LOST IN THE MOUNTAINS

Hokitika Guardian, 17 September 1921, Page 4

LOST IN THE MOUNTAINS

<i!v (carpi' I). Abraham, the Famous Climber and Author of "The Com- | lot,. Mmintaitti'cr."l To all v. lio wander on the mouitl iins v ll mtp or old. '‘never pn alone’' is sound aclvi"'. Year by year the Iht of niiitintain mysteries prows, an 1 t hi-i' i*t Snowdonia aas lutip suori-iue ill t.ltis lcs pc: t the l.akclattd iiinmi I n ins have rcicutiy p.i t hi'fi'd in thc'ijs viei inis. The recent stranp.-ly lucly discovery. In tv. a expert cr.ipsinen. of Mr Filwaril ('rump on a ledpe in Fief's Hhyll was i' illi in an ace of udtlinp to the trapie list. A few hours more must have resulted in death. F'aept lor days and niphts of perfect weather, to survive as lie did on that ] erilotts ledpe. cut off front human aid. for 18 days, would have ls’ett impossible. The elderly pedestrian. HO years oi ape set out from Tilberthwaite. near Conistoll, to walk to CrtiianioeU Water on ,]mte 21. and from that, time until July Dili. lie utterly disappeared from human ken. Search parties did nobly, but those who know the country and the itinum rah|e variations of mate i essihlii will IVyl is'e till' tllllikojihood of Kiteeess. Hundreds of people must have been within sight of the ledpe where lie lay. hut in such vast surroundings discovery is unlikely and calls would not be heard. Curiously enoiiph Air Crump became entmtpled in a mountain recess where iniinerotisi had lus-idents and narrow rsenpes have happened and the deathtrap nature of Pier's (ilivll deserves no- | tiee. ; In descendinp Seawfell Dike towards Sly 11 etui Pass tile head of the preat porpe is soon encountered and every cure needs to he taken to attiliin and follow tlu* ripht-haiul hank. On tb-’ left Ivtttk two or three .preat piillies cotne down almost at t ipht attples I rota r.imnnell and the further ol these at least- is itnpassable for ordinary uaP'ers. Tt is in makinp the at telnet '•* cross this rather than return that disaster occurs. A r et without this and siimhu' denlV trans those who wander alnne on inn 1 "'- | a ins have nrnvided some slranpe Ire uedies. A verv sihdii stund'h' mav result in daotaped limbs a tmrained aiik 1 - ma\* cot off the mmintnin wanderer 1" l,,„„lv vl'ecs where the lil-ilihei'd e r ipseoei'i'.. is remot" Tt I*- veuiarka'' 1 ■ ’ e'eilisat;!on ".mi" H v-itiil"!'," b"**e r,„„„i Tt,c I'e.lv "f a "olitarv ifiain i"’"l'.lev was fn""d ilnvt.m war H.'t,' within f.f*v *«'« - r J 1 ’" eoa*'i road en the west side o' Thi*l mere, after pinny search parties had

hunted for weeks in the central mountains' round Bnrrowdale, where the lost man was last seen. Sliplit illness or mental (letanpements j tbrouph hot weather have accounted for many losses. Thus only ran several of the Welsh mysteries he explained. Tilt* stit'llnpest of all is the ease in June 1874 of Air Kendal, whose hoots ami stock inps were found by the shores nl f.lytt l.lvdani. His lmdy was found about ten days later Itipb up on drih.v Ddvspyl. and it is astonisliinp how . suelt. a ohiec could have Itoen reached barefooted. The why and wherefore of this escapade is unknown and the Dlanheris jury’s verdict was Dentil from Kxposure. Scores of lives have been lost unneces-s-ii ily on British mountains, hut the j survival of Afr Crum]) on 'that awesome i fare of Pier’s Clhyll holds the record for length of endurance.