Angela Benavides is a sportsjournalist who writes for
Explorersweb,
a community of athletes, scientists, dreamers, wanderers and above all, explorers, who are free to publish exploration and adventure related articles on the ExWeb.
Angela Benavides' TL on Twitter is full of the highest mountain tops world wide and people who fell to their death and remain forever frozen if they are not found. (My impression, shouldn't let myself get carried away, sorry! The charm of mountain climbing is completely lost on me.)
She has also published a report about Esther Dingley. It is obvious to me at least, that she wings it a bit when it comes to the details of the case, like who did what and when, so one should not read her story for those details, but her remarks about the area and hiking there are to the point. After all, that is why ExploresWeb was created. Plus, she apparently has some input from fellow Explorer members who met Esther in the Pyrenees.
Here are a few snippets that I find interesting, because they may shed some light on the question that is still nagging me:
what on earth made Esther want to climb that mountain?
What Killed Esther Dingley?
“I met her twice while I hiked with my dog,” Noemi Alonso, a biologist who lives in Benasque, told ExplorersWeb. “Last time, we met at the Santa Ana’s Cabin [an open hut without a caretaker], where she spent the night. She told me she was headed for Salvaguardia Peak and asked the best way to reach the summit.”
The biologist found her cheerful and good company. “[She seemed] well-equipped and fit,” Alonso said. About whether she might be depressed or sad, per some local rumors, Alonso replied, “Absolutely not! She looked very happy and motivated to me.”
If anything, she was overly motivated, as some local climbers who had also met her pointed out.
She expressed interest in joining them on climbing trips, but they kindly discouraged her because she lacked the necessary equipment.
(....)
The forensic team in Toulouse came up with a clear conclusion last week, as published by
ActuToulouse: “The autopsy reveals that there was a fall resulting in several fractures and immediate death.”
An official in charge of the case, Christophe Amunzateguy, said that the results fit with the base of the rocky outcrop where the remains were found. The victim’s belongings lay scattered around that outcrop, further suggesting a fall.
Sadly, fatal falls are common in mountains around the world. In the Pyrenees, in particular, there is a noticeable difference between the Spanish side to the south and the French side, which is usually more humid, greener, and therefore slippery.
The area where the accident took place lies between two mountain passes: the narrow Portillon de Benasque (in French, Port de Benasque), a crack in the rock wall on the eastern flank of Salvaguardia, and the Port de la Glere to the west.
In summer and fall, the rocky terrain and dried-out pastures on the Spanish side change dramatically on the French side. Here, green slopes plunge steeply down toward the charming, slightly decadent town of Bagneres-de-Luchon, nearly 2,000 vertical metres below.
BBM
