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Got the boot from a hiking forum for posting a trail shortcut that actually worked
I was on this big hiking forum for years, always following the rules. Last fall, I was planning a trip up Mount Washington and saw everyone saying the Tuckerman Ravine trail was the only safe way up in October. I had done a different route the year before, the Lion Head winter route, and it was totally fine with the right gear. So I posted saying, 'Hey, if you have microspikes and check the weather, Lion Head is a solid shortcut and way less crowded.' Next day, my post was gone and I had a permanent ban. The mod message said I was 'promoting unsafe practices' and that my advice could get someone hurt. It felt crazy because I gave specific details about needing spikes and a clear forecast. I wasn't just telling people to wing it. Has anyone else been banned for sharing a tip that actually helped you, just because it went against the common advice?
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the_dakota19d ago
Wait they banned you for that? That's wild, you even said you needed the right gear.
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tessa_kelly18d ago
Saw a whole thread about this exact thing last week. Some forums have bots that auto-flag any talk about gear as "promotion" even when it's clearly just advice. It's gotten way too strict lately, like they're not even reading the full posts anymore. Makes you not even want to bother trying to help people out.
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