the broken axes it seems likely that the leader fell, and the belays (axe shafts) were inadequate for the job.

Accidents on Ben Nevis are a catalogue of errors of judgement: misjudgement of weather, time, snow conditions, and - more simple still - plain inexperience of the topography of the mountain.

Which factor or factors were the cause of the death of two young American students in May 1955 is unknown. They were members of Edinburgh University Mountaineering Club. One, Hadden, was a good and experienced climber in the Coastal Ranges and father afield in the United States. His companion was comparatively inexperienced. Before coming on this trip they had discussed it with other members of the University Club and decided to try Tower Ridge. And this was where they were last seen - approaching the Douglas Boulder at its foot at 11.30 am on May 22nd.

Two days later the RAF found them, still roped together, at the foot of Zero gully.

Reports and deductions varied and that kind of controversy ensued which seems so incomprehensible and petty to the intelligent layman, but which is vitally important to friends of the victims who are anxious to vindicate them. Although they will admit an error of judgement they will not allow exaggeration or wild surmise.

Despite the fact that they were found at the foot of Zero Gully (which bounds Observatory Ridge on the east) some reports suggested they had fallen from Tower Ridge - which would have been quite impossible. An exposure meter found in Zero Gully led others to suppose that they might have been attempting the latter route. But their friends insisted that they had reached the top of Tower Ridge safely and were descending the Ben when they fell. John Heap says:

“The most likely explanation is that they climbed Tower Ridge and reached the top to be greeted with a tremendous gale from the north-west - the direction is fairly certain; it was this gale on the Sunday which blew down most of the tents on the official EUMC meet in Glen Rosa, Arran - it was very fierce. I believe that they probably made for the Observatory and decided that they couldn't face the wind with rain or snow, and elected, against our advice about getting off the Ben in bad weather, to try for the Carn Mor Dearg arête. If they set off on a compass bearing - they had a compass but not, I think, very much experience of using one - almost certainly in near darkness and very poor visibility, they would have had the wind on their starboard quarter. The accident was caused by forgetting that, although they were always facing in the right direction, they were slowly side-stepping towards the cliffs under the pressure of the wind, and fell down, possibly breaking a cornice, from directly above where they were found ...The thing which got them was, I think, inexperience of the ferocious weather which can prevail on the Ben...“

Once the preliminary slip has occurred and the climber is completely helpless, the element of luck, good or bad, attending ensuing events, is fantastic. That the two Americans Continue to Page 14

The British Mountaineering Council has since issued a warning that exposure meters may affect compass readings to some considerable extent - author