Mountain Clients

And now: The UK Bolt Fund

Saturday, June 25th, 2011

http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?n=489021 After the Cheddar Gorge bolting fiasco, Avon Gorge is to be given the same (bolting) treatment. Step-forward members of the BMC. Can’t climb? Bolt!

Dear Sir, Crag Abuse – The Lifts, Cheedale. From Ken Wilson’s article in December, 1997 High issue 181, it would appear that Mr Gibson has set out to allow all of us who lack natural talent the means to ascend the lines of some of his routes, although it would appear that he may have been insufficiently generous. I’m sure he wont object if I fill in any awkward gaps with additional bolts to ensure the routes are Eorosafe; say a bolt every metre? JH Russell, Manchester.

http://www.thebmc.co.uk/News.aspx?id=4211 What UK climbing has become – in the last 50 years – a free-for-all. Instead of leaving climbs for better trad climbers… http://xianblog.wordpress.com/2011/09/15/obituary-walter-bonatti/

SOILED: Where I come from perfect style means you show up to a climb with no beta, no topo, no gear list, no rating, no info whatsoever, and you lead the climb, ground up, placing all your own gear, no bolts, no falls, onsight, bottom to top (first ascents). After discussing “perfect style” with my friends they responded with, “That sounds more like a brownpoint.” I immediately knew what they meant. These climbs, although very difficult, have been stained—soiled if you will—with lots of practice, maybe even some toproping. Definitely not perfect style. I offer to the climbing community a much needed new term. The brownpoint, is a lead climb you have done cleanly after any following, toproping, rappelling inspection, and any pre-inspection of gear. So players, quit the waffle and start calling your ascents what they really are: redpoints, pinkpoints or more often than not, brownpoints.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=csUC0ZHSbvg#! The art of pre-placing equipment and – falling off…

 http://javu.co.uk/Climbing/Articles/CornishBolts/index.shtml ’Any climbing at Lands End causes damage; cause environ-mental damage’, I defy anyone to show the evidence that since 1939 - since when, Army and Royal Marine Commandos have trained continuesly, of any ’environmental damage’? The visible environment damage caused at Lands End, West Penwith, has occured since bolting was started there by the ‘dyamic duo’ twenty five years ago. 

 http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=479385#x6604034 Apparently, British Mountaineering Council Bolts know no bounds (Lands End to the Highlands of Scotland). From six foot boulder to a 400ft cliff in the blink of an eye. Both damaged by BMC bolts (2011)

http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/item.php?id=64872 BMC bolts supported by other funding… If you can’t climb? If it makes you feel ‘safer’ – Bolt!

 http://willhunt.wordpress.com/2008/02/12/discussion-of-ethics/ Bolts in Gritstone…

British Mountaineering Council Disclaimer – 20 Years on: Its involvement is responsible for the mis-placed confidence in bolt protection in the UK. Avoidable damage to un-quarried rock is of course, important (well, it used to be) alongside of which, climber’s are still dying; being injured in avoidable climbing accidents. Introduced by BMC acceptance of climbing competitions where falling-off (please accept our best wishes – get well soon being a weekly comment in UK climbing web-sites) is encouraged (don’t try it outdoors – some people still climb outdoors!) and the inability of climbers to place their own protection has fostered; is one of the reasons for the acceptance of bolts. Its simple, its cheap – it damages the rock. What a mess, you couldn’t make it up… As Rimmer wrote to the BMC in the 1980′s: ‘Come on Dennis, (bolt-protected) climbing competitions, I can make you loads-a-money forget about access and all that rubbish…’ The Scottish Mountaineering Club’s  (SMC) latest Sports Climbing (bolts) guide-book comes out soon (2011) bolting from Lands End to the Highlands of Scotland. 

