Mountain Clients

Exactly ten years after the boastful BMG letter published in a specialist magazine in 1988: ‘We are very concerned about bogus mountain guides offering an inferior and certainly a – dangerous service to members of the public…’, the Mountaineering Council of Scotland (MCofS) published its: ‘Safety Guidance to Mountaineers Receiving Professional Instruction from Guides or Instructors’, in March, 1998. It states: ‘Recent incidents and accidents (to BMG/AMI clients) have led to widespread discussion, especially those that have resulted in legal action. As a result the MCofS offers these guidance notes to members (and any other person) who wishes to ‘benefit’ from professional instruction by Guides (BMG) or instructors (BMG/AMI).

The ‘guidelines’ no doubt, were put together by members of the BMG or – the AMI…?

The leaflet in fact, waters down the responsibility mountain clients should receive; expect from professional guidance or instruction from ‘official’ guides or instructors. Just nine months later and six Venture Scouts were entombed in consolidating snow and ice on Anoch Mor, near Ben Nevis, Scotland after being taken into avalanche conditions (it is probable that a falling cornice caused the avalanche). Four of the Scouts died. This fatal accident has not proceeded to legal action because the parents involved do not reolise; because the mountaineering establishment did not make them aware of their rights or the human rights of their dead loved ones. This avoidable, fatal accident – did attract widespread discussion even though it did not result in legal action, discussion that concluded, that the BMG guide (who as usual survived) responsible, was – not at fault…? In a previous fatal accident to a BMG client, the same MCofS stated that it thought that a similar verdict of – not at fault, was a: a victory!…

‘Guide Was Not At Fault.’

So wrote The Times, The Daily Telegraph and The Guardian on the 15 December, 2000. Two years, after six Venture Scouts were ‘enticed’ into avalanche conditions on Aonach Mor in the Scottish Highlands, in which, four of them died, entombed in consolidating snow and ice, a Fatal Accident Inquiry (FTA) at Fort William has – once again, found the mountain guide responsible for their safety – not at fault. Once again, there was no-one at the FAI to represent the dead or, their relatives. Even though, The Association of Mountain Clients  contacted the Sheriff at Fort William, eighteen months previously with details of past fatalities to clients of members of the Association of British Mountain Guides (BMG), a representative was not called to the inquiry.

In every other inquiry (bar one) into the deaths of BMG clients the guide responsible has been found to be – not at fault.? The clients in each case were likewise, enticed with false, BMG advertising offering: Adventure with Security and, Safe Guarantees; enticed into situations over which, the guide lost control and on each occasion, the guide survived. These accidents in the main, were not ‘overwhelming’ accidents. On each occasion, the guide involved has continued to advertise; continued to work as a mountain guide in the two years that it has invariably taken for FAI’s to take place.

Interestingly, the so-called British Mountaineering Council (BMC) as usual, did not give this fatal, multiple accident – full publicity. An offer, that the BMC has made in the past to – Independent guiding companies; organisations who, since that ‘offer’ in 1985, unlike the BMG, have ‘lost’ – not a single client.

Ironically, Sheriff Kenneth Forbes said: ‘the incident was unfortunate and sad (which goes without saying) but Mr Wild (the guide who lost four clients in a single avoidable avalanche accident) was a: proficient, experienced, careful and well respected mountain guide.’

Prior to the four deaths on the 29 December, 1998 and since, the web-site of the Association of British Mountain Guides has advertised, continues to advertise: ‘Our members are competent in all aspects of client care.’ Similar, false advertising was removed from a specialist magazine in 1997, by the Advertising Standards Authority.

Ironic also, was the deaths of the three young men and one woman, supposedly protected under the Young Person’s Safety Act (1995). They were on a BMG – ‘survival’ training excersise. Which of course, brings a whole new meaning to the word – survival!

Similarly and ironically, three clients in 1992, members of the: BMG run ‘Survival Club’ lost their lives (there was no FAI); did not survive an avoidable accident. Today, the BMG guide responsible is still working as a – mountain guide; a member of the the ‘official’ guides; the Association of British Mountain Guides – protected by government and judicial departments. There is no such protection for – their clients…

On the 14 July, 2000, in a letter to The Scouts Association, the organisation was accused of having a ‘cavalier’ attitude to outdoor training, – by the BMG??

Potential clients – beware…

Another FAI into the  avoidable death of a doctor; a woman climber on Laithach in Torridon in January, 1994 recently published its report. Dr K. Herd died from injuries suffered when she was avalanched from Trotter’s Gully. At the time, she was a client on a winter mountaineering course run by Strathcarron-based British Mountain Guide – Martin Moran.

The Sherrif Principle, Douglas Risk, concluded that Dr Herd’s death was a misfortune (well, yes for Dr Herd but not her guide) which could: ‘…not be attributed positively to any human cause.’ He emphasised that: ‘There is always an element of danger in climbing Scottish mountains in winter.’ He apparently added: ‘…the occurrence of an accident does not ipso facto establish that sensible precautions were not taken.’ (Andre Roch would have disagreed.)

Kevin Howett, the then National officer of the MCofS commented: ‘Whilst no one wishes to see any deaths occur in the mountains and Dr Herd’s family have our ‘sincere condolences’, the MCofS are ‘heartened’ by this report…’ The judgement is a common sense one.’??

So, another ‘Triumph for Common Sense.’ It is apparent that ‘once again’ the Sherrif was not made aware of advertising by the BMG and, the BMC, prior to this latest avoidable fatal accident to another, mountain client.

‘Adventure with Security’, was being advertised by the BMG and, according to BMC publication’s at the time, Mr Moran’s winter courses met – strict BMC safety criteria. Whatever that may be!.

No, this was not just another accident, it was at least the thirteenth (known) fatal accident to a mountain client  and in each case (bar one) the guide survived. These were not ‘overwhelming’ accidents and certainly, they were avoidable.

The supposed futility of ‘apportioning blame’ was overturned in 1997, when another BMG guide was found guilty of neglect in a London High Court, after the death of his client in 1990.