ROPE SNAPS

Gisborne Times, Volume LXIV, Issue 10490, 15 October 1926, Page 3

ROPE SNAPS

CLIMBER FALLS 150 FT TO DEATH.

LONDON, Aug. 29. Two mountaineering parties had -tragic and thrilling experiences during Sunday’s thunderstorm, which was the most violent and of the longest duration in living memory in the Lake District. A climber on.Langdale Pikes, losing liis foothold on the slippery rocks, pitched 150 feet to-his death. Another mountaineer on Helvellyn fell into a bog-hole, and was only rescued after an hour’s struggle. The first “drum-fire” of the thunder amid the dales and gorges drove most of the mountain-climbing parties into the valleys for shelter. Threp Bradford men, however, persistcarin their plan to climb Ginuner Clrag..(2oooft), a well-known buttress on tlie west shoulder of Langdale Pikes. The crag was first sealed 23 years ago. The party consisted of: — George Erie Griffiths, chemist, John Moulson, and David Moulson, chemist.

Being experienced climbers, the three were roped for the arduous ascent.

Half-way up the crag, where tlie rocks are almost perpendicular, the storm broke. The* climbers had noticed the rapidly-gathering clouds, but decided to go on. As’the storm grew more intense, Griffiths left his companions and sheltered under a crag, while the others continued the climb. They were wearing rubber-soled shoes, which afford a safe foothold in dry weather, hut were probably more treacherous now that the rocks were awash with rain. The climbers seem to have slipped, and Griffiths, looking out through the rain and lightning, saw two bodies fall from the crags above him into the precipice below. John Moil Ison’s body struck a jutting ledge 20 feet below, and was j held by two boulders. The strain on the rope proved too o;reat. however, and David Moiilsou fell 150 feet to the bottom of the precipice. 30 FEET FROM SUMMIT. Griffiths descended to John Moulon, whom he found only half-con-scious and suffering from a sprained ankle, bruises and shook. Finding ihal David Moulson was dead, Griffiths hastened down, and got together a rescue party of hotel visitors and farm laborers. The descent of the mountain with the dead and injured men was carried out under great difficulty. Yorkshire ambulance workers .who had driven over by charabanc, lent willing aid. Griffiths considers .that the dead man, who had been leading, was only 30ft from the summit of the crag when lie pitched to death'. Two Liverpool men, Charles Jervis and William Rogers, who were also ‘u.f|jOAjoj-j no uuoqs oqi UT pjb’mi) tried to take a short cut down the mountain to AVythburn. Jervis took a ten-foot leap from a rock. He immediately vanished under the eyes of his companion into a hog. Rogers pluekily ventured into the hog, and Jervis was able to grasp his outstretched alpenstock. After an hour’s struggle he was dragged to firm ground, and both reached Wythburh in an exhausted state.