A mind blowing example: Is the amount of behind-the-scene effort; determination to bolt, a la Malham SSSI, the outstanding feature SSSI (main face and wings) that is High Tor at Matlock. I was quite surprised at the amount of bolts that have already been drilled into some of the long standing trad climbs (creep on the 400ft cliff). ’Contribute to Bolting Fund’, to put them in or, take em out!?

http://www.thebmc.co.uk/bmcNews/media/u_content/File/equipment_advice/bolt_funds/Users_guideLR.pdf

http://www.ukboltfund.org  Gary Gibson Bolt Fund: ‘it is recognised that he has almost certainly single-handed (ruined Cheddar as a longstanding trad climbing venue – it mattered not that trad climber where there first) contributed more to creep, the ruining of UK traditional climbing ethics.’ Sorry: ‘has single-handed contributed more to bolting (the deliberate drilling and thereby permanently damaging  un- quarried rock) in the UK than any of the other bolt funds.’ Did you know that 316 stainless steel bolts rust in sea-cliffs! A riveting read I must say. http://www.safercliffs.org/code/photos.html what British crags and sea-cliffs will look like given time… If left to would-be climbers with able assistance from the BMC.

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‘Another’ Year of Hard Knocks for the – Professionals

Tuesday, June 7th, 2011

http://pistehors.com/news/ski/comments/year-of-hard-knocks The Professionals.

http://pistehors.com/news/forums/viewthread/1080/ First 2012 Swiss client killed in avalanche…

 http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Mix-up+that+left+a+climber+paralysed%3B+Wrong+people+let+go+on…-a0131927735 Client left paralysed… Common sense should dictate that the safety rope is controlled by the instructor / guide.

 Vincendon and Henry, Christmas / New Year 1956/57:   http://pistehors.com/backcountry/wiki/Avalanches/Vincendon-And-Henry  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoLVjtOqEko

http://www.chamonix.net/english/news/2011-02-24.htm the outcome for his client’s is not known.

 UIAGM/IFMGA mountain guide, Olivier Sourzac and his client, Charlotte Demetz, mother of two, were trapped in severe weather conditions from the 4th of November, 2011: http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/europe/news/article_1673715.php/Two-climbers-stuck-for-fifth-day-at-4-000-metres-in-French-Alps  Chamonix Meteo Nov 3-11th: http://chamonix-green-white.com/2011/11/03/chamonix-weather-forecast-thursday-november-3rd-2011/   Climbers; guide and    client found.  http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/climbers-trapped-on-mont-blanc-die-6259625.html  http://chamonixinsider.com/2011/11/11/le-linceul-grands-jorasses/

 http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?n=474186 Walter Bonatti threw his badge back at the UIAGM due to his experience at the hands of the ‘professional’s': his car tyres where slashed and property that he once owned was mistakenly burnt-down. Bonatti was abandoned by two professional mountain guides near the summit of K2 where he had to endure a night-out with no protection (Bonatti stated that: ‘they wanted me dead’) after - bringing vital oxygen supplies up the mountain to the two, lead, climbers Lacedelli and Campagnone. Further attitudes towards him by those who should have known better are highlighted in his last book:  ‘Mountains of My Life’, and Robert Marshall’s: ‘K2, Lies and Treachery (2009).’ Just prior to his death, Lacedelli  finally told the true story regarding Bonatti’s sterling effort in supplying oxygen to him and Campagnone on K2.

http://www.outdoorsmagic.com/outdoors-news/avalanche-guide-cleared/524.html 4 Clients dead: four career’s ruined – guide rewarded with post of Scottish Safety Officer… 

http://www.getoutdoors.com/goblog/index.php?/archives/717-IGO-8000-Dead-The-Governing-Body-For-8k-Peaks-Is-Worthless.html The UIAGM /IFMGA qualification had/has no High-Altitude component. As Michael Matthews (client) father found out. Michael was allowed to wander, alone, down from the summit of Everest (the youngest man to climb Everest, he disappeared).

http://www.avalanche-center.org/News/2009/2009-11-21-Switzerland.php The money should heal the pain – of loosing six clients.

http://pistehors.com/news/ski/comments/0992-unqualified-guide-in-fatal-accident/ Unqualified guide in fatal accident – his own: Just what is an unqualified guide? Three UIAGM/BMG clients were killed in a fall down the West Flank of the Eiger, Switzerland, in 1992 (clients of the The Survival Club), their leader  (working for a UIAGM/BMGuide) was not qualified to UIAGM/IFMGA qualification, was not held responsible for the three deaths (try telling that to Phillip Davies father). Apparently, there is unqualified and there is – unqualified – it just depends who you are working for at the time.

