http://news.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/07/02/nmount02.xml
'St Trinian's' mountain walk condemned
By Auslan Cramb and Chris Boffey
(Filed: 02/07/2004)
A teacher was accused yesterday of leading a "St Trinian's" group of girls up a Scottish mountain when they were wearing just school uniform, training shoes and black bin bags as protection against the weather.
John Allen, the leader of the mountain rescue team sent to escort them to safety, said the school had broken every rule in the mountaineering book and put the children's lives at risk.
The 40-strong party from the Beth Jacob Teachers' Seminary, an Orthodox Jewish school in north London, had no map or compass. The walkers lost their way when mist enveloped the summit of the 2,500ft Meall a'Buachaille (Shepherd's Hill), in the Cairngorms.
The teacher was forced to borrow a mobile telephone from one of the pupils to call for help before being led to safety by members of the Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team, who said some of the 16- to 17-year-old girls were shivering with cold and "only a rain shower away from death".
Mr Allen expressed astonishment that one teacher was in charge of so many pupils, and that they had set out without the most basic equipment.
"I was almost speechless when I saw them," he added. "I have never seen so many people so ill-equipped. It was like the Belles of St Trinian's walking down through the mist. Neither the teacher nor the girls had any idea of what they were doing or how much danger they were in.
"This could very easily have had a tragic outcome. If it had been raining, or the temperature had dropped, the girls would have become hypothermic. They were in skirts, tights and trainers, had no hats and would have lost their body heat very quickly.
"On top of that, their leader, who should have been in charge of something like eight girls, not 39, had no map and no compass. I hate to criticise people who enjoy hill walking and I very rarely do it, but this was probably the worst case I have ever encountered and I hope that by condemning the school and the teacher something useful will come out of it.
"I don't think this would have happened with a Scottish school. I really have never seen anything like it."
Mr Allen had spoken to the teacher and some pupils by telephone, in a bid to talk them down off the hill, but said he could get "no sense at all from any of them".
By the time the group reached them, some of the girls were laughing and joking. "They had no idea of the seriousness of the situation, and some of the girls were less than polite. I won't tell you what other members of the rescue team said about them," said Mr Allen.
"I think the teacher only understood how dangerous the situation was after she was interviewed by the police. In a different situation, where the weather may have worsened, anything could have happened. The whole situation was quite horrendous."
The teacher, who had been staying with the group at a hostel in Nethybridge, refused to comment yesterday as the group travelled back to London by train.
Richard Eccles, the owner of the Nethy House Hostel, where the group was staying as part of a party of 61, including four mothers, said he had offered his services as a qualified mountain guide but had been told his help would not be needed for the walk they were planning.
They had stayed for four nights in self-catering "bothy" accommodation and he said that none of the girls was in any distress when they were driven back to the hostel after the incident.
However, another member of the rescue team complained that some of them had been "extremely rude" to their rescuers. He said one girl had asked him: "What took you so long? We called for help 45 minutes ago."
Another pupil said: "At the time we were a bit worried when we were lost in the mist, but it cleared up and we were fine. I don't see what the fuss is all about."
Judith Gillespie, of the Scottish Parent Teacher Council, said the details of the outing made her blood run cold, adding: "The risks that these children were exposed to does not bear contemplation."
Rabbi Benyomin Dunner, the head of the private Jewish school, apologised to parents and pupils and said there would be an immediate internal inquiry.
"This has been a very difficult time for all of us at Beth Jacob. On this occasion our normal procedures governing school trips were not in place. We apologise to parents and pupils and will be holding an immediate internal inquiry.
"We are grateful to the Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team for their help, it was they who ensured that nothing serious occurred.
"Beth Jacob is mindful of its responsibilities and all procedures governing school trips will be thoroughly overhauled mindful of this unfortunate incident."
However, Mrs Gillespie said the school's apology was unacceptable. "To suggest that their guidelines were not in place is no excuse. Common sense would tell you it was absolutely mad to take teenage girls on to a mountain dressed like this.
"They were strung out over one kilometre when they reached the rescue services, and they were not adequately supervised for a walk in Regent's Park, let alone the Scottish mountains."
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