MJ calls what happened to her in Zion national park “small ‘T’ trauma”. She knows women have experienced worse from their partners. But she still feels the anger of being left behind on a hike by her now ex. “It brings up stuff in my body that maybe I have not cleared out yet,” she said.
This article was brought to my attention by a hiking buddy; we once did 50 miles together in the Great Smoky Mountains, over some very tough terrain and during weather that threatened hypothermia. On the march up the mountain that used to be called Clingman's Dome, third highest in the eastern United States, we separated just this way. I don't remember who got to the top first or last, nor does he; it didn't cause either of us any trauma at all. It was just the natural thing to do to separate given unequal aerobic capability.
Many of the women described having some level of dependence on their partner in nature. They may not have been carrying the right supplies or enough water, or were not familiar with the terrain, making them feel vulnerable.... One woman described a 12-hour journey out of the Grand Canyon after her boyfriend ditched her, during which she was assisted by a “very nice man from Norway” who carried her backpack.... A man walking 100ft ahead of his girlfriend because he cannot be bothered to wait for her is bad manners. But failing to properly care for someone in an environment they’re not prepared to handle alone can cause real harm.
Speaking as a certified Wilderness rescue technician, don't go to the mountains if you aren't up to it. I'll come help you if I can, as will many others who have volunteered their time to train for that mission. Nevertheless, you really should be sensible about what your limits are. If you need someone else to carry your backpack, pack lighter. If you don't know what you're doing, study and train first. It's not that hard, but it also isn't trivial.
6 comments:
This happens with older children as well. Parents will stay with a six year old, but a ten-year-old and two friends will separate from the group on their own. They may not be carrying all that they need for even a minor emergency. They may drink their small supply of water quickly. We want to encourage independence, but that increases the risk.
Women and children, you say. Well, I encourage honest discussion here. You'll probably hear from Tex about that formula, but that doesn't mean that you're wrong.
I don't want to excuse the men, but this could very well be the result of trying to treat women as equals. We see in all the movies now that women are the physical equals (or betters) of men, and any difference in language or treatment can be seen as sexist. That that is not even considered in the article is interesting.
- Tom
I don't hike, and this may simply be a lack of training, but in even normal walking I find it hard to match the pace of a slower walker. I either wind up doing sort of stutter steps or stepping, pausing, and the stepping again. Losing momentum with each stop is fatiguing.
I was on a hike once with five. Two ardent competitive walkers and the three of us walking slower. There was no way to get lost, beach walking between the sea and the bluff...Did not bother me any, except they had most of the water. It got thirsty.
Around here it is bad ju ju to leave people behind. I won't do it. People get jumped- by others, by cats, they get lost, too many things to go wrong.
If you leave as a team, support the team.
People get jumped- by others, by cats, they get lost...
You raise a good point. That same hike, two days later, we met a bear that had killed a wild hog on the trail. I backed it off, and by myself that might have worked or not; audacity, as Danton said. But we got away with it cleanly because there were three of us: the bear was unsure about me, but definitely not interested in tangling with three grown men together.
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