My buddy told me to skip the switchbacks on the Rim Trail...

He said cutting straight down the ridge would save me 45 minutes. It was steep and loose, but I figured he'd done it before. About halfway down I hit a section of scree that just kept sliding under my boots, no footing at all. Took me almost an hour just to get past that part, and I rolled my ankle pretty good. Anyone else ever follow bad beta from a friend and end up regretting it?

2 comments

2 Comments

xena_kim6d ago

Friend of mine once swore up a shortcut down to the beach on the Lost Coast was "just a little steep." Turned out it was a 60 degree scree slope where the only way to stop sliding was to grab poison oak. I spent two hours picking leaves off my legs and still ended up with a rash that looked like I fought a cat. Bad beta from a friend is how we all learn to double check everything, right? Who needs solid footing when you've got trust issues and a sore ankle to show for it.

the_drew6d ago

My buddy convinced me that a "short scramble" up Mount Whitney was no big deal. Turned out to be a 45 minute Class 3 traverse with exposure on both sides and a group of Boy Scouts arguing about which way to go behind me. I used to think you could just trust a friend's description of a route. Now I look at the topo map myself every time.