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13th May, 1999 on Mount Everest

Wednesday, June 1st, 2011

Twelve years ago on the summit slopes of Mount Everest a young man, who that morning had become the youngest man to climb the mountain – disappeared. A mountain-client, he was descending alone un-tied to his mountain guide. The young man had paid a small fortune to be guided up and down, Mount Everest. Today, in 2011, Michael Matthews remains on the slopes of Everest along with numerous frozen bodies – not a fitting end for a successful young man; not a fitting end for any of those left behind on Everest. The BMG/UIAGM/IFMGA guides involved were found to be  – not at fault by the UK guides association. The guides responsible for Michael, but unlike Michael, carried on with their chosen careers. 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/2006/jul/23/travelnews.theobserver.observercomment?INTCMP=SRCH

http://www.guardian.co.uk/theobserver/2001/11/focus.news

 http://www.explorersweb.com/everest/k2/news.php?id+10265

Seven years prior, three clients, members of The Survival Club, were descending the West Flank of the Eiger un-roped from their guide. In the ensuing fall, all three were killed. Had the guide been at the rear of that “rope” and tied-in properly, it is conceivable that all three would have survived in the event of a slip; a normal slide often experienced in snow climbing - when descending. Likewise, Michael would have survived had he not been allowed to travel; descend alone near the summit of Everest.

Lt. Mub Rao one of a 5 member Indian expedition: was left to perish as he was injured and the others (a rescue team) were in no position to help him down from the South Col. Two other team members of the same expedition also died (without food and water for three days) at the South Col.

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Brazilgate, Pembrokegate, Breningate…

Monday, May 30th, 2011

http://www.alpinejournal.org.uk/Contents/Contents_1998_files/AJ%201998%20301-331%20Book%20Reviews.pdf ’The British Mountaineering Council failed years ago…’

OTE 54, February, 1996:  Odious as it may sound, there have been rumours circulating that one group of climbers has been seriously considering suing another. Step forward the British Mountaineering Council (BMC). The dispute, which has become known as the ‘Pembrokegate’, started with the publication of the Pembroke Rockfax by Alan James. Many column inches have been written about the subject ranging from downright condemnation of the Rockfax guide to counter criticism of the Climbers Club for the tardy arrival of its own Pembroke guide. Rockfax, was likened, quite wrongly, to a vampire that having sunk its teeth into the guidebook market had acquired a “taste” for it. The real vampire in climbing, had already aquired a tasted for climbing competitions, guidebook production and the profits to be made from climbing courses for which, the BMC had advertised strongly taking over the running of Plas y Brenin, the National Outdoor Pursuits Centre along with an annual grant of £450,000 with which to compete in the Outdoor Pursuit, multi-million (unfair competition) pound market (BMC/MTT) in 1997. Fifteen years on and Rockfax and the original vampire are nicely in each others pockets their joint demise of UK climbing, almost complete. 

Over the years the Sports Council have been very pleased, to see the BMC go into ‘direct competition’ with climbing organisations (who receive no government subsidies) already established and offering facilities to climbers: travel insurance, reduced continental coach travel etc., etc. yet, the BMC was considering legal action against Rockfax for doing the very same thing to the CC and the BMC (pot, kettle, black). This was just another example of the disgraceful ‘double standards’ couched in the usual ‘diplomatic tones’ of BMC rhetoric. In April, 1996, Climbers Club quarter-page adverting appeared in Climber magazine throwing money at; trying to counter the Rockfax initiative, with quarter-page adverts.

Pembrokegate was not the first and no doubt, will not be the last: Brazilgate, Breningate and the full political machinations of the Mountain Leadership tussle for control of supposed ‘qualifications’ and yes, “there are a few skeletons in the cupboard” (1945-1995 the BMC’s First Fifty Years) stands not alone in the determination by some to ruin via a thirst for power and financial gain, UK climbing in general (2011).

