Found Deceased Spain - Esther Dingley, from UK, missing in the Pyrenees, Nov 2020 #7

[Mel79]

I don't think she was worried about a private text with Dan explicitly stating that she intended to hike to France.

I think she had no intention of hiking into France, other than to "dip" off the Pic de la Glere into France.

Could be but why mention a room at Refuge Venasque if she didn't intend going that way?

 

[otto]

I feel like she approached from the Spanish side for the simple reason she didn’t make anymore cell communications, and her own SMS messages seemed to indicate that was what she might be doing.

That said, I still don’t get how she could fall going to the X on the previous images. Looking at the contours and the steepness of the grass in the previous photo it seems any slip would have caused her to slip back down towards the lake, not over the ridge into France. The only thing that explains that (again, just by looking at Google earth) is if she physically walked over the top ridge onto the other side, which doesn’t seem likely to me. If she was further away from the port, towards the actually pic, a fall here seems like she could possibly end up on the France side. But from the X I can’t personally see it (am I wrong here, can a person slip at that point from the Spanish side and slide down onto the other side?), not without careless stepping onto the other side or getting blown over.

Reports are that her body was below the Pic de la Glere, not the Port de la Glere.

This the search area that Dan added to his search map after her skull was found. During those hikes, he discovered her body near the Pic de la Glere.



I suppose Esther arrived at that location via one of these routes - although I personally exclude option B.

 

[otto]

Could be but why mention a room at Refuge Venasque if she didn't intend going that way?

Why mention that she doesn't know whether there is a Winter room? Good question. If she intended to go there in late November - when the weather can quickly change - she would know whether there is a Winter room. Why mention that there is no wifi for the next three days when that was not true. Why was it stated that she was well-equipped with excellent footwear when she was wearing worn out old shoes? Why hike a rugged slope in worn out shoes when she had crampons in her pack? Why insist that she hiked directly into France when she said she was hiking to Port de la Glere and might dip into France?

Lots of questions!

 

[Mel79]

I don't think she was worried about a private text with Dan explicitly stating that she intended to hike to France.

I think she had no intention of hiking into France, other than to "dip" off the Pic de la Glere into France.

Could be but why mention a room at Refuge Venasque if she didn't intend going that way?

I feel like she approached from the Spanish side for the simple reason she didn’t make anymore cell communications, and her own SMS messages seemed to indicate that was what she might be doing.

That said, I still don’t get how she could fall going to the X on the previous images. Looking at the contours and the steepness of the grass in the previous photo it seems any slip would have caused her to slip back down towards the lake, not over the ridge into France. The only thing that explains that (again, just by looking at Google earth) is if she physically walked over the top ridge onto the other side, which doesn’t seem likely to me. If she was further away from the port, towards the actually pic, a fall here seems like she could possibly end up on the France side. But from the X I can’t personally see it (am I wrong here, can a person slip at that point from the Spanish side and slide down onto the other side?), not without careless stepping onto the other side or getting blown over.

I think her phone just wasn't on just to save what little power it had left after the 22nd November communications. Last charge was probably in the motorhome the night of the 20th; her next stop, the Cabane de la Besurtas, had no facility for this, nor had the Refuge Venasque winter room. I think she'd have intended to send a message later on at a significant point -like the Port de la Glere or beyond.

 

[Mel79]

Why mention that she doesn't know whether there is a Winter room? Good question. If she intended to go there in late November - when the weather can quickly change - she would know whether there is a Winter room. Why mention that there is no wifi for the next three days when that was not true. Why was it stated that she was well-equipped with excellent footwear when she was wearing worn out old shoes? Why hike a rugged slope in worn out shoes when she had crampons in her pack? Why insist that she hiked directly into France when she said she was hiking to Port de la Glere and might dip into France?

Lots of questions!

Yes, we are unlikely to ever know. Does anyone check the soles of their excellent footwear though? I think most people assume they're good for as long as the tops last

 

[otto]

Could be but why mention a room at Refuge Venasque if she didn't intend going that way?


I think her phone just wasn't on just to save what little power it had left after the 22nd November communications. Last charge was probably in the motorhome the night of the 20th; her next stop, the Cabane de la Besurtas, had no facility for this, nor had the Refuge Venasque winter room. I think she'd have intended to send a message later on at a significant point -like the Port de la Glere or beyond.

She should have had no problem re-charging her phone.

