigh. I never felt the bottom, and
had to use the bike as a platform to drag myself out. No walkers were
hurt in the process :-))
Cheers
Graham

Shaun Woodward said:

One of the fundamental techniques required of a seasoned hillwalker is bog
recognition and subsequent avoidance, usually acquired from partial
submergence to ankle- knee level or worse if really unlucky.

One bog which I have not yet had intimate acquaintance in is one that is
locally called a "cow belly", these are the ones that seem to shake and
ripple as you stand on them as if they have a skin on top of them which may
break plunging the unfortunate walker into unheard of depths of who knows
what .

Has anyone fallen into one of these and just how deep are they, I wobbled on
top of one the other day on my local hill, Holcombe Hill and it gave me a
fair old scare.

If no one replies then I know that everyone who has fell into one has
perished......!

Shaun Woodward

Afaik this is only a real problem on Dartmoor. And those who have
fallen in will not be around to post!
--
R
o
o
n
e
y

"I always knew the entire Green party were nutters" - Ken Livingstone

Shaun Woodward said:

If no one replies then I know that everyone who has fell into one has
perished......!

The bog of Silver Flowe, near the Dungeon range in Galloway, has
according to the SMC guide claimed at least one life...

S.

--
Stop ID cards and the Database State
http://www.no2id.net/

Shaun Woodward said:

One of the fundamental techniques required of a seasoned hillwalker is bog
recognition and subsequent avoidance, usually acquired from partial
submergence to ankle- knee level or worse if really unlucky.

One bog which I have not yet had intimate acquaintance in is one that is
locally called a "cow belly", these are the ones that seem to shake and
ripple as you stand on them as if they have a skin on top of them which may
break plunging the unfortunate walker into unheard of depths of who knows
what .

Has anyone fallen into one of these and just how deep are they, I wobbled on
top of one the other day on my local hill, Holcombe Hill and it gave me a
fair old scare.

If no one replies then I know that everyone who has fell into one has
perished......!

Shaun Woodward

There's an expanse of sphagnum in the Pentlands which I diverted over
one day to check out a SSSI (to make sure no one was digging up
fossils). As I was walking across, I noticed the rather dried up remains
of a sheep. Just as I was wondering how she'd perished there, I sank
waist deep into the moss/bog. I (only just) managed to spread my arms
out in time, and with that and my sack, that stopped me going deeper. I
was a very wet and dirty old Hector when I appeared at the Allan Ramsey!

druidh

Graham Bowers said:

Shaun Woodward said:

One of the fundamental techniques required of a seasoned hillwalker is bog
recognition and subsequent avoidance, usually acquired from partial
submergence to ankle- knee level or worse if really unlucky.

I discovered a bottomless bog whilst overtaking on my mtb at bloodybush,
Kielder, went in up to the axle and thigh. I never felt the bottom, and
had to use the bike as a platform to drag myself out. No walkers were
hurt in the process :-))

Long story....Last summer, my son & I did Scafell Pike on the
Wednesday, then Helvellyn on Thursday and (foolishly - as my son's was
only 9 at the time!) decided to do the Ambleside (Fairfield) Horseshoe
on Friday. Needless to say by the time we got past Dove Crag, my son
was a little tired. Trying to be a good Dad I carried him however
disaster nearly struck between High Pike and Low Pike when attempting
to step over some boggy ground. The combined weight broke through the
'skin' and I started to descend into the bog. The instant I started to
descend I threw my son onto firmer ground. Thankfully my rucksack
prevented the bog from rising any higher than my waist. However my
feet didn't find any purchase. Shouting at my son to pull my hand/arm
I gradually started to feel firmer ground and got out safely. Once
back at Ambleside I looked like a refuge from a war and noticed several
people staring at me!

On 30 Jun 2005 01:00:40 -0700, "[email hidden]" <[email hidden]>
wrote:

| Shouting at my son to pull my hand/arm
| I gradually started to feel firmer ground and got out safely. Once
| back at Ambleside I looked like a refuge from a war and noticed several
| people staring at me!