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Unsporting Climbing – Finally Identified

Saturday, May 28th, 2011

http://colinhaley.blogspot.com/2012/02/removal-of-cesare-maestris-bolt-ladders.html A brilliant response to the de-bolting of a beautiful mountain. As Claudio Corti, the Italian climber asked after his rescue in a harness on Hellapart’s back near the summit of the North face of the Eiger in 1957: ‘Does that count as the first Italian ascent?’ Maestri made a similar claim regarding the first ascent of Cerro Torre in 1959.

So-called: ‘Sports climbing’ had finally been identified, put in its place. Unsporting climbing, has for years now been making in-roads into the sport of climbing bringing pre-prepared climbing to those too tired or too lazy to take-on-board the tradition of real climbing. The outcome was never certain in trad climbing and it remains so today unlike the massive preparation that is involved in so-called – Sports Climbing, the drilling and insertion of expansion-bolts - into unquarried rock - unsporting climbing. The British Mountaineeing Council (BMC) in its wisdom, enticed young climbers into the sport via pre-prepared indoor climbing walls as part of its as created, multi-million dollar market.

‘Come on Dennis (Dennis Gray the then General Secretary of the BMC) I can make you loads-a-money – climbing walls, forget about Access and all that rubbish, competitions and climbing-walls that is where it is at. (Letter printed in High magazine).’ Silly little side-shows appearing at weekend fairs and fates where climbing-towers appear enticing youngsters to sample ‘climbing’. How sad, that such a noble, traditional sport should have succumbed to this, has been ‘taken apart’ by those who remain – for just a short time damaging the sport, before moving on… 

Unsporting Climbing: http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?n=460605 (05:01, Saturday, 28 May, 2011)

The Wonderful Duo:   http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?n=481945 Pre-placed bolts and pre-placed extentenders now being the name-of-the-game, apparently. One spin-off being that longstanding trad climbs are being / have been overbolted in Cornwall – soon to be de-bolted (as the offending bolts have not been removed, the original trad climbs in Cheesewring Quarry are to be de-bolted through the winter of 2011/2012). Can’t climb? Bolt!

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Protect and Survive PyB

Monday, May 16th, 2011

Protect & Survive: a Seminar at Plas-y-Brenin.

Protect & Survive was the title of the seminar organised at Plas-y-Brenin for the trade and guides: ‘Learn to live with your equipment.’  The picture on the left was printed in High Magazine, sponsored by the BMC,  in January, 1989, along with the article about the seminar.  Take a close look at the picture – there is just a single ice-screw belay at this stance, some distance from the foot of the Scottish crag.  Other ice-screws are visible as are, two ice-axes, one on the lower climbers belt, the other placed to one side, that could have been ‘placed in the ice” and tied into the belay. The picture in fact brings a whole new meaning to: Protect & Survive.

Just one year later, a BMG/UIAGM/IFMGA client was left belayed in the fashion shown – to just one ice-screw. In the ensuing fall; the guide fell, the client (Gerry Hedley) protected that single screw for as long as he could before he was catapulted from the 1,000ft north face of the Tour Ronde above Chamonix in the French Alps, when the single ice-screw failed. The guide of course – survived.

22 Years on: and the ability to assess risk management amongst climbers has been ruined to a degree with the wholesale acceptance of bolts into UK climbing by the so-called British Mountaineering Council (introduced into; flooded the UK climbing scene with 10,000 expansion bolts in 2007 which were then put - up for grabs by pro-bolters – no, bolted venues are on the decline stated ‘Alun’ on the 10 May, 2011). Apparently, in 2011, a climber a week is injured in the UK, this thought, from a climber, myself, who has climbed both privately and professionally for sixty years with no falls, no injuries – no bolts. It remains to be seen just what words-of-wisdom come out of the BMC/MTT/PyB’s Big Climb (May 14/15, 2011) Weekend. Perhaps more about Protect & Survivel – you never know?

