On Ben Nevis and other big mountains the two great hazards of winter rescues are weather and inaccessibility. The north-east face of the Ben is about four miles from the nearest habitation; the youth hostel in Glen Nevis. To reach this, the survivor of an accident, possibly injured and always shocked, must cross a wide saddle at two thousand feet which is exposed to the full force of northerly or southerly gales. There is another way down: to the distillery on the Great Glen road; this may be more sheltered but it is slightly longer.

By the time the rescue party reaches the victim it is usually dark and bad weather prevails. This is why, once it is found that life is extinct, bodies are sometimes left until the morning. It is dangerous to remove them at night, particularly if the rescuers are inexperienced. Civilian rescuers are not always equipped with the essentials. They may be out at night without headlights - even conventional torches - or they may be on steep snow without axes. Nor are they always competent in the prevailing conditions.

Broadly speaking there are two types of rescue: that which involves rescue only, and that involving a search. The former is the type where a man has been seen to fall and the rescuers are directed to the spot. Often the survivor or some other eyewitness will return with the rescue team. The second type of accident usually involves walkers. Sometimes the missing man will be travelling alone; sometimes there may be several in the party, but no survivors. In both the latter cases large and protracted searches are carried out.

There is also the type of incident where disaster overtakes a party, the survivor reaches the valley but either through shock or ignorance of the mountain, is unable to direct the searchers to the right place. It seems incredible that not all the members of a party may know which route they are on, but this has been known to happen.

Some routes on a cliff may possess similar names although they are not adjacent. It is possible that the survivor of a climbing accident may reach the valley safely, turn out a rescue party, but direct them to the wrong climb. In darkness the fallen man cannot be found, and although he will be found next day he may die overnight from exposure.

Guides and expert amateurs will halt their parties well out from the foot of a cliff in good visibility, in order to point out its features and the proposed Continue to page 2