Walking or waiting through bad weather

[icefest]

I've often wondered what everyone else does when the weather clags up and the low cloud and wind rolls in.

Dave Noble often waits in his trip reports.
I prefer to wait, unless I'm in a gigantic hurry.
Others that I have met will walk thorough just about anything short of Armageddon. (I used to, but have cut down a lot )

[Moondog55]

I voted to walk but that has got me into trouble in the last few winter years; so I may change my mine as I get older and choose to wait or retreat

[ILUVSWTAS]

GPS use has made it much easier to walk in whiteout, it depends how cold/icy/dangerous it is. If it isn't a risk to our safety we usually just walk on.

[philm]

Weather can add to the challenge - so generally just keep going unless you are climbing or in difficult terrain in which case I wait it out.

[horsecat]

If I'm hauling kilos of camera gear I'll want to use it so I'll often wait out the worst of it if it's just pea soup gloom with no views of anything, that's unless I'm in a hurry or it's only going to get worse. If climbing in the greater ranges it can come down to safety though

[north-north-west]

It depends on the walk and just how bad the weather is. If I'm walking out I'll usually keep going unless it becomes dangerous to do so. 'Business trips' ditto. If I'm on a major walk and there are good views available, I'll usually wait out the worst - as has been said, the camera gear is a lot of dead weight to carry if you're not able to use it.

[wayno]

i usually keep walking, but i'm prepared to wait it out if i feel its too dangerous to risk continuing... but i'm trying to remember if i've come across conditions that stopped me from walking and i cant think of any. i've been in conditions where i've had trouble standing upright in the wind, but it didnt stop me from making progress...

[walkon]

Usually keep walking though on the main range this year we stayed put. No vis, winds over 150kmh and sleet. Had to leave the hut and have a walk out in it just to get the experience though

[nq111]

If in doubt, wait. Stop, get the tent up and get warm before hypothermia starts - because one of the first things that will happen is you lose your capacity for good decision making. This is something the locals in Tassie drilled into me and it has stood as good advice.

I agree though GPS and good gear has made it easier to keep moving. If it is total whiteout or really icy (And we don't have crampons to tackle it) we will wait it out. Has happened too many times - but better to be a wuss in a tent than a hero at the bottom of a cliff.

[Gadgetgeek]

I guess growing up in a place where weather has a nasty habit of straight out killing folks, my first reaction is to find a safe spot to make camp when its possible to assess the terrain. I've had days where the only option was haul @$$ and try to keep ahead of the weather, since exposed slopes are a bad place to be. But in general, If there is any chance that the weather will get dangerous, I'll be in the setting up camp group. That said if the weather is just ugly, I have no problems moving, as long as navigation is possible. Snow is one thing I won't mess with. there are just too many ways it can go badly. There are family stories of people getting lost in whiteouts, or wandering out onto lakes in poor conditions. where I grew up people disappeared in their own yards. There are probably a lot of people who would consider me very timid when it comes to that, but I'm okay with that.

[ErichFromm]

If it was an issue of safety I'd wait it out, but if only about discomfort I'd push on. What's the point of all the expensive equipment, goretex and the like, if not used?

[Walk_fat boy_walk]

Really depends on the walk and circumstances. Obviously as a default position I'll wait it out if 'dangerous' (based on a combination of the ferocity of the weather and/or the location), but if there is a choice it will depend on what I'm missing by pushing through it. I'm generally there for the views, not just putting in miles, but if its a day of unremarkable track walking with limited views I'll quite happily trudge on through the clag.

[pazzar]

It really depends where I am. If I was on a ridge line traverse, I wouldn't be as concerned in whiteout, but if I was stuck in a scrubby valley I may just wait until it clears a bit. If it is really bad I tend to wait though. Although perhaps I should have kept on walking during my Franklands trip - I might have had a functioning tent at the end if I did!

[Hallu]

On a day walk with GPS and no scrambling, yeah just walk. A good storm in the outback is the best for example. In the mountains, that's a completely different story.

[Snowzone]

There is a lot of ifs and buts with this one and really comes down to time factors. If in danger I would wait regardless of time but otherwise it would depend whether I had an extra day factored in. Sometimes its just a matter of starting a couple of hours later than I would of liked and thats no biggie really.