The dogs are with family in the UK I believe.
Found Deceased Spain - Esther Dingley, from UK, missing in the Pyrenees, November 2020 #3
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That certainly gives a different impression than we have otherwise heard about the relationship.
I've always been curious why the book about mountain travels was authored only by Dan. Surely everything that was written was somehow influenced by both of them. Perhaps he was better with words, she with photography, but still it was a 6 year joint journey.
January 9
"The final time the couple spoke was via a video call. 'We were both very happy to see each other so happy. We were also excited we'd be together again in a few days,' Mr Colegate said.
Mr Colegate dismissed the theory that that his partner could have 'voluntarily disappeared' because she was unhappy in their relationship.
This theory was put forward by French Captain Jean-Marc Bordinaro in December, who has been leading the investigation into Ms Dingley. He told The Times that officers were unable to dismiss 'the theory of a voluntary disappearance' [suicide?].
...
French police, meanwhile, have dismissed the possibility that a third party may have been involved in her disappearance, saying an accident is the 'favoured line of enquiry' in their investigation.
....
Since Ms Dingley's disappearance, Mr Colegate has worked with British charity LBT Global. His work has lead to a dossier outlining three theories behind her disappearance. These are that she was involved in an accident, that she went missing on purpose, or that someone else harmed her.
...
Mr Colegate told the newspaper ... 'A third person being involved is the only other viable alternative.'
...
A book and memoir written by Colegate and later published titled 'What Adventures Shall We Have Today?: Travelling from More to Less in Search of a Simpler Life', published in June"
Boyfriend of Briton who vanished in Pyrenees rubbishes claim she was unhappy in their relationship | Daily Mail OnlineMr Colegate dismissed the theory that that his partner could have 'voluntarily disappeared' because she was unhappy in their relationship.
This theory was put forward by French Captain Jean-Marc Bordinaro in December, who has been leading the investigation into Ms Dingley. He told The Times that officers were unable to dismiss 'the theory of a voluntary disappearance' [suicide?].
...
French police, meanwhile, have dismissed the possibility that a third party may have been involved in her disappearance, saying an accident is the 'favoured line of enquiry' in their investigation.
....
Since Ms Dingley's disappearance, Mr Colegate has worked with British charity LBT Global. His work has lead to a dossier outlining three theories behind her disappearance. These are that she was involved in an accident, that she went missing on purpose, or that someone else harmed her.
...
Mr Colegate told the newspaper ... 'A third person being involved is the only other viable alternative.'
...
A book and memoir written by Colegate and later published titled 'What Adventures Shall We Have Today?: Travelling from More to Less in Search of a Simpler Life', published in June"
Maybe we should look at the timeline of contact between Esther and her partner on Nov 21 and Nov 22. Was it 26 hours?
What does that look like if the relationship was out of balance? She checked in with Dan and some family on Nov 22 from the summit. Did she check in with all of the same people on Nov 21?
What does that look like if the relationship was out of balance? She checked in with Dan and some family on Nov 22 from the summit. Did she check in with all of the same people on Nov 21?
RickshawFan
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Food=Calories; Calories=Heat
Hypothermia is a bigger threat if you don't have enough food.
Auntie Cipation
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It seems to me that
if a person was unhappy in their relationship, and
if they somehow couldn't just leave the relationship in the usual way (ie tell partner they don't want to stay together), and
if they decided to take advantage of a solo trip to make their break to a new life without having to confront their partner,
they would nevertheless stay in touch with their own family and would certainly contact LE to say there is no need to conduct searches for them.
MOO
Megnut
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What attaches a person to the cable system? A carabiner or something of the sort? If her route was a known one..... hmmm.... what if someone sabotaged her joiner? With deadly consequence....
Thinking so far outside the box that I'm in a completely different box altogether. Just a thought... because I've heard of parachutes that are jimmied....
JMO
Thinking so far outside the box that I'm in a completely different box altogether. Just a thought... because I've heard of parachutes that are jimmied....
JMO
RickshawFan
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You'd need ED's weight as well as approx. 34 lbs for her clothing, boots, and pack. You'd need the dossier's approximately 16 lbs, plus the clothing she had on, plus the boots, plus the weight of the sundries (not a minor amount when you add it up), plus the things that were not on the list (including ground cloth tarp, 2 pairs of socks, lighter, matches, food sack, stuff sack for sleeping bag, 4? ultralight tent pegs, guys, mini first aid kit, 3 baggies, piece of duct tape, passport, map, etc.), plus food (standard would be 2 lbs per person per day; plus 1 extra meal, plus an extra energy bar), plus 2 liters water (4 lbs.)....