"Esther’s phone (and head torches) are supported by the 27600 mAh battery pack capable of recharging her phone fully up to five times."
​

https://42cc80b7-be3b-41e3-a85b-18b...d/4addd9_d8c55b489c6f445b96d6324dd882f5a1.pdf

 

[otto]

Yes, we are unlikely to ever know. Does anyone check the soles of their excellent footwear though? I think most people assume they're good for as long as the tops last

I'm not so sure. As an experienced hiker, perhaps worn out soles of her shoes were believed suitable for the scree and rocky cliffs at Pic de la Glere. SAR specifically commented on the shoes being worn smooth and not suitable for that type of hike. They mention footwear as a possible contributor to a slip and fall.

 

[otto]

She fell 30 metres, or 100 feet, near the summit of Pic de la Glere. She was wearing smooth soled shoes on the mountain ridge rather than the microspikes that she had with her.

"Early investigations suggest she may have slipped and fallen 20-30 metres from a ledge while hiking in 'worn' walking shoes.
...

It is thought Esther plunged down a steep boulder-strewn slope from a point near the 2,300ft summit of the Pic de la Glere.
​

Boyfriend of tragic British hiker shares their final words to each other

"It is thought she plunged down a steep boulder strewn slope near to the 2,300ft summit of the Pic de la Glere which straddles the French-Spanish border.
...

Investigators also believe Esther may have slipped in walking shoes worn without spikes.

She was wearing a pair of worn La Sportiva hiking shoes, but not a Kahtoola Microspikes traction system that she had with her. The spikes are marketed as the ‘gold standard’ crampon-style add-ons for mountains ‘in frozen conditions’.

But it is thought Ms Dingley was solely using the shoes, because weather conditions were relatively good. State prosecutor Mr Amunzateguy said the shoes were worn after months of use, and ‘clearly the soles were a bit smooth’."
​

Missing British woman fell 100ft to death before animal dragged skull from body

​

 

[nazvilusa]

In addition to possible explanations re disoriented, etc., might she have been in a hurry/feeling time pressed (if believing no viable place to spend the night).

 

[searancke]

Reports are that her body was below the Pic de la Glere, not the Port de la Glere.

This the search area that Dan added to his search map after her skull was found. During those hikes, he discovered her body near the Pic de la Glere.

View attachment 308848

I suppose Esther arrived at that location via one of these routes - although I personally exclude option B.

View attachment 308849

@otto Just so I understand your pictures, the route DC appears to have walked "recently" prior to finding Esther is within the triangle made by the two routes on your map marked A and B.

So he appears to have walked up to (or down from) a point midway on your line marked A?

He does not appear to have walked on the steep slope underneath the line you have marked C?

 

[Federico_A]

Here's an unusual view of the Spanish side of the Pic from across the Ibon de Gorgutes. You can see how steep those grassy slopes really are. Federico's red arrow points up the grassy slope to the right of the picture:

http://www.imag-in-pyrenees.com/sacroux_fichiers/pn406x55.jpg

That's the best picture I've seen of it from the Spanish side. I was assuming it was 45 degrees all the way up from the main path but above the crags it looks more severe than the Devil's Kitchen in Wales. Google Earth unfortunately smooths out all the crags and makes everything look easier than it is - that can be quite misleading.

There does seem to be path up the grass at that point though (just very faintly visible in the picture) so I assume it must go through a gap (not visible) to the ridge. While that's obviously a pretty vigorous ascent, it accords with "il faut être un sacré montagnard pour y aller" and it's still a whole lot more feasible than the summit of Pic de la Glere, which I see is still mooted but which I absolutely cannot believe.

Methinks the media are just using the name of the mountain to identify the rough area. In any case, the authorities surely won't reveal the exact location because they'll be afraid some curious daytripper will go there to check it out and meet the same fate.

I don't believe the bears/wolves story, but then I am obviously biased on that point in favour of the vultures, and I guess they don't want to mention vultures out of delicacy.

I'm sure there'll be a plaque placed at Port de la Glere for Esther before long. I do hope though that DC is dignified enough not to write a book about it.

 

[mal23]

Reports are that her body was below the Pic de la Glere, not the Port de la Glere.

both are true. the Port (col) is below the Pic and the accident was below the Port...
Pic de la Glere is a red herring (given as 2300ft in the media when in fact it's more like 2500m (300m above accident with 20-30m fall..))
what's with all the pics of the Spanish side when she was found in France?

