Day Seven - Night Time Rescue!!

02:00 am in the morning.

Greg: “Quick, everyone get up! Two climbers went out at 10:30pm to recce for an abseiling location and haven’t returned yet so we’ll have to do a mountain search. Get warm clothes, a torch and a compass and whistle; a sleeping bag and bivvy bag between two."

Result? Major panic and everyone (plus the Survey bunch) down by geomorph, ready and armed within half an hour (apart from Liz who had sprained her ankle) and rushed fully booted across the torrential river (see earlier) and up the mountain in groups of three or four having been given our instructions:
1.       Always have the person on your left in front of you
2.       Three short blows on whistle for temporary stop, one to restart and two long ones for an emergency

Well, we walked along and came across the first climber, Pat: aggressive and swearing and obviously in an ‘advanced state of hypothermia’. Four went back to base with him, and we continued on, spread down the hillside searching for the unfortunate climber.

Half way across a fairly impressive scree slope, Woody developed acute wind and I, being nearest, was selected to escort him back to camp. Woody, eager to find the climber (what a conversation piece!) eagerly awaited his discovery (having relieved himself by squatting and burping), but it seemed unlikely since we were treading on previously surveyed land.

However, just a little upstream from Life Science (at about 5.00am) I spotted a light blue object and a whistle blow confirmed our suspicions. Now it was all go! I dashed down to Life Science to find a radio (having been convinced that the whole lark was a fake due to the total lack of enthusiasm) and somehow managed to co-ordinate a reception between Alpha (the others), Lima (us at Life Science) and Base. I went to a vantage point where both approaching groups might be observed. Mark and John arrived with the stretcher (by which time I had forgotten the exact location of our victim) but a whistle blow soon guided us to the unfortunate (but none-the-less very beautiful) mountaineer.

Woody was exerting his influence in the art of First Aid, and Dave was doing his bit by simulated vomited, shivering and various other stages of advanced hypothermia, which had to be treated by us non-experienced wallies, although we were omitted the pleasure of the ‘two-nudes-in-a-sleeping-bag’ trick. We finally strapped him in and, with me in lead with the radio (having been called a “garbled female in a state of hypertension”), the procession led down to the river, whereupon Dave decided he didn’t want to get wet, and left the stretcher. Nick’s mouth hit the floor, having not as yet appreciated the little joke. The stretcher party (having now crossed the river six times) reached geomorph camp, inspected what was left of our feet, let down Ian and Greg’s tent (Nick and John) and went to sleep.

No early morning (afternoon) tea was provided by the leaders as they were otherwise engaged, but brunch was underway at least by 12:00, and little groups set off for their various tasks of river mapping, levelling, plane tabling etc. as usual.

Came back in the evening from the braided stream to be accosted by abseilers on the way. So I, armed with size eight welly boots and a vague fear of heights was pushed up a near vertical rock face for my first experience of prusiking. Needless to say, I did not shine. However a couple of minutes’ respite at the top and a loan of a pair of walking boots to replace wellies, I abseiled down quite successfully and managed up and down much better again.

Dinner and bed.