Climber survives 1,600ft fall
Rescue teams amazed after student walks away from Ben Nevis fall with minor injuries, as companion dies
A UNIVERSITY student had an “unbelievable escape” when he survived a 1,600ft fall that claimed the life of his climbing companion on Ben Nevis.
The pair, from Cardiff University Mountaineering Club, were near the top of the popular Tower Gully route on Britain’s highest mountain when a cornice collapsed on them.
The 21-year-old companion died later from head injuries after the snow carried them more than a third of the way down the 4,411ft (1,345m) mountain. Experts said his colleague was lucky to escape with relatively minor injuries. The rescuers who found them believe they fell around 650 ft in Tower Gully before going over a rocky buttress called Tower Scoop and sliding for another 650ft before ending up in Observatory Gully, where they fell a further 300ft in the snow.
John Stevenson, the leader of the Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team, said it was a “huge fall”, adding: “In my 36 years with the team, that lad is one of the few to survive that kind of fall.
“The lad who survived has been very lucky. He must have avoided the worst of the rocks and the snow must have cushioned his fall. He’s had an amazing escape. It’s unbelievable. He did not remember anything about the fall, with
the shock of it.” Mr Stevenson said the incident must have happened when they were trying to cut through the cornice at the summit, which is standard practice at the end of that route.
He added that climbers had survived similar falls when there was more snow about. He said the pair would have slid on snow and ice but were likely to have become “airborne” when they went over Tower Scoop.
Donald Paterson, team deputy, who reached the climbers first, said the snow on the cornice near the summit was soft and collapsed as they made their way through it.
“The snow was not enough to bury them but large enough to carry them down the mountain,” he said.
“They must have fallen 500 metres (1,640ft). One walks away with cracked ribs and the other sadly loses his life.
“They were both sat in the snow when we found them. One had a very serious head injury. His climbing partner raised the alarm by mobile phone.”
Around 30 members of the team were involved in the rescue on Sunday afternoon. The climbers were taken by Coastguard helicopter to Belford Hospital in Fort William.
Mr Paterson said: “Sadly one could not be saved. Our thoughts and condolences go out to his family and friends.”
A spokesman for Cardiff University said: “Our thoughts and sympathies are with the family and friends. Advice and support is available to anyone touched by this event.”
Sgt Michael Bell, of Police Scotland, said: “Our thoughts are with the man’s friends and family at this very sad time. I would take the opportunity to thank the crew of the HM Coastguard helicopter and Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team for their assistance.”
The incident was the third mountain death in the Highlands in the past four weeks. Last month a mother, Rebekah Pettifer, 52, from Northamptonshire, died. Her daughter, 23, who has not been named, was seriously hurt after their hike turned to tragedy on Nov 26, the second fatality on the peak in five days.
Rescuers were called to the 3,143ft Buachaille Etive Beag between Glen Coe and Glen Etive after the mother and daughter were reported injured in separate incidents.
The daughter is thought to have been hurt early in the morning and Ms Pettifer, also known as Caroline, was on her way to fetch help when it is understood she slipped and fell. Walkers on the hillside alerted police to the younger woman shortly after 9.30am.
She was reportedly found dazed, confused and very cold. Her motherwas found about 200 yards away.
Police Scotland said that were no suspicious circumstances relating to Ms Pettifer’s death and a report had been submitted to the Procurator Fiscal as is standard practice.
Ms Pettifer is understood to have fallen into a small hollow by the side of the mountain path. She was only spotted by a search and rescue helicopter pilot who alerted the 25-strong rescue team on the ground.
The Ben Nevis incident happened as the first avalanches of the winter were recorded in the Scottish mountains. An avalanche notification service that started on Friday has logged five snow slides so far this season.
Last winter 20 people were caught in avalanches triggered by walkers and climbers and a total of 260 avalanches were recorded.
Many were caused by cornices, like those on Tower Gully, giving way.
‘The snow was not enough to bury them but large enough to carry them down the mountain’