 

[Grouse]

Why was it stated that she was well-equipped with excellent footwear when she was wearing worn out old shoes?

RSBM - they may have been worn but they certainly weren't old, as I posted in the last thread she only bought them in September, toward the end of the Alpine trek . I don't think they will have been cheap either (though it depends what you call cheap) - most of the La Sportiva shoes/boots are over €200.

 

[Grouse]

She should have had no problem re-charging her phone.

"Esther’s phone (and head torches) are supported by the 27600 mAh battery pack capable of recharging her phone fully up to five times."
​

https://42cc80b7-be3b-41e3-a85b-18b...d/4addd9_d8c55b489c6f445b96d6324dd882f5a1.pdf

Yes, I have thought about that, and wondered why the use of airplane mode. But then I realised that, as it was intended to be a 4-5 day trip, with anticipated heavy use of camera , wifi where present to do SM uploads, GPS etc, she may well have needed to recharge at least five times, so it then made sense to be conserving battery on day 2 of the trip.

 

[searancke]

both are true. the Port (col) is below the Pic and the accident was below the Port...
Pic de la Glere is a red herring.
what's with all the pics of the Spanish side when she was found in France?

"D’après nos informations, ils ont été repérés « dans un secteur très accidenté », au niveau du Pic de la Gléré, quelques centaines de mètres plus haut que le Port éponyme." from here
Pyrénées. Après son crâne, le reste du corps et le matériel d'Esther Dingley retrouvés | Actu Toulouse

So above the Porte and below the Pic.

The thought is that she may have fallen from the ridge, which is "what's with all the pics of the Spanish side", people are looking for a way up to a point at which she may have fallen.

 

[otto]

​

@otto Just so I understand your pictures, the route DC appears to have walked "recently" prior to finding Esther is within the triangle made by the two routes on your map marked A and B.

So he appears to have walked up to (or down from) a point midway on your line marked A?

He does not appear to have walked on the steep slope underneath the line you have marked C?

Esther's remains were found on Route B, roughly 30 metres below the peak. She was found beneath the Pic de la Glere, hidden by the mountain boulders. 30 metres is the same as stepping off a 10 storey building. 100 feet. 10 feet per floor.



Dan made one pass of the Port de la Glere location even though Esther said that was her destination. This is the post-skull map. The earlier map has one trek near port/pic glere.



Dan walked the Port de la Glere trail once and then zigzagged 700 miles or kilometres around that trail. She said that she would be there, yet that area was relatively un-searched until after her partial skull was found.

 

[mal23]

So above the Porte and below the Pic.

the Port is > 2350m so accident site at 2200m with 30m fall must be wrong?

 

[Grouse]

Yes, we are unlikely to ever know. Does anyone check the soles of their excellent footwear though? I think most people assume they're good for as long as the tops last

I don't on a regular basis but I'd notice when cleaning the soles when it's been muddy going. Certainly wouldn't be expecting the tread to be worn, or looking for that, in a pair less than 3 months old.

Just got my old boots out (nowhere near as expensive as La Sportiva) and had a look. I've had them years and done easily 1000 miles in them, not Alpine or Pyrennean level but including numerous peaks in the UK, and they still have plenty of tread left.

 

[mal23]

Looks to me like they heaved the Sun journalist up the Spanish side (because he wouldn't have made it up the French side?) and then did a little hike just over the border, but I'm not sure because the video shows so little. They don't even show the face of the Pic that she fell off. The guide's rather sexist comment wasn't impressive either, "A woman hiking alone with a heavy pack on her pack in November would have found it challenging with snow on the ground - no matter how experienced."

looks like they didn't have a altimeter.. or map...

 

[OEJ-JEO]

That's the best picture I've seen of it from the Spanish side.

You ain't seen nothing yet!

RUTAS Y SENDEROS PIRENAICOS Y OTROS VIAJES: Image

That's 4608 x 3456 pixels and has two tiny people for scale.

Here's another taken even closer to the point of the arrow:

RUTAS Y SENDEROS PIRENAICOS Y OTROS VIAJES: Image

Here's a whole album of very detailed pictures taken in the vicinity of the Port:

Puerto de la Glera

And I'd seen this picture of the summit ridge before, but I'm not sure I'd noticed the tiny people on it:

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UkglhcClU...con+la+Arista+Cimera+de+la+Glera.+6-6-14..JPG

I present these for public perusal without attaching any particular thesis.