From something I heard long ago about quicksand.
Bogs are basically water with mud added, and have a density higher than he
human body, so a person will *float* in a bog. To get out make very slow
swimming motions towards the edge. Turn on your back if possible and you
will float with your mouth above water/bog.

Because I hate wet feet, and cross boggy bits with great care, I do not
expect to try that. ;-)

--
Dave Fawthrop <dave hyphenologist co uk> http://www.webshots.com
Thousands of wonderful professional photos for your Wallpaper and
Screensaver. also 200,000 amateur pics. Four new pics each day.

"Bogs are basically water with mud added, and have a density higher
than he
human body, so a person will *float* in a bog. To get out make very
slow
swimming motions towards the edge. Turn on your back if possible and
you
will float with your mouth above water/bog. "

I think one issue is momentum.

Because you don't expect the ground to give way the lack of substance
means that your weight will displace any non-solid.

On 30 Jun 2005 01:26:34 -0700, "[email hidden]" <[email hidden]>
wrote:

| "Bogs are basically water with mud added, and have a density higher
| than he
| human body, so a person will *float* in a bog. To get out make very
| slow
| swimming motions towards the edge. Turn on your back if possible and
| you
| will float with your mouth above water/bog. "
|
| I think one issue is momentum.

| Because you don't expect the ground to give way the lack of substance
| means that your weight will displace any non-solid.

As it does jumping into a swimming pool.
Because I can swim I can get out of a pool with no problems.
It *should* be the same with a bog.

--
Dave Fawthrop <dave hyphenologist co uk> http://www.webshots.com
Thousands of wonderful professional photos for your Wallpaper and
Screensaver. also 200,000 amateur pics. Four new pics each day.

Quoted message said:

As it does jumping into a swimming pool.
Because I can swim I can get out of a pool with no problems.
It *should* be the same with a bog.

Volunteers? Any one?

Certainly count me out!

Dave Fawthrop said:

As it does jumping into a swimming pool.
Because I can swim I can get out of a pool with no problems.

Not really... swimming doesn't get you /out/ of water, it only gets you
to the /edge/ of the water. At which point the lack of viscosity makes
it no great problem pulling yourself out, but bogs don't give up quite
so easily!

Moving through a bog, and subsequently removing yourself from it, are
very much tied to the degree of goopiness (a Technical Term!). My
sister teaches in a school on the banks of the Thames, and every then
and now the police send down an officer to give the kids a water safety
chat. A tale related on one such occasion was of a criminal who thought
it would be a Cunning Plan to avoid Hot Pursuit by jumping over the
embankment and swimming for it. Unfortunately for him the tide was out,
and he landed in the mud, quite deeply set in! And he couldn't move
because the mud was too viscous to flow into any space he'd make by
moving. It took a *tug boat* to physically haul him out!

Some bogs are basically liquid, some aren't!

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

In message <[email hidden]>

Dave Fawthrop said:

On 30 Jun 2005 01:26:34 -0700, "[email hidden]" <[email hidden]>
wrote:

| "Bogs are basically water with mud added, and have a density higher
| than he human body, so a person will *float* in a bog. To get out
| make very slow swimming motions towards the edge. Turn on your
| back if possible and you will float with your mouth above water/bog.
| "
|
| I think one issue is momentum.

| Because you don't expect the ground to give way the lack of substance
| means that your weight will displace any non-solid.

As it does jumping into a swimming pool.
Because I can swim I can get out of a pool with no problems.
It *should* be the same with a bog.

Thixotropic fluids.......?

--
o/ \\ // |\ ,_ o Mike Clark
<\__,\\ // __o | \ / /\, "A mountain climbing, cycling, skiing,
"> || _`\<,_ |__\ \> | immunology lecturer, antibody engineer and
` || (_)/ (_) | \corn computer user"

Quoted message said:

Thixotropic fluids.......?

Or Rheopectic fluids even........?

Anyone else using Google Groups to read this thread - you don't half
get some interesting links thrown up!

druidh

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

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

As it does jumping into a swimming pool.
Because I can swim I can get out of a pool with no problems.
It *should* be the same with a bog.

