#white tower's stables to stay close to nicola.

[alectology-archive]

It seemed that Nicola—and Areina, who was working in the stables and often came to visit Nicola; they seemed so close that Egwene wondered whether they had become pillow-friends, always with their heads together and smiling mysterious smiles— Nicola and Areina had regaled them all with tales of her.

this is so funny... it appears it's impossible to seperate nicola and areina even in the white tower and I'm glad they're living their gayest lives out there. I couldn't resist looking up the wiki and of course nicola bonds areina as her warder later lol.

[gyrlversion]

Several climbers feared to be caught up in an avalanche on Ben Nevis

A climber has described watching ‘huge powder clouds’ thundering down a gully on Ben Nevis during an avalanche that killed two people and injured two others. 

The incident at Number 5 Gully on Britain’s tallest mountain was reported to police at 11.50am and a mountain rescue team accompanied by at least two helicopters were immediately dispatched. 

The witness said he was outside a mountain shelter when he saw the avalanche cascading down the gully.  ‘There were huge powder clouds,’ he wrote on UK Climbing Forum. 

‘[Other climbers] had attempted a climb earlier, and had aborted because of the conditions weren’t aware of anyone else out climbing today on the Ben.’

At around 3.20pm it was announced that two people had lost their lives and two more had been injured amid perilous conditions on the 4411foot-high peak.  

The injured and dead climbers are still being stretchered off Ben Nevis by mountain rescue teams in poor conditions, which have forced a Coastguard helicopter to stay grounded. At least one of the injured is thought to be close to death. 

Two other people have died on Ben Nevis so far this year.

The incident at Number 5 Gully on Britain’s tallest mountain was reported to police at 11.50am and a mountain rescue team accompanied by at least two helicopters were immediately dispatched (including the one pictured)

A graphic showing the location of Number 5 Gully alongside a map showing the location of Ben Nevis within the British Isles 

A report from the Scottish Avalanche Information Service warned the risk of avalanches would be high on Ben Nevis today. 

The report said: ‘As the freezing level rises during the night, there will be a brief period of high instability with avalanches occurring on many steep North, North-East and East aspects above 2,900 feet.’  

Police Scotland said: ‘We are coordinating a mountain rescue response following reports of an avalanche on Ben Nevis this morning. 

‘Police were informed that the avalanche had occurred in Number 5 Gully area at around 11:50am. We can sadly confirm that two people have died and two people have been injured.

‘Volunteers from Lochaber and Glencoe Mountain Rescue Teams remain at the scene and were assisted by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and Scottish Ambulance Service.’

The Scottish Ambulance Service were also alerted to the incident shortly after 12.20pm and sent an air ambulance, three ambulances and a trauma team to the peak.

A spokesman said: ‘We received a call at 1222 hours today to attend an incident in Ben Nevis.

‘We dispatched three ambulances, a Helimed resource and our trauma team to the scene.’

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said it was ‘absolutely tragic news’.

She tweeted: ‘My thoughts are very much with the bereaved and injured. And my gratitude as always for the work of our emergency services, Mountain Rescue and Coastguard.’

The constituency MSP for Lochaber has described the news as ‘absolutely awful’.

Kate Forbes MSP said: ‘First and foremost my thoughts are with the families of the climbers. This is heart-breaking news.

‘I’m sure that the hearts of everybody in the local area go out to those who are grieving. I sincerely hope that there are no further casualties.

‘Sincere gratitude, as always, goes to the volunteers in Lochaber and Glencoe Mountain Rescue Teams. They are ready and willing to go out in all weathers whenever the call comes.

‘We have fantastic terrain in Lochaber that attracts thousands of climbers and walkers every year, and it is desperately sad when people come to harm.’

The avalanche took place on Ben Nevis (pictured in a file photo) at around 11.50am, a Police Scotland spokesman said

Two people have died on Ben Nevis in recent months, and another six have died on other Scottish mountain ranges in the winter as a whole. 

