The owner of a hotel next to England’s highest peak has spoken out after two rescued walkers left without paying their bill.
The Wasdale Head Inn, the closest hotel to Scafell Pike in the Lake District, took in two walkers rescued by volunteers of Wasdale Mountain Rescue team.
The pair were saved from treacherous conditions on December 29 after becoming lost near the Corridor Route, close to a particularly steep section known as the Bad Step.
Following their rescue, they were offered accommodation at a 35 per cent reduced rate, with bar manager Steve staying up late to provide food and shelter.
However, the men departed the next morning without paying, having provided contact details that proved false.
They also failed to return head torches lent to them by rescue volunteers and left behind a hospital crutch in the team’s vehicle.
Nigel Burton, the hotel’s owner, said he felt “disappointed rather than angry” about the situation, describing the circumstances as “hard to believe.”
He said: “On the one hand you can always laugh at this, in the sense that it’s so unbelievable that you can’t think it actually happened, but it did.”
The pair got into trouble while traversing the Corridor Route of Scafell Pike
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Lake District National ParkMr Burton explained that the inn remains open throughout the year specifically to support those exploring the fells, even when it makes little commercial sense.
He said: “We stay open 365 days a year even when, frankly, from a commercial point of view it’s pointless, because we feel we’ve got a duty to be there when somebody comes down the mountain and it’s nine miles to the next nearest place.”
The rescue team revealed that the walkers showed no gratitude for the hotel’s efforts the following morning, instead pushing for additional discounts, a complimentary breakfast, and transport out of the valley.
“The answer was: sorry no extras and please transfer money when you can,” a team spokesperson said. “Sadly there has been no payment to the hotel of the £130 outstanding room cost or thank you.”
The brazen walkers were said to have pushed for additional discounts, a complimentary breakfast, and transport out of the valley
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The men had claimed their money was in a tent left high on the fell near Green Gable and agreed to transfer the funds later.
A telephone number given to staff proved non-functional, and four weeks on, the rescue team confirmed they had been unable to reach the pair despite multiple attempts.
The incident has generated an outpouring of public support, with donations exceeding £2,000 flowing in for the mountain rescue team within 24 hours of the story becoming public.
“We are bowled over by the generosity of (people’s) support,” a team spokesman said.
Mr Burton noted that positive outcomes can emerge from negative situations, with the hotel receiving calls from as far afield as Spain and France from people wishing to offer support.
“Good stuff can sometimes come out of bad things – the response from the local community and beyond has been amazing,” he told the BBC.
The hotel owner emphasised that this first such incident in 45 years would not alter their approach to assisting walkers.
“One bad incident like this isn’t going to change our attitude, or how we serve the community and the climbers that frankly make Wasdale what it is,” he said.