Mountain Rescue Team Appeals for Payment After Walkers Skip Hotel Bill
A mountain rescue team in Cumbria is urging two walkers to settle an outstanding hotel bill after they were rescued from England's highest peak in an avoidable incident. The Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team spent seven hours extracting the young men from treacherous conditions on Scafell Pike on December 29th, only for them to leave without paying for their accommodation afterwards.
The Rescue Operation on Scafell Pike
The incident began when the two walkers became stranded on Scafell Pike in the Lake District. They were located at the Corridor Route just before the Bad Step, a particularly steep and challenging section of the mountain. A wild camper who heard their shouts for help provided temporary shelter in a tent until the rescue team arrived.
The volunteer rescuers worked through difficult conditions for seven hours, providing the stranded walkers with extra warm jackets and microspikes to assist their descent. One of the walkers required pain relief due to a pre-existing knee injury that had worsened during the hike. The team successfully brought both individuals to safety in the early hours of the following morning.
Hotel Hospitality and Unpaid Bill
After the rescue, the wet and hungry walkers were taken in by the nearby Wasdale Head Inn. The bar manager, Steve, kindly agreed to stay up late to provide snacks and accommodation, offering a 35 percent discount on one of the unoccupied apartments. The total bill came to £130.
"The two had already agreed to pay but their money was in their tent somewhere high on the fell near Green Gable," explained a spokesperson for the rescue team. "Disappointingly, in the morning they offered no thanks for the efforts of the hotel, asked for further reductions to the cost, pushed hard for a breakfast and asked if they could arrange transport to get them out of the valley."
The walkers promised to transfer the money later, but four weeks on, the bill remains unpaid. A phone number they provided to the hotel has proven to be non-functional, and all attempts to contact them have been unsuccessful.
Missing Equipment and Public Response
Beyond the unpaid hotel bill, the rescue team reports that the walkers failed to return two head torches lent to them during the descent. They also left behind a hospital crutch that one of them had been using due to their leg injury.
The mountain rescue team took to social media to share the story, hoping to encourage the walkers to settle their debt and return the borrowed equipment. The post generated an unexpected response from the public, with donations flooding in totaling more than £2,200 - far exceeding the £130 owed to the hotel.
"The purpose of the post was to encourage the lost walkers to settle their hotel bill and return the missing torches," the team explained. "If this failed, we hoped to raise funds to cover the loss. We have now received more than required."
Commitment to Future Cooperation
Although the Wasdale Head Inn has waived the fee, the rescue team feels obligated to reimburse the establishment to maintain good relations for future emergencies. Mountain rescue operations regularly rely on local businesses for support when bringing people to safety.
"We avoid judging those we rescue but struggle to understand when the rescued take advantage of hospitality provided by our supporters in the valley," said a spokesperson for the Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team. "As we had promised to cover any loss if the walkers failed to pay, we do still feel obliged to reimburse the hotel from our own funds in order that similar hospitality can be requested in the future under similar circumstances."
The additional funds raised through public donations will contribute toward the team's operational costs, which exceed £100,000 annually. The incident highlights both the challenges faced by volunteer rescue services and the importance of responsible behavior in mountainous environments.
