Last updated 11:22, Tuesday, 28 October 2008

AS the enormous cost of the weekend’s Mountain Marathon rescue emerges, we might expect organisers and competitors who defied weather warnings to trudge on into disaster to offer shame-faced apology.

Instead OMM director Mike Parsons insists the severity of the situation had been blown out of proportion by a "media circus" and suggests an offer of a donation to Cumbria’s voluntary mountain rescue teams.

Since these life-saving volunteers rely so heavily on charity, a sizeable contribution to their funds is the very least OMM organisers should be coming up with. But even that would miss the point of what happened on Saturday, when gangs of wannabe heroes arrogantly set out to take on the elements – and lost. They risked their rescuers lives and thoughtlessly occupied crucial resources. When the bills come in more than their cheque books will have to come out – we tax payers will have to pay too. We can’t lie on a beach in Spain without insurance to cover risk of mishap and to reimburse those who have to rescue us from our folly, reckless behaviour or misfortune.

Yet anyone with a pair of boots and a big silly grin can stride up winter mountains and fells (despite warnings to the contrary) safe in the knowledge that someone will haul them out of their own crises and pay for the privilege.

How does that make sense?