The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Munro-bagger survives 650ft mountain fall
Aman who survived a 650ft fall from a mountain with only cuts and bruises was told rescuers arrived expecting to recover a body.
Munro-bagger Chris Elliot was scaling A’ Chràlaig in the western Highlands with his partner, Jagoda Penkala, when he fell.
The pair took up their new hobby of exploring Scotland’s mountains during lockdown and were trying to complete the seven munros at Glen Shiel.
After completing five on previous trips, the couple had just completed the sixth and were resting before taking on their second of the day.
Mr Elliot said: “It had started out cold that day and then the sun came out.
“We had crampons on, but because the sun had come out I think it slightly melted the snow and I just slipped.”
Rather than a sheer fall, the 52-year-old had the “slide of his life” down the side of the mountain before coming to a stop.
He has little memory of the accident on April 2, except for the moments immediately before he fell and after rescuers reached him.
But Ms Penkala, who witnessed everything, can remember every detail and says she thought her partner was dead.
She said: “I was just watching him going down and shouting and there was just no response. I thought I’d lost him.”
She called emergency services and a rescue crew arrived on a Coastguard helicopter soon after. Mr Elliot was flown to Raigmore Hospital.
Mr Elliot said his rescuers told him they expected to find a body when they received the call-out.
Shocked medics treated the stricken climber for a large cut on his ribs and monitored him for six days before he was discharged home to recover from his relatively minor injuries.
Mr Elliot suffered no broken bones and is now recovering at home in Arbroath.
He said: “I feel so lucky every single day.”