{"id":3208,"date":"2026-09-14T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-14T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/?p=3208"},"modified":"2026-09-12T18:39:05","modified_gmt":"2026-09-12T17:39:05","slug":"a-wicklow-mountain-rescue-volunteer-on-why-call-outs-double-in-october-and-it-is-not-the-weather","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/a-wicklow-mountain-rescue-volunteer-on-why-call-outs-double-in-october-and-it-is-not-the-weather\/","title":{"rendered":"A Wicklow mountain rescue volunteer on why call-outs double in October and it is not the weather"},"content":{"rendered":"

The first real crunch of leaves<\/strong> underfoot arrives just as our pagers start humming more often, and every year I feel the same mix of anticipation<\/strong> and dread. I\u2019m a volunteer with Wicklow<\/strong>\u2019s mountain rescue, and by mid\u2011October our call\u2011outs creep from steady to relentless<\/strong>. People assume it\u2019s colder rain or a sudden storm<\/strong>, but that\u2019s not it. The pattern is human, cultural, and stubbornly predictable<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The clock that steals the hills<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

It starts with the clock<\/strong>, not the clouds. Even before the clocks go back<\/strong>, daylight shrinks faster than most folks realize<\/strong>. Routes that felt easy in August become borderline in October<\/strong>. \u201cWe don\u2019t rescue people from bad weather<\/strong>,\u201d I often say, \u201cwe rescue them from bad timing<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

By the last Sunday<\/strong> of the month, evening arrives like a trapdoor<\/strong>. One extra hour of darkness<\/strong> catches hikers midway on the ridge<\/strong>, and everything slows in the gloom<\/strong>. Paths blur; judgment contracts; small hesitations grow teeth<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The seasonal rush to beauty<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

Autumn turns Wicklow into a postcard<\/strong>, and that draws more boots<\/strong> onto the trails. Families chase golden light<\/strong>, photographers hunt that perfect flare<\/strong>, and students test their new-found freedom<\/strong> on the Wicklow Way. \u201cIt feels safe,\u201d people tell me, \u201cit\u2019s so close to Dublin<\/strong>.\u201d Proximity isn\u2019t safety<\/strong>; it\u2019s an easy start to a long mistake<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

There\u2019s also the magnet of social media<\/strong>\u2014sunset reels from Glendalough<\/strong> and boardwalk silhouettes above the bog<\/strong>. Folks arrive late for the glow, forget a headtorch<\/strong>, and inherit the night<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Small errors that compound fast<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

October punishes the small oversight<\/strong>. A 20\u2011minute late start<\/strong> turns into a 90\u2011minute late finish<\/strong>. A phone at 23% becomes 0% after an hour of torches<\/strong> and navigation apps<\/strong>. A mild valley gives way to a cutting breeze<\/strong> on exposed ground<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Fallen leaves are a beautiful veil<\/strong> over hazards\u2014roots, slick rock, and the faint scuff of the actual trail<\/strong>. Navigation becomes \u201cfollow the confidence<\/strong> path,\u201d which is another way of saying \u201cwalk the wrong way<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Why it\u2019s not about the sky<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

We track our data, and the line that climbs in October<\/strong> isn\u2019t rainfall or temperature<\/strong>; it\u2019s call\u2011outs past dusk<\/strong>. The key driver is a mismatch between available light<\/strong> and planned ambition<\/strong>. The hill does not get meaner, but our margin gets thinner<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople dress for the car\u2011park and plan for summer<\/strong>,\u201d a teammate jokes, \u201cthen wonder why the hill feels so long<\/strong>.\u201d It isn\u2019t malevolence up there; it\u2019s simple math<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The usual stories we hear<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought the loop was shorter<\/strong>.\u201d
\u201cI left the torch in the other bag<\/strong>.\u201d
\u201cMy battery was fine until the camera<\/strong>.\u201d
\u201cWe didn\u2019t expect it to be this dark<\/strong>.\u201d <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

None of those statements is about weather<\/strong>. They\u2019re about time<\/strong>, tools, and the gap between intention and reality<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

What helps more than heroics<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

Gear doesn\u2019t need to be fancy<\/strong>, just functional<\/strong>. A basic headtorch beats the world\u2019s best phone<\/strong> in rain, fog, or panic<\/strong>. A small paper map<\/strong>, even folded to one square, can rescue a dying battery<\/strong>. Layers you don\u2019t need at 2 p.m. become your favorite possession<\/strong> at 6.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

When people ask what to change for October<\/strong>, I offer a short list<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n
  • Start one hour earlier than your summer habit<\/strong>. <\/li>\n

    <\/p>\n

  • Carry a headtorch with fresh batteries (and a spare<\/strong>). <\/li>\n

    <\/p>\n

  • Download offline maps and bring a simple paper backup<\/strong>. <\/li>\n

    <\/p>\n

  • Tell someone your route and your hard turn\u2011around time<\/strong>. <\/li>\n

    <\/p>\n

  • Put the puffy layer in the bag even if the sun feels kind<\/strong>.<\/li>\n

    \n<\/ul>\n

    <\/p>\n

    The rescue side of the ridge<\/h2>\n

    <\/p>\n

    On our team, we shift into autumn mode<\/strong>. Extra lighting in the vehicles<\/strong>, more nighttime training<\/strong>, and a mental note that the \u201csimple\u201d jobs won\u2019t be simple<\/strong>. Locating a lost hiker in leaf\u2011softened terrain sounds easy on a radio<\/strong>, but every footstep gets quieter<\/strong> and every junction looks the same<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    We calibrate to voices in the dark<\/strong>\u2014the way a shout carries downhill, the click of a trekking pole<\/strong> on granite, the quick hush when someone hears us coming<\/strong>. It is meticulous, patient work, and it starts with the same small error<\/strong> we all could make.<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    First\u2011person mistakes, first\u2011person fixes<\/h2>\n

    <\/p>\n

    I\u2019ve made my own autumn errors<\/strong>. Years ago, I left the trail at a photogenic bend<\/strong>, spent twenty minutes for a shot, and spent forty finding the path<\/strong> again. That day gave me a private rule: in October, photography costs miles<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    So I tell people what I tell myself<\/strong>: plan your ambitious loop<\/strong> for a longer day, pick the modest summit<\/strong> for after work, and treat dusk like a hard deadline<\/strong> rather than a gentle mood<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    What I hope you remember<\/h2>\n

    <\/p>\n

    This season is one of the hills\u2019 kindest<\/strong>, and one of their most deceptively costly<\/strong>. If you go, go with light<\/strong> you own, time you can spend, and a route you\u2019ve measured<\/strong>. If you turn back, you\u2019ll finish with tea in your hands<\/strong> instead of coordinates on our screens<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    And if you see us out there, headtorches bobbing like quiet planets<\/strong>, know we\u2019re glad you called, and we\u2019d be even gladder<\/strong> if you never had to. The mountains will still be here next weekend<\/strong>\u2014and so will the early dark<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3224,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3208","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-50"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3208","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3208"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3208\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3217,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3208\/revisions\/3217"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3224"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3208"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3208"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3208"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}