Plunging climber’s prayers answered

Press, 11 January 1986, Page 1

Plunging climber’s prayers answered

By

CHRIS TOBIN

in Timaru

Christian Doblin, a young Australian climber, prayed as he hurtled down Mount Cook last Sunday in a nightmare plunge over a 305metre ice face which claimed the life of his companion, Kevin Payne, aged 18.

“The only thing I was thinking about was praying to God to help me come through this alive,” said Mr Doblin, aged 23, in Timaru Hospital yesterday. He is recovering from ankle and knee injuries. , “I was sliding down and I remember at one stage my ice axe had come out of my hands and was falling above me and I tried to reach up and grab it. “Somewhere during my fall I became airborne. I must have flown over some sort of ledge which threw me out of the spread-eagled position I was in. “I thought, ‘Am I ever going to stop?’ Things seemed to be taking a long time. Then I realised I was slowing down and I had stopped. “My first reaction was, Tm still in one piece. I’m still together’.” Mr Doblin’s prayer was answered as he came to rest on a snow-covered slope, but about 20 metres away lay the body of his friend and fellow student at Monash University, in Melbourne.

When the tragedy occurred the two men had been climbing since midnight, nine hours before. From the Plateau Hut they had scaled Mount Cook’s east ridge and then descended to Porters Col where they intended to climb the low peak of Mount Cook. “Ken was leading and I belayed him over the col and then called to him to belay me across,” said Mr Doblin. “As I went to go

across one of my crampons did not grip the ice and I skidded. I yelled to Ken that I was falling and tried to self-arrest my fall. Then I started picking up speed and couldn’t stop myself. I expected the rope to tighten. I knew it hadn’t and knew Ken hadn’t held my fall.”

Mr Doblin said he was annoyed at the critical comments about the reasons for the tragedy. He believes he and Mr Payne were equally to blame for what had happened. One climber belayed at the wrong time just as the other chose the wrong spot for a foothold. At the end of the fall Mr Doblin found he was “still functioning” but one knee and ankle were sore and his fingers were numb. Getting up he saw Mr Payne’s rucksack lying on the slope above him.

“Then I turned round and saw his body about 20 metres away. He had fallen a slightly different way to me. I went to him right away. I didn’t realise he was dead.

“I lifted up his arm and looked at his face. His eyes were covered over because of some swelling and I noticed blood coming from his ear so I didn’t bother doing first aid — I knew he was dead.” Two hours later, about 11.15 a.m., rescuers reached the site and Mr Doblin and his dead companion were lifted by helicopter from the Express Shelf to park headquarters. Mr Doblin was treated at Twizel for his injuries and then transferred to Timaru Hospital. He will be discharged today and will return to Australia on Wednesday.

Mr Ken Payne, a young man who loved the mountains and outdoors, was buried at Burkes Pass cemetery on Thursday. Mr Doblin intends to keep -climbing, even in the Mount Cook National Park.

“My interest in climbing is undiminished and my views have not changed. “Despite what happened, the memories are remarkable. The beauty of the climb, the surroundings, the sunrise, being able to be part of a creation, was something Ken and I both treasured.

“I think through this incident God is trying to teach me something which I wouldn’t have learnt. Since I’ve been in hospital I’ve grown convinced that living my faith is the most important thing.”