When Is the Right Time to Quit?

Reg Spittle

Today, Christmas Eve, Sue and I made a difficult call. It will mean we will miss tonight and Christmas Day with our adult kids.

They are just 64 miles away, but we are an ocean apart. An “atmospheric river” has California in its grip and it has sent wind and rain that has stranded us in a Sierra Nevada foothill RV park.

Have you ever quit a trek or other adventure?

This photo shows us at our finish line at Land’s End, England on the South West Coast Path after a day of horizontal rain. A few days earlier, fierce winds hit as we were about to walk miles on a clifftop above the ocean. Warnings to avoid the trail were broadcast. What should we do? We so badly wanted to walk, but we took a bus to the next town, avoiding what we considered a risk not worth taking.

It all brings me to this article in Backpacker. Sometimes it is smart to quit, or take a day off. When? Often it is a tough call.

Tonight, Sue and I very much miss being with our kids. But, if the weather cooperates, we’ll see them in a couple of days. It will be worth the wait. I am sure of that.

Tell us about your story in comments.

4 thoughts on “When Is the Right Time to Quit?”

  1. I wouldn’t beat yourselves up about waiting 2 days or so to see your kids. Doing so safely seems a small price to pay. Better than trying to fight your way through the ravages of a Pineapple Express and maybe getting stuck in mud or water or having an accident.

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  3. Better safe than sorry!

    Many of the worst mountaineering disasters happened because warnings were ignored, or parties keen to summit failed to wait for suitable conditions because of time pressure or being over-eager to achieve a tick.

    There’s never any shame in quitting for those reasons. It’s a brave and correct decision. I’ve made a few of those in my time – not least, refusing to drive our 16-tonne army truck camper down icy hairpins to visit hubs in hospital when he was airlifted off a mountain… I am licenced to do so, but insufficiently experienced. And as the only carer left standing for hubs and The Fab Four, our four pups, it was not worth the risk!

    I hope you had a lovely time when you finally got together with family, and Happy New Year!

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