Volunteers? Any one?

Certainly count me out!

This could become a new outdoor pursuit to rival bog snorkeling. Go out in
a group, roped up, looking for gloopy bogs to cross. It could be fun.

Regards

Bernard

Bernard said:

This could become a new outdoor pursuit to rival bog snorkeling. Go out in
a group, roped up, looking for gloopy bogs to cross. It could be fun.

Fun? As a spectator sport, obviously... ;-)

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

On Wed, 29 Jun 2005 22:28:20 GMT, druidh <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

I was a very wet and dirty old Hector

You're showing your age there - mind you so am I!

S.

--
Stop ID cards and the Database State
http://www.no2id.net/

"Shaun Woodward" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

One of the fundamental techniques required of a seasoned hillwalker is bog
recognition and subsequent avoidance, usually acquired from partial
submergence to ankle- knee level or worse if really unlucky.

One bog which I have not yet had intimate acquaintance in is one that is
locally called a "cow belly", these are the ones that seem to shake and
ripple as you stand on them as if they have a skin on top of them which
may
break plunging the unfortunate walker into unheard of depths of who knows
what .

Has anyone fallen into one of these and just how deep are they, I wobbled
on
top of one the other day on my local hill, Holcombe Hill and it gave me a
fair old scare.

If no one replies then I know that everyone who has fell into one has
perished......!

Shaun Woodward

i was wading through some tall grass once on some boggy ground in the
gower - i didnt know what was to come and suddenly went SHOOOM!! and was up
to my neck in stinking rotten egg smelling water. couldnt move because of
all the vegetation that was in it... was starting to panic as i couldnt
move and felt myself sinking further... its funny thinking of it but not at
the time 🙂

fortunately a kindly branch was hanging over te scene and i used it to save
my ass.. 🙂 otherwise id still be there now i think...

Quoted message said:

I wunna top post it only upsets people, see below

"Shaun Woodward" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

One of the fundamental techniques required of a seasoned hillwalker is bog
recognition and subsequent avoidance, usually acquired from partial
submergence to ankle- knee level or worse if really unlucky.

One bog which I have not yet had intimate acquaintance in is one that is
locally called a "cow belly", these are the ones that seem to shake and
ripple as you stand on them as if they have a skin on top of them which
may
break plunging the unfortunate walker into unheard of depths of who knows
what .

Has anyone fallen into one of these and just how deep are they, I wobbled
on
top of one the other day on my local hill, Holcombe Hill and it gave me a
fair old scare.

If no one replies then I know that everyone who has fell into one has
perished......!

Shaun Woodward

Shheessh.

I thought I was the only person to attempt bog swimming. Not tried bog
snorkelling yet though. Note to self..... Nah...

I managed to land in one on my ML course in Snowdonia this year up by
Cnicht. It was lashing down with that stuff that gets you wet through and
we were doing our night nav. Hey why not ? It was dark !

We Nav'ed around the side of a big dark lumpy thing, sort of rock shaped to
get a bearing and as I watched the bod in front of me jump across a bit of
wet stuff I looked up, missed my footing and went down to me knee. From
there on I went horizontal face first and the rest of my body followed my
knee into the bog

The first thing I realised was (in big red letters) "Don't panic" or
struggle as I felt all the matter in the bog surround me very quickly yet
gently and the warmth of the bog matter. The only part of me that did not
hit the bog was my face and my left arm. I shouted, help, as you do, but in
a very calm way so as not to surprise any off-piste sheep and a very kind
hand dragged me out by the elbow. A very strange feeling of being dragged
out and upwards of jelly and then skidding over the surface and onto proper
terra-ferma

Had a superb experience on standing bog, I believe its called, jumping up
and down it with a 2.5 stone burgen and getting the same kind of feeling as
if I was on a water bed

Learnt a lesson that night.

1 - Bogs are warm, sort of
2 - You can't swim in bogs
3 - They can be dangerous, very
4 - Treat them similar to quick sand