It's hard to imagine how much all the little things weigh, until you start adding them up. Trust me when I say their weight is SUPER annoying, because they are essential, and they can seem inconsequential. You can see the list I came up with right off the bat! Did you know for instance, that a UK passport weighs 2.7 ounces? Next thing you know...
******
I'm very partial to down because it's very light for its warmth, but if you get it wet (e.g. if you hit the water in a down jacket), it'll absorb water like crazy...
Another thing, the way that pack is designed, it pulls you backwards. This is especially true for women, because compared with men, there's not enough upper body muscle to compensate to pull the pack over the core. This could be a very significant factor in an accident that involves balance or that compromises the back and/or knees.
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Exactly. Voluntarily missing does include suicide. If she was voluntarily missing and alive, she would have come forward to family and authorities.
Police have dismissed third party involvement, voluntary disappearance is still considered, accident is favoured.
"French police, meanwhile, have dismissed the possibility that a third party may have been involved in her disappearance, saying an accident is the 'favoured line of enquiry' in their investigation.
This theory was put forward by French Captain Jean-Marc Bordinaro in December, who has been leading the investigation into Ms Dingley. He told The Times that officers were unable to dismiss 'the theory of a voluntary disappearance'
Boyfriend of Briton who vanished in Pyrenees rubbishes claim she was unhappy in their relationship | Daily Mail OnlineThis theory was put forward by French Captain Jean-Marc Bordinaro in December, who has been leading the investigation into Ms Dingley. He told The Times that officers were unable to dismiss 'the theory of a voluntary disappearance'
That would suck. If they are not in good shape, they fail.
Dropping 1600 feet down a mountain would result in good speed by the time it landed near or in the water. I posted the link to school physics - the formula is there somewhere.
Voluntary disappearance and suicide could explain why she didn't research the Refuge de Venasque, didn't know about the Winter room, didn't book in advance. Perhaps she had no intention of going there - but told some people that was her plan.
Perhaps that's where we get the confusion that she was hiking from the Pic de Sauvegarde to the Port de Venasque and Refuge de Venasque OR she was hiking to the Port de Glere. There's no trail from Pic de Sauvegarde to Port de Glere, but perhaps she planned to watch the sunset that evening on the peaks towards Port de Glere.
Perhaps that's where we get the confusion that she was hiking from the Pic de Sauvegarde to the Port de Venasque and Refuge de Venasque OR she was hiking to the Port de Glere. There's no trail from Pic de Sauvegarde to Port de Glere, but perhaps she planned to watch the sunset that evening on the peaks towards Port de Glere.
I'm very curious about the terrain around the summit, the trails and how steep it is.
Le Port de Venasque
Le Port de Venasque
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RedHaus
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Yes, Otto. I have wondered that myself in my prior musings here - whether ED truly intended to go to the Refuge de Vanesque on 22/11. Or if she simply descended back down to her van or the Cabane she stayed at 21/11 at the trail head of Pic de S... Or hiked towards Port de Glere - via the trail next to the Refuge de Vanesque - to possibly bivouac on the edge of Lac de Montagnette (see image below). Or did she bivouac at the summit of Pic de Sauvegarde on 22/11? Or just walk into a deep lake to end it all.
Anyhow, back to the idea that dear ED is at the bottom of a lake. I went back to topo maps and some web pics from the summit of Pic de Sauvegarde. Given the trajectory if ED fell from the back side of the col, would / could she have landed near the middle of the Boum de Vanesque? But without a trace of anything on the rock face?
On the topo map, I drew in two red lines - the left line would be the fall from the summit, the right line would be the fall from that steep descent from Port de Vanesque you talked about. And I have a picture of Boum Lake from the backside of the Pic de S summit. We've seen images like this before, but have we explored a fall from here?
Going back to RickshawFan's assessment that with ED's slim stature, her heavy pack, and the design of the pack, it could possibly topple her backwards in an accident. Or if she tried to retrieve a dropped phone... Or many other scenarios that might have put her in a precarious situation she could not recover from...
Sources:
Image #1: Sauvegarde / Salvaguardia
Image #2: Lakes "Boum du Port" : Photos, Diagrams & Topos : SummitPost
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RedHaus
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Great find Muva! And very interesting indeed. It may confirm some of our theories about ED's state of mind... ED's relationship with DC... and her lack of food...
