Tower Ridge climber dies, partner survives freezing night

Neil Stoodley, 31, of Bradford died after falling hundreds of feet on Ben Nevis´s Tower Ridge face, police said on Monday. According to reports, he was found with his climbing partner – who survived – at the base of Glovers Chimney, after both were reported missing, having gone climbing on the classic route Tower Ridge on Ben Nevis on Saturday. The unnamed survivor, aged 43, was taken to Belford hospital, Fort William, with head and chest injuries, having lain overnight in freezing conditions after a fall of hundreds of feet. Scotland is in the grip of blizzards; we await news of whether he escaped without frostbite. Craig Davis wonders how the accident happened: „I climbed this route the Monday before, got caught out with the scale of things and ended up topping out at 10.30pm. In the gaparea there was a snow bollard for belay before the gap, a piece of tat hung as you descended to the top of Glovers Chimney and a good spike for a sling as you stood in the gap?looking down the chimney. I keep wondering whether this unfortunate pair had either the tat or the snow bollard give way on them.“ We don´t know – further details welcomed. The mountains are proving dangerous again – a woman climber is reported missing on Beinn Narnain; a climber injured his back after falling on Waterfall Gully on Ben Nevis; and five climbers were caught in an avalanche that swept them 100ft down the Fannichs, Wester Ross. As usual we will update this with any helpful info, such as how the accident may have happened. If you have some knowledge on this, please email!