Hikers Leave Inn Unpaid After Treacherous Seven‑Hour Scafell Pike Rescue, Rescue Team Says

Two men rescued after becoming lost on Scafell Pike during what rescuers described as "treacherous winter conditions" reportedly left a local inn without paying the reduced room charge they had agreed to cover, the volunteer team that saved them said.

The Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team, in a Facebook post, said the pair were recovered on Dec. 29 following a seven‑hour operation the team called "avoidable." After the rescue, the manager of the Wasdale Head Inn "kindly agreed to stay up, give them snacks and a room," according to the post.

Scafell Pike is England’s highest peak at roughly 3,200 feet.

What the Rescue Team Says

The rescue group says the inn offered the men a 35% discounted rate and that the hikers promised to pay later, claiming they did not have money on them at the time. The volunteers say the men left the following morning without settling the reduced bill — an outstanding amount the team reports as $178 — and that the rescue group felt obliged to cover the cost on the inn’s behalf.

Scafell Pike in 2024.(Getty Images)

"Disappointingly, in the morning, they offered no thanks for the efforts of the hotel, asked for further reductions to the cost, pushed hard for a breakfast and asked if they could arrange transport to get them out of the valley," the team wrote. "The answer was, sorry no extras and please transfer money when you can."

Missing Items and Follow-Up

The Wasdale volunteers also reported that two of the team’s flashlights were not returned after the rescue and that a crutch left in one of the team vehicles has not been reclaimed. The phone number the hikers gave to the hotel manager proved not to work, the group added.

Public reaction to the Facebook post generated donations that the team says exceeded the inn’s charge; any surplus will be redirected to the rescue team's operational costs, which the organisation says run to more than £100,000 annually. The team reiterated that its volunteers are unpaid and that donations help cover routine and occasional unusual expenses.

In a comment beneath the post, the Wasdale Head Inn thanked the rescue team for handling the incident professionally and praised staff who stayed up to look after the "starving and frozen" walkers who arrived around 2 a.m. The hotel said it could not recall a similar incident in more than 45 years of operation and that the outpouring of support and donations had more than made up for the behaviour of the two visitors.

The rescue team said it has attempted to contact the two men to request repayment and the return of missing items but had received no response. The team's Facebook message included a QR code to simplify repayment and said the post was intended to prompt the men to settle their debt and to reflect on the hospitality they received that night.

Safety reminder: Mountain rescue teams urge walkers to plan carefully, carry appropriate kit for winter conditions, and be prepared to cover any costs incurred after rescue — including returning borrowed items and settling agreed charges.