Oops!, or, Nice Work by the Editors of "Trail" Magazine

mhendo · March 27, 2004, 5:53pm

My girlfriend just sent this article to me.

Britain’s biggest-selling hiking magazine apologized Wednesday after its latest issue contained a route that would lead climbers off the edge of a cliff on Britain’s tallest peak.

The February edition of Trail magazine gives advice on making a safe descent for hikers caught in bad weather on Ben Nevis in Scotland.

But the magazine’s directions would instead lead readers off the north face of the 4,406-foot mountain, which is notorious for its changeable weather and has claimed the lives of several climbers.

<snip>

The Mountaineering Council of Scotland issued an alert on its Web site about the mistake.

“Getting off Ben Nevis is probably one of the most infamous navigational tasks in the British Isles,” said council spokesman Roger Wild. Describing the mistake in the magazine, he said, “Anyone following that route in poor visibility and with snow cover could easily have walked straight off the edge.”

Nice work, guys!

Here’s the Mountaineering Scotland warning.

Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor · March 27, 2004, 10:24pm

Old news.

This hit “News Of The Weird” months ago.

CrankyAsAnOldMan · March 28, 2004, 2:20am

Yeah, it was featured on “Wait Wait don’t tell me” when it first came out.

Larry_Mudd · March 30, 2004, 6:50pm

Think you’re safe with a less adventurous magazine?

Think again.

Ha!