Anyone ever got lost in fog?

[Erehwemos]

I went for a ride early yesterday morning (about 7.30am). It was very, very foggy so I decided to avoid the roads completely, and instead went up what we call the Green Lanes

Anyway, I got halfway up the hill and decided to deviate from the planned route - there was some headland around an oil seed rape field that we are allowed to ride on once the ground dries, and I had never been there before, so decided to give it a go

Ellie wanted to canter, so we set off up the hill.....by halfway up she was flagging

Eventually we got to the top of the hill, and suddenly the headland ran out....and so did my vision! The fog was seriously, seriously dense, and although we had managed to find a tram line, after we'd gone on a little way I completely lost my bearings and had no idea which direction we should be heading in! Neither, it seems, did Ellie...who decided to try to nibble some of the rape

The field was so undulating that we ended going downhill...only to end up going back up again! Eventually we found a gap in the fence which led back to a track I'd never found before, so it was quite cool in the end

But I can see why people say that the likes of Dartmoor/North York Moors etc are so bleak in the fog!!!

 

[Seahorse]

Sounds scary! I went out the other week and the fog on the top of the downs was really thick, I was cantering across 50 acre field and at one point lost my bearings completely, luckily we just went in a straight line and got to where I thought we would!
I can see why people get so lost in the fog.

 

[lhotse]

I remember watching a TV program about 2 girls riding in Morecombe Bay. The fog came in and they were completely lost, and then the tide turned. They would have drowned, but luckily they chanced upon a lookout tower and led the horses up the steps to safety. When they were eventually found, the horses couldn't walk back down the steps as they were to steep so they banked the sand up to get them down. All ended well.
I've never been lost in the fog on horseback, but I have been lost in the mountains before whilst walking. Not for long time mind, and now I know how to navigate so rarely get lost. I've been a bit disorientated whilst snowboarding in a whiteout before now.
I actually love riding in fog, off the roads obviously!!!

 

[Brandysnap]

Hi Ihotse,

Like you, i've never been lost in dense fog when riding (round here, the countless car headlights would make it impossible if i tried!), but i've had a few 'iffy' times when i used to live on an estuary. Our horses were kept on a huge marsh area, + responded, as did 30+ others, to a call. We'd have no idea where the horses were, but learnt to move very quickly when they appeared, 20 yards away at full tilt! My Dad got run over once, flat out in the mud!!

Thank god the girls at Morecambe saw the tower, when land, sea + sky all suddenly become one, in a couple of minutes. Would be so very easy to turn the wrong way, i know. (Thinking about those poor Chinese cockle pickers in that same bay, RIP x)

I've been up in mountains in bad conditions as well! (Hey, nothing as scary as snowboarding in a whiteout, just Glyders, when i had to lie down on the map to set the compass, then couldn't stand after cos wind wouldn't let me!!)

Hi MizElz,

It was an adventure (cos it had a happy ending!)

Glad you shared it with us, sounds like we've all been lost in fog! But we will all know where we are next time... maybe!! (But isn't it great to ride in new places? While vision is a nice bonus?!) Just glad you + hoss made home safe + sound

Let's keep living + enjoying! Love BS x

 

[Enfys]

Kind of, along with several others not used to the country. It wasn't a dangerous situation though.
One of the 'Great Meets' at Builth turned very foggy up on the top of the hill, we were riding around in circles for ages trying to get back to the Showground.

I used to live right on the edge of Dartmoor, I never rode up there by myself when it was foggy, just too easy to go off a track and get into trouble.
Glad you got back safely in the end.