When Bradburn had gone she tried to feed the others barley sugar but they couldn't swallow it. She lay between them on the snow trying to keep them warm, and they stayed like this for an hour or so until, by 12.30 p.m. the men were dead. John Bradburn didn't return so she got up and went on.

She reached the 'keeper's cottage at Corrour two hours later. Although quite numb, she was still coherent and told them all the vital details. SMC and JMCS members were staying at the lodge. They went out with the 'keeper and two other men and found the bodies of Bradburn (he had collapsed and died about half a mile from the lodge), Black and Tewnion. On the following day all the bodies were recovered.

When the full story was known, it was clear that Ann Tewnion, instead of acting as a drag on the party (which might be the first thought of laymen) had been the fittest, not only physically but spiritually. Until they died she had tried to carry the weaker members of the party. They must have been many people who realised that subcutaneous fat was not the answer here. Ann Tewnion was older than the girl above the Devil's Kitchen; Ann was experienced, the girl was a novice and inadequately equipped. The only thing they had in common was this ability to survive an ordeal which killed their male companions.
* * * * *

In 1961, again at New Year, another girl and young man were involved in an accident on Scafell Pike. Students from Leeds University, they had planned to bivouac on the mountain. Some distance below the top they met very bad weather: snow and a high wind, and higher up there was a blizzard blowing. It seemed unsafe to descend and they decided to bivouac where they were. They were unable to light their Primus stove and they did eat some chocolate.

Next morning the man was in a bad way. He couldn't fasten his bootlaces before making their way down, and was soon unable to carry anything, so they abandoned their gear. The snow was deep, his boots came off, and they were unable to get them on again. He collapsed in a stream, where he was discovered by a walker, the girl having gone on for help. She lived, but the man died.

Most mountaineers who have had experience of leading mixed parties in the hills are aware of the artificial attitudes women adopt under normal conditions. Perhaps nowhere more than in this sport is sex more felt and less obvious. Girls will feign fear, incompetence, even illness to attract attention, particularly if a plainer, older woman in the party is a good climber. It is the natural reaction, under the circumstances, to sexual competition. But what is
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