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a few hours.
Whereas misjudgment of weather (often the debilitating effect of wind) is the main cause of death from exposure, another almost as important and allied factor is the misjudgment of one's own capacity for resistance.
One finds this mistake is often made by young men who are very active in other fields - particularly young servicemen. Not for them Mr. Duff's course of sheltering while still fit. While they can move they go on, sometimes with disastrous results.
In November 1960 the Royal Marines cam to Llanberis to carry out a hill-walking and mountain navigation exercise as part of a Cliff Assault Instructors' course.
On November 30th, at 8.55 a.m., six of these students left Llanberis in pairs at ten-minute intervals to traverse the Glyders to Ogwen, and then part of the Carnedds (Carnedd Dafydd and Carnedd Llewelyn) and down Cwm Llafar to bethesda. Under normal conditions it wasn't a long walk. Certainly there was a big drop between the Glyders and the Carnedds so that, in all, between four and five thousand feet of uphill work was involved, but this is not a strenuous day for fit people.
There were instructors at check-points. It was raining at the start but there was not a lot of wind. Not enough to worry about, it was said afterwards. All the parties traversed the Glyders successfully.
In the afternoon the weather deteriorated rapidly. The officer in charge and an N.C.O., going up Cwm Llafar, met the first two pairs descending. One man was suffering from cramp and the officer and sergeant escorted him down to Bethesda.
At 5.30 p.m. an exhausted marine staggered down Cwm Llafar to the highest house and told the farmer that his companion was still on the hill.
The farmer reported to the police who informed the marines. They set out, as did the youth hostel warden from Idwal Cottage and one man from Ogwen Cottage, the last two carrying the Thomas stretcher between them. The wind was now so strong, sometimes at hurricane force, that they couldn't cope with it and the stretcher, and they were forced to retreat without establishing contact with the marine search party.
Four of the latter were so battered during the search that they had to be removed to hospital suffering from minor injuries and exposure. The summit of Carnedd Llewelyn was searched for two hours and nothing was found but a pair of windproof trousers.
The survivor had said that by 3.30 p.m. his companion had been suffering from the effects of the weather. They had reached the final check-point and had started to descent. His companion was exhausted now and the wind continually blew them off their feet. He tried to carry the casualty but couldn't manage more than 200 yards. So he put him in a hollow and built a stone wall for protection. He left all the clothes he could spare, a compass a whistle and a torch. He told the other to blow the whistle and flash the torch. When he thought he was understood he started down for help.
After the marines had searched for two hours in the gale, they retreated. The R.A.F. were called in at 2.45 a.m.
The search was resumed at first light, the marines going up Cwm Llafar, the R.A.F. leaving from Ogwen, and a third party starting from Glan Llugwy farm.
The missing man was found at 10.25 a.m. 300 yards from the summit of Carnedd Llewelyn, the whistle still clutched in his hand. He had died from exposure and exhaustion.
Probably this man would have lived had he got off the ridge sooner, and had he known the area better. If they couldn't descent on one side because the long cliff of the Black Ladders was below them, they could have
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