College Kids Asked Gemini to Plan a 14,000 ft Climb, Got Stranded Overnight
aakashgupta · x · 2026-09-04
Three college kids asked Gemini how much food and water to bring for Mount Shasta's 14,000 ft Clear Creek route. The AI's advice wasn't wrong—an 8-hour summit is standard beta for a fit party. But the chatbot can't see the person holding the phone: the trio gained only 2,600 feet in ten hours, roughly a quarter of a fit climber's pace, summited past the rangers' noon turnaround rule, and ended up spending the night in a gully with no shelter awaiting rescue. The lesson: guides and chatbots both fail to model the human using them.
Related event: Novice Climbers Rescued on Mount Shasta After Relying on Gemini's Trip Plan(3 posts)→
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