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More Unsightly Ironwork on the Matterhorn/ & Removed from Cerro Torre

Friday, April 29th, 2011

The short metal ‘stakes’ (placed by “professionals of course”) started to appear on the Hornli Ridge of the Matterhorn in the late 1980′s and climbers were/are still using them to ‘safeguard’ their descent either by ‘lowering’ or abseiling from them. The original stakes did not have rings at the top through which something could be clipped unlike the more recent ones (clipping the rings puts an incredible strain on the vertical bar). The newer stakes have rings at the top because climbers were killing themselves falling the whole length of the East face after their rappel ropes ‘flipped off’ the original, short, straight-ended stakes.

The German climber in-front of me did exactly that: not lowering his body enough below the stake, it flipped off. It is amazing the length of time it takes for what is left of a dead body to reach the glacier below the East face of the Matterhorn, where somebody else, has to pick-up the pieces usually, in an ignominious net.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YK-OuFkKKU&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvd8_SumIvI&feature

Look well to – every step… The family of five who fell infront of us on Mt McKinley were scooped-up by grappling hooks on a long-line, dangling grotesquely still roped together, they were flown away.

http://rockandice.com/news/1787-cerro-torre-update-official-statement-from-hayden-kennedy-and-jason-kruk On the plus side, at least 125 expansion bolts were finally, removed; chopped from Cerro Torre on the 16th January, 2012.

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Risk with Responsibility

Friday, April 29th, 2011

http://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/page.php?id=1099 A climber sits surrounded by fallen rocks his helmet sits safely in his pack (if he has a helmet).

Risk with responsibility: A British perspective on accidents statistics by Roger Payne, then General Secretary, of the so-called British Mountaineering Council: ‘There have been many articles published in the press by journalists who are more interested in sensational stories than the – truth. As a result politicians have come to believe that mountaineering and climbing are extremely dangerous activities and have little or no understanding that risk is an essential part of our sport. This has resulted in a Member of the European Parliament calling for enforced certification for all who wish to have access to mountains, glaciers or crevasses. This is in an effort to reduce the number of fatal accidents that happen each year in the mountains. In Britain the (so-called) British Mountaineering Council (but would-be-governing-body) have held press conferences to attempt to educate journalists that mountaineering and climbing is far less dangerous than some other extremely popular sports when measured in the number of fatal accidents each year. From the statistics available it is clear that mountaineering is less dangerous than swimming (whilst no qualified swimming instructors were actually killed in 2009/2010 in Europe, eleven UIAGM/IFMGA mountain guides were – it is not known what happened to their clients), horse riding and fishing, yet we hear no call for participants in these activities to be licensed and nor should they be. We know that certification is wholly impractical and would not succeed in reducing accidents, yet it is raised regularly and at higher levels in government circles who feel that climbers are poorly represented…’

Step forward the – British Mountaineering Council that has actively enticed young people to participate in a  – potentially dangerous sport; an organisation steeped in rigid certification amongst commercial climbers. Mountain clients, unable to employ whoever they want, clients, who found out too late the emptiness of BMG/UIAGM/IFMGA advertising such as: ‘Why chance everything on anything less  have a Comprehensive Insurance Scheme.’ The ‘truth’ is, try claiming on it – one widow waited – seven years – 1990/1997.

A new twist to responsibility: ‘Climber jailed over ‘rock war.  A climber was jailed for a year for causing a caver to fall 300 feet, seriously injuring himself. Jeremie Brun was found guilty of “cutting through two ropes” fixed to a cliff in Savoy to aid potholers descending into  a grotto. The court in Albertville, Easter France, decided that Bruno, 18 at the time of the incident in 1998, acted maliciously in a dispute between climbers and cavers on use of the rock face. The prosecution had evidence that rock faces in the La Croix des Tetes mountains, where the incident occurred, were seen as a private domain by some climbers (step forward pro-bolters). The potholer, Lionel Vivet, 31, was in a coma for a month with head injuries. He spent eight months having 10 operations. Brun’s companions, the brothers Fabien and Laurent Buttard, who did nothing to stop him, each received a one-year suspended sentence.’ This is probably only the second recorded instance of  a climbers rope being deliberately cut.

Two killed in charity abseil: ‘Mountain training at its peak’, was being trumpeted by the British Mountaineering Council when a fatal accident occurred at the Cliffs of Moher in Co Clare, Ireland. Two climbers died in April, 2000, and another one was critical after they were hit by falling rocks while abseiling for – charity. Dominic Fehilly, 46, and Jenny Farrell, 25, died at the scene. Louis O’Driscoll, 46, had serious head injuries.

