Be Prepared with @safesnowdonia 26/12/2011

Keep up to date with the latest conditions underfoot in Snowdonia by following @safesnowdonia or the Welsh version @eryridiogel on Twitter.

This winter the National Park Warden service have been using the 140 character social media tool to keep walkers and climbers informed of changing ground conditions due to the weather. Potential hazards for hill-goers are highlighted and useful safety information is often included in the tweets.    

Park Warden, Gruff Owen, said: “In the middle of all the Christmas excitement, it’s very easy to forget the importance of thorough preparation before setting out on the mountains, and knowing what the ground conditions will be is part of that preparation."

"Although the views of snow on the mountains are stunning, you need to remember that snow is also deceptive. The most dangerous snow can look soft and nice but actually, if it has thawed and re-frozen, it is extremely dangerous on the ground."

"You need to ensure that you have the correct equipment, including an ice axe and crampons and knowing how to use them is as important as having them. Knowing also what the ground conditions will be before setting out is incredibly important. The mountains of Snowdonia are there to be enjoyed, but you will not enjoy the experience if you haven’t prepared yourself adequately.”

John Grisdale, Chairman of the Llanberis Rescue Team, added: “This new service will be a valuable service to everyone who intends to walk on the mountains in Snowdonia. Llanberis Rescue Team is called out too often to rescue walkers in bad weather because they haven’t bothered to look at the weather forecast and therefore haven’t prepared."

"If walkers did their research thoroughly, including finding out what the conditions on the ground before setting out, it would make our work as a rescue team much easier.”

The Warden Service already provides the ground conditions report that can be found alongside the detailed weather information on the Met Office Snowdonia mountain area forecast.

The English language tweets of @safesnowdonia will be re-tweeted by @visitsnowdonia, Snowdonia National Park’s English language twitter account and its Facebook page, Snowdonia National Park - Parc Cenedlaethol Eryri. The Welsh language tweets of @eryridiogel will be re-tweeted by @croesoeryri, Snowdonia National Park’s Welsh language twitter account, and will also appear on the Park’s Facebook page.

Related News Item: Latest Mountain Weather Forecast

Topic: Mountain Safety, Safe Snowdonia, Snowdonia National Park. 

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