None of the deaths were believed to be caused by avalanches. During the winter of 2012-13, eight people died because of avalanches. 

Eight other deaths on Scotland’s mountains so far this winter  

There have been eight deaths on Scotland’s mountains this winter – but none thought to be due to avalanche.

During the winter of 2012-13, eight people died because of avalanches.

The latest mountain victim of this winter was a climber rescued after spending a freezing night on a Highland peak on Saturday.

At first it was feared that the 57-year-old and his 49-year-old companion had been caught up in a massive avalanche in Glen Coe.

But it later emerged that they were found several hundred yards away from where it was thought they had been climbing.

Police Scotland said that both climbers were part of a larger group from Nottinghamshire.

The older man was airlifted to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary where he died.

His companion was taken to Belford Hospital in Fort William where his condition is described as “stable and non life threatening.”

They had both been climbing Boomerang Gully on 3658-ft high Stob Coire nan Lochan. It was feared they had been caught up in a large avalanche in the gully which was recorded on Friday – they day of their ascent.

A six hour search – involving nearly 20 members of Glencoe Mountain Rescue Team and a Coastguard helicopter – ended in dangerous conditions at 2am on Saturday with no sign of the pair.

But a massive resumed search, involving four mountain rescue teams, and two helicopters found the men – the first at noon and the other 30 minutes later. 

A 21-year-old Bristol University student died on Nevisafter she fell from a ridge she had been climbing on New Year’s Day.

On December 16, Patrick Boothroyd, 21, from West Yorkshire, died after a 1,500ft fall on the mountain.  

The latest mountain victim of this winter was a climber rescued after spending a freezing night on another Highland peak on Saturday.

At first it was feared that the 57-year-old and his 49-year-old companion had been caught up in a massive avalanche in Glen Coe.

But it later emerged that they were found several hundred yards away from where it was thought they had been climbing.

Police Scotland said that both climbers were part of a larger group from Nottinghamshire.

The older man was airlifted to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary where he died.

His companion was taken to Belford Hospital in Fort William where his condition is described as ‘stable and non life threatening.’

They had both been climbing Boomerang Gully on 3658-ft high Stob Coire nan Lochan. It was feared they had been caught up in a large avalanche in the gully which was recorded on Friday – they day of their ascent.

A six hour search – involving nearly 20 members of Glencoe Mountain Rescue Team and a Coastguard helicopter – ended in dangerous conditions at 2am on Saturday with no sign of the pair.

But a massive resumed search, involving four mountain rescue teams, and two helicopters found the men – the first at noon and the other 30 minutes later.

John Stevenson, leader of Lochaber MRT, said: ‘The conditions are very treacherous at the moment. We have gone from no snow – even on the top of Ben Nevis – to fresh snow, making it very avalanche prone, especially the areas where there is wind slab.

‘If you have got caught up in an avalanche – after about 15 minutes you are in trouble, but people have survived for many hours, depending on the snow and finding an air pocket. But you have to be very lucky. The trouble with Scottish snow is that it is usually wet and can freeze like concrete around you.’ 

Previous Ben Nevis deaths: Patrick Boothroyd, 21, pictured in the Dolomites in September, died after a 1,500ft fall on December 16 

Leo Grabowski, 28, (above) miraculously escaped almost unscathed after falling more than 1,600ft with Mr Boothroyd near the top of Tower Gully on Sunday, 16 December. Mr Grabowski is pictured on another climbing trip

Ironically the fewest number of main winter avalanches have been officially recorded in Scotland’s mountains.

The Scottish Avalanche Information Service said that a lack of snow had produced less than 60 snow slides by the end of February – the lowest in the organisation’s 30 years.

Mark Diggins, co-ordinator of the SAIS, said by this stage he would have expected more than 200 avalanches. But by today there have been just 74.

‘It’s very low, but it reflects the winter we have had with little snow,’ he said.

‘It has been a very warm winter. It has also been the driest winter in over 70 years. However winter is back at least this week with low temperatures, especially with added wind chill.

