Mountain Clients

Guide defends decision to ignore avalanche alert

The (London) Independent, Nov 28, 2000 by F. Bridgeland.

A MOUNTAIN GUIDE whose decision to ignore a warning of a “considerable hazard” resulted in the death of four scout leaders in one of Scotland’s worst avalanche tragedies in December, 1998, defended his actions yesterday. Roger Wild, 47, one of the country’s most experienced mountain guides, was in charge of a group of six people when they ventured on to the mountain. At the opening of a fatal accident enquiry into the tragedy yesterday, Mr Wild said that on the day of the accident he did not have a “greater feeling of risk” than on any other day.

He told the hearing he had looked at the forecast the night before and although some areas were graded category three, indicating a considerable avalanche hazard, in other areas the snow was reported to be generally well-bonded and stable. Mr Wild said: “Regarding the hazard outlook for the day, it is normal practise to go on to the mountains when there is a category three or higher. It would not be unheard of to go out on a category five day and go to areas that weren’t identified as very high risk.”

But when the avalanche (the snow/ice cornise above the group probably collapsed) swept down 4,000ft-high Aonach Mor on 29 December, 1998, Mr Wild was entombed in snow for 16 hours with two other survivors of the party of six Venture Scouts from Kent, who were being led by him in a training exercise. At the time, Mr Wild was director of a mountaineering school based in Fort William.

The four who died were Emma Ray, 29, her boyfriend Paul Hopkins, 28, both from Wilmington, Kent, and Matthew Lewis, 28, and Ian Edwards, 30, both from Dartford, Kent. Mr Wild told the enquiry, at Fort William Sheriff Court, that he had visited the area where the avalanche occurred half a dozen times previously, when the risk had been graded category three or four, to carry out similar training, and had not had any problems.

Mr Wild said that on this occasion he assessed the snow conditions on the slope. “The conclusion that I came to was there was no avalanche risk in that immediate area,” he said. Mr Wild told the hearing he started to instruct the group on how to use an ice axe. He said he slid about five or 10 metres and when he came to a stop he was aware of a thin layer of snow coming down and covering his boots. He said: “In a matter of moments this became a heavier force and I was pushed forward so I was lying face down on the snow. I immediately tried to stand up … but I was unable to move.”

Mr Wild and the two survivors, Sarah Finch, 27, and Steven Newton, 26, both from Dartford, were rescued by the Lochaber Mountain Rescue team. The hearing was expected to last three days.

Copyright 2000 Independent Newspapers UK Limited
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.

Footnote: Mr Wild was found - not at fault - and went on to become Scotland’s Mountain Safety Officer. The Judge thought that it would have been sensible to have: ‘left a message of the groups intended route and destination with - someone.’ Really!

And another, excellent legal decision for members of the Association of British Mountain Guides (BMG): A fatal accident inquiry report (Climber, March, 1996) into the death of a climber in an avalanche on Llathach has reiterated the principle that accidents will always happen in climbing. The report has been - welcomed (by some) as ‘another excellent legal decision’ for guides (BMC). It follows soon after the unsucessful attempt by a (another BMG client) client to sue his instructor (guide) following an accident, reported in last month’s Climber magazine.***

Dr Katherine Herd died from injuries suffered when she and three 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 Principle Douglas Risk stated: “At the end of the day, the sobering fact, which was acknowledged by all of the (pro BMG) climbers who gave evidence, is that there is always an element of danger in climbing Scottish mountains in winter conditions. The possibility of avalanche can never be totally excluded. “For so long as people choose to test their skill and endurance by winter mountaineering, it is, unfortunately, inevitable that accidents will ocasionally occur. The likelihood of accident can be reduced by taking of sensible precautions but the occurance of an accident does not ipso facto establish that such precautions were not taken. That is my feeling (the opinion of just one man called Risk) about the present case. It seems to me that the tragic death of Dr Herd (who was reppresented by whom; who’s expert witness was?) was a misfortune which cannot be attributed positively to any human cause.”

Commenting on the decision Mountaineering Council of Scitland president Nick Kemp (BMG) told Climber: “This was a tragic accident and of course our sympathies go out to Dr Herd’s parents and other climbers (injured) involved. However, following on from December’s High Court judgement in London, this is another excellent legal decision for climbers (especially guides). It confirms yet again that climbing is a risk sport whatever precautions are taken.”

One aspect of the above report that has brought criticism is the length of time between the inuiry in march, 1995 and the report being published, a matter Charles Kennedy MP for Ross, Cromerty and Skye, said he would be raising with Scottish Secretary Michael Forsyth. Tom Prentice.   

 

One Year Later… Cameron McNeish, who, according to the Guardian (whilst covering the Anoch Mor tragedy in which four BMG clients died on Dec 31st, 1998) is a: ‘…the well-known Scots climber and broadcaster’, in January, 2000, made a very interesting analogy about the Royal Marines: ‘After reading a report of a fatal accident in which a soldier (Marine) slipped on Ben Nevis and fell 1,000 feet, I’m not surprised that Prince Edward decided that his future (the Prince failed the Royal marines Commando Course) would be a better one without the Royal Marines.’ Apparently, Mr J. Gibbs, the solicitor for the MOD told witnesses at the Inquiry: ‘Remember, you are talking about Marines who fight in warfare and who have Arctic training’, McNeish: ‘That sir, does not make them mountaineers, and more to the point, does not make them mountain leaders.’

This was not the first time that McNeish has opened his mouth and out his own foot in it:  When one considers the number of Royal Marines; servicemen under instruction, be it in weaponry or during mountain training, their accident rate is very low - when compared to the ratio of clients taken by members of the ‘elite’ association of British Mountain Guides (BMG). Since McNiesh’s disgraceful editorial, the BMG, of whom, he has written not a single derogatory word, have ‘lost’ in avoidable climbing/mountaineering accidents at least - twelve clients. In the twelve months leading up to the year 2000, the BMG ‘lost’ four Venture Scouts and two other clients. The British Military and certainly the Royal Marines, have a far higher ’safety record’ than the BMG, who’s ‘badge’ does not make them safe mountaineers; certainly, it does not make them - safe leaders. Likewise, being an editor of an ‘outdoor pursuits magazine’ doesn’t make one an authority on - mountain safety.