More Darwin theory at work?

[shazcol]

20/8/11 - Waterfall Valley Hut, early evening , we hear foot steps and guess we have company for the night. In walks a small Asian guy walking in white sand shoes and jeans that some how have remained relatively clean during the walk in. He has a blue cold pack shopping bag over his arm like you use to bring home your refrigerated groceries in as well as a standard plastic shopping bad full of stuff. Said hello and noticed his 'parka' seemed a bit light on for this time of the year. He explains to us in very broken English and a lot of hand signals he has gotten lost twice on the way in from Dove Lake to here and he was a bit worried an tired.

Over the night and the next morning we established he had NO torch or light (except his mobile phone), NO stove, NO decent shoes, NO mat, a sleeping bag suitable for the tropics at best, a light parker and his sleeping bag was in a non waterproof bag hanging on the outside of his pack. He commented he had a very cold nights sleep when it was rather mild that night. To top it off he was carrying food in GLASS JARS!

On my return I had contact with another person who met him at the Cradle Mountain track junction and pointed him in the right direction (after he turned the map around the right way for him). He had little idea abut where he was going and seemed very confused apparently. That person alerted the ranger at Cradle on his way back and luckily they radioed a ranger on track who would have crossed paths with him the next day and hopefully escorted him out of there?

Three weeks ago there was a couple of meters of snow up there. A winter snow dump could have seen him in a bit of trouble. I am told this all too common. Makes you wonder what they research before coming?

[Phil]

[cixelsyd]

I was in Narcissus hut in Sept 2009 and had just completed my first hike and my first hike of the overland track. I was all set for catching the boat the next day and on a pretty big high. Anyway at about 6:30 I heard footsteps at the door and in walked this guy with a day pack and sleeping back tied to the outside of his pack. He came in and warmed at the coal fire. He sat down and started eating a can of tuna and I was amazed because cans weigh a lot etc, and in the course of the conversation he let on that he brought 6 cans of tuna, one for each night of the walk.

I didn't know what to say.

[Nuts]

These sorts of things are actually quiet common. A couple of days at Waterfall valley can almost guarantee someone come in looking like they have been through an 'i shouldn't be alive' epic.. Your guy Col is probably lucky there was someone else (a 'ranger') out there.

[Drifting]

My mama always said, "Stupid is as stupid does..."

[Nuts]

Possibly just as much slipped through the system, many aren't 'bushwalkers' just ordinary folk out of their element.

[ILUVSWTAS]

There are alot of complaints on this forum about the park not supplying adequette information alot of the time, is this another example of poor park management??

[cixelsyd]

There are alot of complaints on this forum about the park not supplying adequette information alot of the time, is this another example of poor park management??

I don't think so. From memory I recall reading some things from the park website about taking adequate clothing and shelter. Food is a no brainer, I guess though 6 cans of tuna would get pretty dull by day 3.
I think there is enough information out there (certainly more than pre internet days) and the information is readily available.

I think the principle issue is that alot of people have no idea how to engage risk and how to develop mitigation strategies for things that could go wrong. This is very difficult to try and address (for someone like parks) because everyone's risk threshold is different.

Humanity is the greatest hope and greatest disappointment at the same time.

[shazcol]

I forgot to mention he was carrying a glass mirror about 10cm*10cm, I think it was for putting his contact lens in.

[Nuts]

lol was he walking and talking very quickly

I think the principle issue is that alot of people have no idea how to engage risk and how to develop mitigation strategies for things that could go wrong. This is very difficult to try and address (for someone like parks) because everyone's risk threshold is different.

Humanity is the greatest hope and greatest disappointment at the same time.

If that's another way of saying they don't take responsibilty for their own actions, i'd agree

The info might be out there but there is no easy method or obligation to use it, throw the language barrier into the mix makes it even worse. As difficult as a solution is, however, it Is a management issue..

[cdg]

A lot of national parks overseas have huts and well marked trails, so when tourists think that they will have a crack at hiking in one of our national parks, its a big culture shock for them. As we all know, many tracks are not always well marked and im not the only person who can read a map to have wandered down a wombat track thinking i was going the right way. for these foreigners its even worse, especially as they sometimes arent fully conversant in the queens english.

a similar thing happened to me in tunisia because i couldnt read french or arabic and walked about 10km in 40 degree plus heat. fortunately this was in an urban area. i was so dehydrated it had started to affect my decision making abilities. i saw a small cafe shop and bought a 2 litre lemon drink from the shopkeeper, paid, drained a litre in about 10 seconds, wiped my chin and said 'excuse me sir, can you tell me where the station is' he pointed across the road. i had walked past it! future walks were planned with the phrasebook dictionary and a much better map. heres a tip - the lonely planet tunisia maps are poo...! the shopkeeper who sold me the lemon drink GAVE me a map which was much better. he also had his son run across the road and find out when the next train was, and insisted i sit in the shade and 'practice english' with him until the next train arrived. the kindness of strangers always amazes me.

i lived in central australia for a few years and it was common for japanese tourists particularly to get rescued while riding a bicycle from adelaide to darwin. usually they'd be found dehydrated on the side of the road outside port augusta. the larapinta trail is another one where lack of appreciation for the environment can be fatal. backpackers in particular believe they are bulletproof. i would often pick up hitch hikers, especially aboriginals if i saw them in the middle of nowhere. i figured it was a form of insurance. i had a very distinctive vehicle and i knew that if i picked up hitchhikers, then if i broke down the favour would be returned. i never broke down, but hey you dont always claim on insurance do you.

apropo of aboriginals in the middle of nowhere, we (white blokes i worked with) would often wonder why on earth you would see an aboriginal fellow in the middle of nowhere with his thumb out. next time i was driving to adelaide i picked one up about 60km out of alice and decided to ask him, he said that the roads were near mens business areas. made sense. none of these places were on maps so when we look we just see nothing but a road on the map, in reality the fact a road runs through or near a special area is a happy accident for blokes who need/want to get back to their country for a ceremony or sorry business.

Darwin can be defied though - i helped a minibus full of german backpackers get their car started at the henbury meteorite crater. it was obvious that the starter motor was about to die. i suggested they go back to the nearest roadhouse/mechanic and get it fixed straight away. they had six mount franklin bottles between them. in summer. they said ' we must keep to schedule'. i push started them and followed as they headed out. instead of turning left, they turned right and headed off to kings' canyon, on a graded sand road, in a run down vehicle on the verge of failure. i was genuinely worried. if they stopped to take a leak it was probable their minivan wouldnt start again. they were clearly out of their depth and refusing advice.

i watched the news closely for the next week, but didnt see any 'german backpackers found dead on trail in broken minivan' stories so i assume blind dumb luck carried them through.

i much prefer hiking in bush this side of the dividing range, mistakes/bad decisions are less fatal than they are in the centre.

[north-north-west]

... at the henbury meteorite crater. it was obvious that the starter motor was about to die... instead of turning left, they turned right and headed off to kings' canyon, on a graded sand road, ... minivan ....

On THAT road? How the *&%$#! blue blazes would they get a minivan over the river crossing? I know it's usually dry, but the sand dunes . . .
And then the corrugations at the other end of the road. Worst drive I ever had. Great country, but hard to enjoy on that road.