Instagram tourists are blamed for record number of call-outs by mountain rescue teams as unprepared climbers flock to dangerous beauty spots for selfies

By Dan Grennan[1]

Published: 10:11, 4 January 2024 | Updated: 10:32, 4 January 2024

Instagram[2] tourists are being blamed for a record number of emergency call-outs by rescue teams as vain social media users flock to dangerous beauty spots to take selfies.

Rescue teams covering Wales's 3,560ft high peak Snowdon, Ben Nevis, the Scottish peak that is Britain's highest at 4,413ft, and the Lake District all have seen record numbers of calls from climbers in distress.

Mountain climbing saw a surge in popularity during the covid pandemic when the public were desperate to get into the great outdoors and the trend has continued as Instagram users seek to emulate perfect pictures from dangerous mountains and beauty spots.

There are nearly three million Snowdonia - the mountain range which includes Snowdon - Instagram posts as well as 530,000 posts relating to Snowdon, which is known in Welsh as Yr Wyddfa.

There are also over 250,000 posts relating to Ben Nevis.

Mountain climbing saw a surge in popularity during the covid pandemic when the public were desperate to get into the great outdoors and the trend has continued as Instagram users seek to emulate perfect pictures from dangerous mountains and beauty spots

'Instagram tourists' are being blamed for a record number of mountain rescues as inexperienced climbers aim to emulate posts they have seen online

Mountain climbing has become so popular that there is often a queue to get to the top of Wales's highest peak, Snowdon

A mountain rescue on Snowdon being carried out by Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team

Phil Kirby, chairman of Langdale Ambleside Mountain Rescue in the Lake District, told the Times[3] the extra pressure on rescue teams is down to 'Instagram tourism'.

'It's a term we picked up from our colleagues in Norway a few years ago,' he said. "It's people seeing pictures of places on the internet and saying: "I've got to go and see that".'

In Norway, a natural platform called Pulpit Rock that offers exquisite views over a fjord has attracted huge amounts of unprepared Instagram tourists.

Kirby said: 'People trek up to this thing and the weather changes. They've had up to 30 people they've had to get off.

'Instagram has expanded people's awareness of places they can go. They pick it up and think 'I'll go there' but without the necessary preparation.

'It's just the way we are now.

We have access to so many things we didn't have.'

Rescue volunteers set up adventuresmart.uk[4], a website aimed at informing inexperienced climbers of the basic requirements before heading to a mountain, due to concerns around the increased numbers of call-outs.

The websites informs climbers about the correct clothing and footwear as well as asking them to check the weather before they leave and when they should get off a mountain due to changing conditions.

The Llanberis team that covers Snowdon responded to 305 calls this year up to mid-December - the highest number of calls made by any single team.

There were also a record 714 emergency calls made to the 12 mountain rescue teams in the Lake District last year. Over the last seven years, the biggest number of calls for a single year was 681 and the average was 602.

A mountain rescue team ona callout on Snowdon

Beauty spots on mountains offer breathtaking views but they can also be dangerous

A climber enjoys the views from a Snowdon, Wales' highest peak

The phenomenon of social media users flocking dangerous beauty spots has been dubbed 'Instagram tourism'

The team had never responded to more than 100 incidents before 2008.

Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team - which covers Ben Nevis - answered a record 157 call outs, including to five fatalities last year.

The previous record for the team was 132 call outs - and in 2022 there were 122.

Scotland's other mountain rescue teams were also stretched to their limits.

Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team's leader Iain Murray paid tribute to his under strain volunteers.

'They have been fantastic in a busy year, giving up their time and putting in a big effort, but it's not just them I want to pay tribute too but their families who also have to feel the strain of call outs. They have been a great support,' he said.

'The number of rescues is a reflection of more people using the outdoors - which is a good thing - but unfortunately some end up in difficult situations.

The thing at the moment I would stress is that the days are shorter and people need to ensure they are not caught out by that.'

Among the tragedies the team had to deal with last year was retired dentist dentist Dr Nathan Turner, 66, from Worcestershire who fell 130 feet to his death in August in front of his two sons on Carn Mor Dearg Arete which flanks Ben Nevis, the UK's highest mountain.

In April the body of Zekun Zhang, a 26-year-old student from London was found in the area.

Zekun Zhang was last seen near the summit of Carn Mor Dearg, and is believed to have walked a route from there to the Ben Nevis summit.