‘January and February is usually the peak time for avalanches, so this winter is very low.

‘The changing conditions have made forecasting more challenging because the dynamics are changing with more extremes of weather.

‘We would usually get 250-300 avalanches a season. The most we have had is over 350 – but not this year.’

The SAIS began on December 14 and ends on April 15.

Previous deaths: Two students were scaling Tower Gully on Ben Nevis when an overhanging ledge of snow collapsed and knocked them down the mountain (file picture)

The country’s vital winter avalanche service for walkers and climbers still warned of the risk of human-triggered snow slides.

It said 20 people in total were caught up in such avalanches during its 2017/18 season.

Some walkers and climbers came close to white death on Scotland’s mountains last winter, according to its report.

They had ‘very lucky escapes’ after being caught in avalanches.

The service recorded 261 avalanches during its 2017/18 season.

Of this number, 230 were natural and/or cornice triggered. Cornices are large overhanging ledges of snow.

Thirty avalanches were triggered by people who were walking, skiing or climbing in the mountains.

There were no fatalities due to avalanche activity recorded during the season, SAIS said.

But it added: ‘Some avalanche occurrences were minor, in that small releases occurred, but others were more significant and resulted in people being carried down by the avalanche, some with very lucky escapes.’

Every winter, SAIS assesses avalanche hazards and provides daily information on the stability of snowpack in the six mountain areas.

The areas are Lochaber, Glen Coe, Creag Meagaidh, Southern Cairngorms, Northern Cairngorms and Torridon.

Hillwalkers, climbers and skiers use the information to help them plan trips.

Ben Nevis, near Fort William in the western Highlands, is a popular destination for experienced climbers, attracting 125,000 visitors each year.  

How Britain’s highest peak saw two other deaths in recent months 

A Bristol University student died after a 500ft ‘horrific’ fall down Ben Nevis on New Year’s Day – the second death there in a fortnight. 

The female climber, 21, was on the Ridge Route between the summit of neighbouring Carn Dearg and Ben Nevis on a climb with three others. 

But at around 3300ft up she slipped on ice and fell down the mountain to her death.

Her friends, also studying at Bristol University, were stuck on the ridge above and later helped down by a mountain rescue team. 

Cardiff University student Patrick Boothroyd, 21, died on Britain’s tallest mountain in December after tumbling 1,500ft when a ledge of snow collapsed, but his friend Leo Grabowski miraculously survived. 

|The unnamed woman died on New Year’s Day while crossing a ridge connecting Ben Nevis (pictured left) with the summit of neighbouring Carn Mor Dearg (right of picture)

This is the coastguard helicopter flying close to Ben Nevis where a young woman fell to her death on New Year’s Day

A University of Bristol spokesman said: ‘It is with great sadness that we can confirm that on 1 January 2019 one of our students died in an accident whilst on a hiking trip to Ben Nevis in Scotland. The student was part of a larger group of students who had organised this new year trip to the Highlands.

‘Our hearts go out to the family and friends of this student. This tragic accident will be deeply felt across our university community, and we will make sure we have support available to all those affected.’ 

The tragedy came only two weeks after the death of another young climber on Ben Nevis.

Cardiff University students Patrick Boothroyd and Leo Grabowski were scaling Tower Gully on the 4,413ft peak on December 16 when a ledge of snow collapsed, causing them to fall 1,00ft.

Mr Boothroyd, 21, suffered a serious head injury while Mr Grabowski survived the fall with only broken bones.

Despite being dazed and disoriented, the 28-year-old immediately rang 999 and did his best to help his friend.

He covered him with a survival bag and huddled next to him, shielding him from the snow and wind. They were rescued after an hour but Mr Boothroyd could not be saved.  

He was near the top of Tower Gully on Sunday, 16 December, with a friend and co-climber in his 20s, when an overhanging ledge of snow collapsed on them on Ben Nevis, Scotland

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