Avalanche
Sunday, June 1st, 2008
Whoever exposes himself and his client to the dangers of an avalanche … is very stupid indeed
“Serious soul-searching is going on amongst mountaineers after the tragic avalanche in Scotland on the 28 December, 1998.” Weekend Telegraph, March 20 1999.
Since the four young Venture Scouts who died (in consolidating snow and ice) on Aonach Mor in December 1998 were under the instruction and care of a BMG guide, one question in particular has dominated discussion. Are novice climbers safe in the hands of professional trainers and guides?
Andre Roche’s comment at the heading to this section indicates his clear view that anyone who exposes his clients to the dangers of an avalanche is very stupid indeed.
I recollect a number of fatal accidents involving avalanches; one took the life of a BMG/UIAGM guide called Paul Potter in 1996; he had unroped from his client. The other took the lives of four BMG clients on Aonach Mor in December 1998. In both tragedies, there was a grade 3 avalanche warning posted in each area. The highest grade of avalanche risk is grade 5.
Another Fatal Accident Inquiry (FAI) states that such accidents are inevitable.
The FAI into the death of Dr Katherine Herd in an avalanche on Liathach reiterated the principle that accidents will always happen in climbing. The report has been welcomed (by some) as “another excellent legal decision” for guides. The fatal accident report came soon after the ‘Triumph for Common Sense’ letter from Stephen Venables (q.v.) following on from the verdict in the Pope v Cuthbertson court case (q.v.) when the injured client lost his case in part because of the technical (expert) witnesses (including the now Chief Executive of Plas-y-Brenin (PyB)) arrayed against him.
Dr Herd died from injuries received when she and three other climbers were avalanched from Trotter’s Gully in January 1994. At the time, she was taking part in a course run by British Mountain Guide, Martin Moran, from his mountaineering school at Strathcarron.
In his report, Sheriff Principal Douglas Risk stated:
“The possibility of avalanche can never be totally excluded”
That is certainly the case when clients are taken in to the mountains with grade 3 avalanche risk or greater.
Avalanche expert T. Rupar, a member of the Scottish Avalanche Information Service, holds quite robust and explicit views on the question of avalanche victims:
“… it is not too difficult to understand why the less experienced become avalanche statistics, but one can only conclude that the ‘experienced’ victims are either badly myopic, stupid, suicidally gung-ho, English, or a dangerous mix of some or all of these.”
The most usual (and basic) mistake made by those who become involved in an avalanche is not waiting at least 48 hours after the last fall of snow before venturing onto avalanche-prone snow slopes. Ignoring avalanche warnings is another reason that avalanches are triggered. Low angled slopes give the highest avalanche danger. I believe that basic mistakes regarding the possibility of an avalanche have killed a number of the BMG/IFMGA clients in avoidable accidents to date.
The perceived wisdom tells us that Glenmore Lodge and Plas-y-Brenin are “pillars of learning”. I dispute that wisdom. Let us consider the evidence:
1969: 19th February Clients, members of a Glenmore Lodge winter survival course, were taken into avalanche conditions on the West side of Coire Cas and unsurprisingly avalanched. They were rescued by other climbers and a ski patrol. Six remained in hospital; two were seriously injured.
1973: 19th December Glenmore Lodge instructor Peter Boardman was injured when caught in an avalanche in Alladin’s Couloir, Coire an t-Sneachda.
1976: 12th March Glenmore Lodge party (Party one) was avalanched on Goat track, Coire an t-Sneachda. There were numerous injuries.
1976: 12th March Another Glenmore Lodge party that was on the way to rescue Party one were themselves avalanched in Coire an Lochain near the col on Fiacaill a’ Choire an t-Sneachda. Six members were injured and one died in hospital.
1981: 11th February Six climbers from Plas-y-Brenin were avalanched in Cinderella Gully. Two instructors sustained broken legs and two more people [clients?] were also injured.
1982: 15th February Three climbers from Plas-y-Brenin were avalanched in Raeburn’s Gully on Creag Meagaidh. All were injured, one with a broken leg.
1986: 20th March A Glenmore Lodge instructor was avalanched below Garbh Uisge Beag while searching for missing party members. There were 153 mph gusts of wind on Cairngorm summit. Three others in the party were also carried away by the avalanche. The Glenmore Lodge leader received leg injuries.
1986: 30th December A Glenmore Lodge instructor was avalanched near Jacob’s Ladder whilst soloing above his students (clients). He fell 130 metres breaking his pelvis and scapula. His party were rescued by another Glenmore Lodge team and an RAF helicopter. Now a personal tale:
In 1979, a client on a three-month course at Plas-y-Brenin (the course cost £1,000) injured a knee whilst approaching the end of the Cuillin Ridge Traverse on Skye. As he hobbled painfully down into the valley towards Sligachan, into the coming night, he watched as the rest of the party, including the Plas-y-Brenin guide/instructor, disappeared into the gloom and the growing darkness. The client, fortunately, made it to the road but not thanks to Plas-y-Brenin. That client was me!
I recite these items as some examples of “client care 2, which clients have suffered at the hands of the two, BMG run, Elite Mountain Centres; The supposed Centres of Excellence. The “Pillars of Learning”!
Category : Avalanche
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