The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Survivor recalls hills tragedy
Asurvivor of Britain’s worst mountaineering disaster has quietly marked the 50th anniversary – 3,000ft up in the hills near where his school friends perished.
John Blaikie was part of a 14-strong group of pupils from the former Ainslie Park Secondary School in Edinburgh that had headed north to explore the great outdoors.
Two groups set off to conquer Ben Macdui on November 20 1971 but were caught out by blizzards and freezing conditions. Five pupils died, along with their 18-year-old guide.
The Cairngorms Plateau Disaster remains the worst mountaineering disaster in British history.
Yesterday Mr Blaikie laid a wreath on the Cairngorm plateau and said he could still “vividly remember” how the tragedy unfolded. The retired financial advisor has now bagged all but 38 of Scotland’s 282 Munros, but it was only three years ago that he was able to return to the spot.
The group had travelled with outdoor education teacher Ben Beattie, 23, and his girlfriend Catherine Davidson, 20, and were bound for Lagganlia, Edinburgh Corporation’s new outdoor centre near Aviemore.
Mr Blaikie, 66, who has never spoken publicly about the tragedy, said: “The training we received beforehand from Ben Beattie saved my life and others in my group.
“There was about six in my group. We hit whiteout on the plateau and what saved us was the training we received with somebody going 20 yards ahead on a compass line.
“We eventually made it to the Curran shelter. It was so cold – it was a frozen icebox surrounded by stones. My balaclava was frozen to the walls. But we survived the night.
“I couldn’t come back here until three years ago – obviously the 50 years anniversary makes it a bit more poignant. It was quite devastating (to lose so many friends) – we spent a lot of time together, canoeing, climbing, walking.”
The Kirkcudbright man added: “It is still in my memory – time dims the pain and you accept it, but you never forget it. I can still remember vividly that day – it never leaves you.”
By the time the alarm was raised, five of the children in the other group had died, along with their instructor. They were buried under thick snow.