And... could LA (the person named in the story) be the mystery bespectacled person in a pic on the Esther and Dan FB page from 13/11 that I called out in my Thread #2, page 34, post #678?.... I was hoping she'd be identified and found, to help shed light on ED's state of being and whatever other information that person may have.
https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.ne...=0024ea40070d69c16f0603c8a68acc60&oe=60169BD9
Anyone know what it would mean that the British police have now gotten involved with this case?
RickshawFan
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The other obvious place a fall might have transpired is that trail that skirts Boum Lake. It's sheer right there.
I'm not sure the ground isn't too rocky with broken-up rock to leave any trace if she fell from the Pic.
However, I totally agree with you that she could have fallen off that Pic. There's no question. As you look down, the valley where the Refuge is lies right at your feet. Plus, the Pic as a whole is quite pointy: that suggests it's sheer looking down. She could also have fallen off the other side. It might be much more complicated to search.
It doesn't make sense to me that ED took her whole big pack up the Pic, either. I'd have left the pack at the Port and taken the top lid (crazy as it sounds, the pack has two lids, one of which is not removable, blech!), rigged it as a quick summit pack, and scampered up and back.
I don't think she hiked to the refuge and continued on the trail to the Port de Glere via Lac de la Montagnette at 4:30-5:00 PM on Mon Nov 22. If she had made it to the refuge Winter room on Nov 22, she would most likely have settled in for the night.
I think there's something to the fact that she hiked the Pic de Sauvegarde on Nov 21, sent photos, descended a short distance down the trail, stayed at a cabin in Spain, then hiked back up the same summit the following day at 3 PM - remarkably late in the day - arriving at the summit around 4 PM. Was she scoping out options and trails towards Port de Glere?
There would be nothing on a rock face to indicate that someone fell. The rocks are millions of years old - no way to tell from a helicopter when a scratch on the rocks happened.
She was probably sturdy enough that she didn't fall over when wearing a backpack in the wind and she most likely had a safe yet accessible place to pack/carry the phone when she was hiking.
It's a 1600 foot fall, there is a cable system in the switch backs because the slope is steep - slipperiness is a factor (temp, shade, precipitation)
RickshawFan
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On the subject of not making sense....
We haven't heard of anyone coming forward who met ED and DC during their long hike over the summer. It's EXTREMELY unlikely no one remembered them. Hikers remember who they had lunch with on the mountainside, who they had that long philosophical conversation with at a hostel or Refuge.... It's a friendly set, hikers are tired and get relaxed, they have time to sit around, they share exploits, discuss gear, warn of trail difficulties ahead, share food, talk about the weather and places to camp, talk about food, talk about food, talk about food....
Yet no one seems to have come forward who encountered them on that long trek. Why?
We haven't heard of anyone coming forward who met ED and DC during their long hike over the summer. It's EXTREMELY unlikely no one remembered them. Hikers remember who they had lunch with on the mountainside, who they had that long philosophical conversation with at a hostel or Refuge.... It's a friendly set, hikers are tired and get relaxed, they have time to sit around, they share exploits, discuss gear, warn of trail difficulties ahead, share food, talk about the weather and places to camp, talk about food, talk about food, talk about food....
Yet no one seems to have come forward who encountered them on that long trek. Why?
RedHaus
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Actually, otto, I believe that caption in your photo of the cable system on way to Refuge de V refers to Pic de Sauvegarde - that has an altitude of 2738m. The cable must be much lower? So it would have been a 490m (1600f) fall from the summit of Pic de Sauvegarde (backside)... That makes more sense.... So what is the altitude of the cable?
Involvement of police should only happen when there is some possibility of wrongful action by a third party. French police have ruled out third party and favour accident, but include voluntary disappearance.
Perhaps her family has requested an investigation. Perhaps there are details and questions that are unanswered. What was her partner doing for the month that she was hiking solo ... beyond house sitting (typically paid to ensure the property is occupied).
Good point. I was basing elevation on the meters indicated on the caption of the photo in the dossier. The cable has to be on the switch backs. The lake elevation is 225o, switchbacks appear to be 2400-2450 m elevation. That's a difference of 200 meters, roughly 700 feet. She would be falling slower when she landed from that height.
Topology map: Le Port de Venasque
Lake elevation: Boums de Venasque - Bagnères de Luchon
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