To answer Kieran's question about mobile reception, I'm with optus and don't get any reception in the Pines. If I want to make a call I can walk down towards the road, or the Gums, and get a bar or two of reception. Anyway, if we had reception in the Pines it probably would have spared my friends the embarrassment and internet scorn associated with having their story posted on chockstone. It would have saved Keith and Keiran the callout too, since we could have assured them we were coming to help before they called 000. but it is how it is and once we started looking for them phones weren't nescessary as we communicated by yelling and they didn't know where they were anyway.
As it was they made mistakes and learnt the lesson the hard way. I don't think they'll be making similar mistakes again anytime soon, and to be honest, I learnt similar lessons when I was starting out, but in situations where I was lucky enough to get away with it. On a positive note it doesn't seem like the incident has shaken their enthusiasm for climbing and I'm sure they'll be back as better, wiser climbers. |