Item — HN Reader

More info from Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/socalhiking/comments/mqtxrg/video_o...

He had GPS coords in photos turned off. He sent the photo before he got lost, then his phone died, then he realized his predicament. Yeah, hikers who know WTF they are doing generally don't end up in the news like this. This is distressingly common on the 10,000+ ft peaks near Los Angeles, like these folks: https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/hikers-survival-san....

1 comments

Wow, that article is something else. As an avid hiker/mountain biker, I cannot imagine going unprepared into the woods in the best of conditions, let alone in blizzard conditions. The fact that they only had a sleeping bag and an American flag to keep warm is so stupid it’s beyond belief.

All to plant an American flag on the top of a mountain. I truly hope the hiker didn’t actually lose any fingers or toes but I do hope they were made to reimburse SAR cost and fined for littering.

Happens a lot in Scotland, fortunately the volunteer mountain rescue teams here are excellent. An example:

https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/highlands/2014978/...

Edit: There are ~20 deaths per year on Scottish mountains

Yeah, they were even urged by some experienced hikers (who had microspikes etc.) to turn around near the trailhead due to treacherous conditions. Serious contenders for outdoors Darwin award.

I think this is a good example of the Dunning Kruger Effect -- however poorly it matches with what the original article proved -- of "when you're a beginner, you don't realize how much of a beginner you are."

A non-expert climber figures a tough hike is basically like any other hike they've been on, only a little harder. They don't recognize how large the gulf is between a tough hike up a mountain and a treacherous life-or-death situation.