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‘clochette’: ‘Mold-ripened Goat Cheese’

Thursday, April 7th, 2011

clochette: Has commented on ukclimbing.com on the: Route Hogging Instructor thread at 09:09 on Tuesday 5 April, 2011, that someone who is concerned about the death’s of climbers and very concerned regarding the avoidable, ongoing deaths to commercial clients; the clients of “qualified” mountain guides and instructors is: “bitter & twisted”. Interestingly, I have not come across any of the relatives of deceased clients with the same point of view. Eddy Gaines for example (his only son died on the West Flank of the Eiger along with two other BMG clients in July, 1992) stated that his thoughts on the UIAGM/IFMGA guide concerned was - unprintable (Mail on Sunday, Analysis, ‘Eiger Sanction’ by Nick Fielding.) Eddy Gaines, bitter & twisted - I think not. Likewise, ‘clochette’ no doubt finds this young man to be very bitter & twisted: ‘One of the men you mentioned is my father and I would like to find out more info on Willie Dunnachie’s (e-mail 4 March, 2009) death I am one of his sons and our family were not informed that there would be no inquest and that the guides involved are back working – our lives messed-up the company and guides involved did nothing to help a mother with three small children, they did nothing to help us and are in business today when we are still struggling to cope with my fathers death to this day.’

http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?n=438167   ’dope’ : a person of little intelligence. ‘clochette’ – ripe, smelly cheese.

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‘Absolutely Amazing Site.’

Monday, April 4th, 2011

Due to the nonsense that abounds in commercial climbing I will call him – Alan. Alan, sent me an e-mail on the 12 October, 2009: ‘Absolutely amazing site, well researched and gives answers and food for thought on so many mountaineering related topics. I served as a ML1 (mountain leader) in the Royal Marines Mountain and Arctic Cadre. Now retired, but made a living as an independent guide, mostly taking UK clients to Nepal and South America. I would often go to Plas-y-Brenin to refresh first aid etc., etc, the reception I got (when they knew I took folk away without their approval (lol) was sometimes very, very annoying. I guided and instructed for over forty years and never lost a client, or called out Mountain Rescue. Keep up the site. I genuinely know where you are coming from, ‘it all wants saying’.

Walter Bonatti: ‘I also became an alpine guide (UIAGM), but soon gave it up: I decided to resign from the Courmayeur guides’ society – because I was sickened by the backbiting of the mountaineering world.’ (or as ‘clochette’ ukclimbing.com – a bell shaped, mold ripened goat cheese, hidding behind his/her computer would put it: Walter became bitter and twisted). ‘By following this calling I felt I was distorting and vulgarizing my ideals and my integrity.’ Bonatti, probably the finest climber who ever lived. Walter’s car tyres were damaged and his property was vandalised by – fellow (UIAGM/IFMGA) guides – you couldn’t make it up.

Mountaincraft and Leadership (Eric Langmuir), Appendix V, Training and Mountain Leaders: ‘It is  not intended - that the adoption of the Mountain Leader scheme by organising authorities or employers – should exclude from party leadership those highly competent mountaineers who are known to possess the necessary qualities but do not hold (for whatever reason) the Mountain Leader qualification.

http://pistehors.com/news/ski/comments/year-of-hard-knocks

http://pistehors.com/news/ski/comments/0942-karine-ruby-killed-by-cravasse-fall/ Parents start criminal action after two UIAGM clients are killed in crevasse fall. 23 February, 2011.

Alan: since you contacted me two years ago, at least 11 ‘official’ guides have been killed in climbing accidents nothing is known about the fate of their clients.

http://www.guidinglight.org.uk/tourronde.html  A Fine North Face: first ascent of an alpine  north face climb by a double-leg amputee - Norman Croucher. Norman and Dennis climbed, alternate leads, the north face of the Tour Ronde in 1983. http://mountainclients.typepad.com/mountain_clients/dartmoor-blizzard.html When a military commander looses control…

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