ORDEAL ON SNOWDON.

Waipawa Mail, Volume XLVIII, Issue 86, 13 April 1927, Page 1 (Supplement)

ORDEAL ON SNOWDON.

CLIMBER’S HOURS WITHOUT FOOD.

Mr Stapleton Cotton, of Shepherd’s Bush, London, in search of whom parties ranged over Snowdon yesterday, and who spent nearly two days and a night on the mountain without food, but succeeded in making a safe return, after nightfall last night, spent a good night at Bettws-y-cocd and said this morning that ho felt thoroughly exhilarated after his adventure but was sorry to have given the search parties trouble concerning him. He arrived at Bettws-y-coed from London on Monday and on Tuesday climbed the neighbouring mountains On Wednesday morning after breakfast he determined to attack Snowdon, as .he was an experienced mountaineer. He found the weather bitterly cold on the steeps of Snowdon, but plodded on until he gained the summit,' where he became enveloped in mist. He tried to make his way carefully down the Capcl Curig route, but became lost in the mist. Weariness made it necessary for him to rest at times in mountain clefts, but the intense cold caused him to keep on the move. It was not until dawn that he discovered that he -kail been walking in circles in the thick fog. He was exhausted for want of food, and for drink could only suck icicles on the mountain side. With daylight he was able to thread his way through the snow down to Penypass and Capel Curig and arrived at Bottws-y-coed thoroughly exhausted after thirty hours of mountaineering without food.

Mr Stapleton Cotton is connected with the family of Cottons once residing at Penybryn Hall, Llangollen, and has had experiences of mountain climbing in Wales, the English Lakes and Scotland.