Walker Harvey Christian from Peterborough is still missing on the Ben.

Hopes over finding Mr Christian, 42, alive have long disappeared - and it is feared his body may have been buried under snow, making it difficult to find.

He went up Ben Nevis on January 27, but did not return.

Lochaber MRT is now dealing with almost double the number of call outs it had three years ago.

In 2020, they only dealt with around 80 rescues, reflecting periods of travel-restrictive lockdown.

Ben Nevis usually attracts 160,000 people-a-year.

Mr Murray, an experienced mountain guide, said about three quarters of call outs were to 4413ft high Ben Nevis.

He asked people to make sure they had enough warm clothing packed, spare batteries - and battery pack - as they get drained by the cold, a head torch or hand held torch - especially with the shorter hours of daylight - and not to use their mobile phone as a light, but use a torch.

A woman takes a dip in a pool on mount Snowdon

There are nearly three million Snowdonia - the mountain range which includes Snowdon - Instagram posts as well as 530,000 posts relating to Snowdon, which is known in Welsh as Yr Wyddfa

Mr Murray added that while electronic navigation devices are useful their batteries suffer too and a map and compass were still vital tools.

'An accurate location is so important for us when we are called out,' he said, also asking people to visit the Mountaineering Scotland website for advice.

The team now have a number of drones and trained operators, which is becoming a vital tool in mountain rescue.

Lochaber MRT is not the only MRT that experienced a busy year.

Glencoe MRT dealt with over 90 call outs - including eight fatalities.

Among them were mountain guide Dave Fowler and two of his clients - Graham Cox, 60, from Southport, Merseyside - and a 64-year-old woman who fell, roped together, from Aonach Eagach ridge, in what is believed to be Scotland's worst summertime mountain tragedy.

The team has applied for permission to extend its base.

Glencoe MRT say the number of call outs and their complexity as well as more vital equipment has led to the need for a bigger home at Ballachulish.

The current rescue team is made up of approximately 30 volunteers. All team members are experienced mountaineers with vast amounts of local knowledge.

'Over recent years, not only has the number of call outs and rescue operations increased, they have become more frequent as well as becoming more complex with some rescue/recoveries lasting days and into weeks,' said a supporting statement to Highland Council, applying for the alterations and extension.

'To assist in their operations, the rescue team rely on specialist equipment and vehicles such as 4x4 rough terrain vehicles, ATVs (All Terrain Vehicles) and RIBs (Rigid Inflatable Boats) and associated trailers etc.

'The current centre is now at capacity and with the delivery of further vehicles earlier this year, the current garage spaces have become congested and there is potential for this to affect their response times.

A beautiful view from a hike on mount Snowdon

In Norway, a natural platform called Pulpit Rock that offers exquisite views over a fjord has attracted huge amounts of unprepared Instagram tourists

Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team during a mission on mount Snowdon

'This together with the increasing team member numbers, increased call outs and more complex rescue operations has resulted in the association reviewing their current operations and concluding that an extension of the centre is required to assist and improve their operations.'

In 2022 Scottish Mountain Rescue teams - which do not include Lochaber, Glencoe or Cairngorm MRTs - were called out 843 times to 636 incidents. These involved 21 deaths, with 11 of them mountaineering accidents.

Matt Smith, Police Scotland's national lead for mountain rescue, said there were about 10 more rescues last month than the previous December.

'It's not so much the number.

The severity of the rescue tends to be far greater in winter,' he said.

'Even in the last week, volunteer teams have been out for a huge amount of hours overnight to bring people off the hills.'

Mr Smith said the extremes of weather and lack of daylight hampers rescue efforts and 'make things really difficult'.

He added: 'What the teams come up against is exactly what walkers or people that are venturing out will come up against.

'Mountain rescue teams have had to deploy in very challenging conditions, for long periods of time, to help people that have become injured or lost, or needed help.

'They face some really long, dark, cold nights to get these people off the hills'.

'Winter seasons are always quieter than summer ones, but for us we've seen a number of significant events.

'The rescue teams in Scotland are incredible, the level of dedication and professionalism, it's just second to none.'

References

1. ^ Dan Grennan (www.dailymail.co.uk)
2. ^ Instagram (www.dailymail.co.uk)
3. ^ Times (www.thetimes.co.uk)
4. ^ adventuresmart.uk (www.adventuresmart.uk)