Bushwalk Australia

Assistance Provided to Unprepared Walker - Cradle Mountain.
At about 7.30am on Saturday 12 October 2024, emergency services were contacted by a 22-year-old interstate tourist, requesting assistance near Cradle Mountain.
The tourist advised that he had been walking for about an hour and was attempting to climb Cradle Mountain without footwear.
He reported that his feet were frost-bitten and injured, and that he was unable to walk.
Assistance was provided to the walker, which included the provision of footwear. He was accompanied back to the Dove Lake viewing centre.
At the time, although the weather was fine, the temperature was in the negatives.
Sergeant Jeremy Williams would like to remind walkers of the need to be properly prepared with equipment and experience when venturing into the wilderness.

Recently I watched an ABC? program on Australian walks where a woman proclaimed walking barefoot was the way we were meant to , design for, to walk.
Or similar.
I noticed when the going got a bit tough she soon put her boots back on.
Irresponsible documentation IMO.
Wonder if that's what inspired this bod?

All I'm going to do to that twonk is laugh my not-so-little *&%$#! off at them.

I've done Glebe-Waterworks-Springs-ZigZag-kunanyi-Panorama-Lenah Valley-Glebe and the Rufus circuit barefoot at that age and younger, but that was back when I never wore shoes unless they made me, and my soles were like leather. Could probably have done Cradle as well but not at this time of the year with the weather as it has been.

Injuring the feet within an hour of the start on those tracks suggests very strongly that they weren't hardened. And starting at 6:30ish at this time of year?
Oh, yeah, I'm laughing and will be for some time.

We all know how frustrating it is for agencies to be treating us based on the lowest common denominator.
Why does there always have to be a member of the public lowering that denominator even further.

No matter how hardened your feet are to barefoot walking, they cannot be hardened to frostbite.

matagi wrote:No matter how hardened your feet are to barefoot walking, they cannot be hardened to frostbite.

Exactly! I once guided a barefoot walker through the Overland Track and he was fine until some snow at Pelion Gap when he was more than happy to put boots on. He knew his limitations. We insisted he carry boots just in case.

Reminds me of my student days during the 60's back in the UK. Charity walk for a mental handicapped children's Christmas party. Volunteered to do the walk and to prise money out of hard up students said I walk in bare feet. Morning of the walk a few degrees of frost and icy roads. Manage about half distance before having to give up with extremely sore and blistered feet. Fortunately the sponsers took pity and most paid in full and the kids had a great Christmas party.

I've climbed Cradle barefoot a few times. But you really need to pick your weather. And I had shoes in my day pack in case I needed them.

Seems ill-advised to do it when the weather up there is cold enough for frostbite (which can happen any time of year) AND you don't have ready access to shoes.

It's conceivable that he DID have shoes but removed them because they were cold and wet. People who are hypothermic can make poor decisions.

JamesMc wrote:It's conceivable that he DID have shoes but removed them because they were cold and wet. People who are hypothermic can make poor decisions.

He specifically said that he was attempting the climb barefoot. Please don't write fanfic to defend stupid behaviour.