A hiker has an accident - no big deal. A biker has an accident

- damn near fatal. The risks are not the same. That is what is bloody


obvious!

So, a hiker fatality is "no big deal" ?* I think you
will find a few in the report I posted.

I never said the risks were the same but what I did do was
quantify them and mountainbiking is a lot safer than you would like it portrayed
and hiking considerably more dangerous.

You need to compare the number of hiker fatalities with the
number of mountain biker fatalities. The causes of what led to the deaths would
be of interest too.

Ah, are you finally suggesting we actually look at data about the actual number of incidents and fatalities ... rather than simply relying on Ed Dolan magical numbers ? Hallelujah.

Yet the Lake District report contains accounts of hiking


fatalities ... that's not what I'd call trivial ... would you ?



Your statement is, again, refuted by the facts.



Hiker fatalities are extremely rare. Biker fatalities are

quite common.

*

Read the report Ed ... fatalities of either are
rare.

*

Fatalities are of course rare for both, but not as rare for
mountain bikers. However, accidents not resulting in fatalities are not rare.
And mountain biker accidents tend to be far more serious than hiker accidents.

No argument from me there ... so what ? Your premise is that hiking is almost entirely safe and mountainbiking inevitably seriously injurious. The data says that, yes, mountainbiking is not as safe as hiking but, at 1.54 injuries per 1,000 exposures, is safer than many other sports and, overall, relatively safe. You are thus incorrect in your basic assumptions.

Hiker fatalities are usually interesting to read about because of


their unique qualities.

Again, I suggest you read first.* They are pretty
predictable .. broken bones, exposure, exhaustion and terrain issues (falling
off it usually).* That's hardly rare or exceptional.

I once read a book about hiker accidents in the National Parks
and elsewhere in the American West. It made for interesting reading because of
what led up to the accidents. It was hiker error every time. The only error
mountain bikers make is trying to ride their bikes on a hiking trail to begin
with. Dumb, dumb dumb!

What nonsense ... if you walk a trail, step on unstable terrain, and therefore break a bone and die of exposure because rescue doesn't reach you in time (a real case from the report) how is that 'hiker error' any more than it's 'biker error' if you hit a rock awkwardly and thereby fall off ? It's the natural environment not sanitised to make it 'safe' ... there are risks whether you hike or bike.