Trail magazine is one of the most widely distributed climbing magazines.

The February 2004 issue provided directions for climbers descending Britain's highest peak, Ben Nevis. Returning from the 4,409 foot summit in bad weather requires explicit instruction. The article gave step by step advice on navigating the trial down. The directions were wrong.

Roger Wild, the mountain safety adviser for the Mountaineering Council of Scotland, discovered the mistake and immediately contacted the magazine. He wrote:

The potential consequences of following the advice provided by Trail are clear. Anyone following a bearing of 281 degrees from anywhere close to the summit cairn or shelter will be taken directly over the north face. I find it incredible that Trail has published advice which is so obviously and dangerously wrong.

Trail magazine admitted that a crucial step in the instructions was inadvertently omitted. Those following the article would pay a high price for the missing information. In poor visibility, climbers depending upon the directions would walk off the edge into Gardyloo Gully. The 1,000 foot drop is one of the longest in Britain.

Guy Procter, the editor of Trail, said that the problem had been caused by a production error. "There is a simple explanation. A sentence was missed from the article," he said. A correction would be placed in the March issue…. Mr. Procter said Trail advised all climbers to use an Ordnance Survey map and compass. "Anyone looking at a map could see what's gone wrong, and it will hopefully be picked up by readers."