Found Deceased Spain - Esther Dingley, from UK, missing in the Pyrenees, November 2020 #1

[RickshawFan]

NOV 30, 2020
Esther Dingley search: Specialist teams search the Pyrenees for the missing British hiker (inews.co.uk)
[...]

The French authorities said there had been no sightings of Ms Dingley since two Sundays ago, when she was spotted on the Pic de Sauvegarde, a 2,700-metre peak between the French town of Bagneres-de-Luchon and Benasque in Spain, where she had parked the couple’s camper van.

The mountain gendarmerie in Bagneres-de-Luchon said that because France has been on a Covid-19 lockdown there were very few walkers who could have seen the British woman, who is an experienced hiker.

[...]

Why was ED out there if the country was on lockdown? The gendarmerie sounds really ticked.

 

[Tortoise]

Ms Dingley started walking from Benasque, Spain, on November 21. French police said all trace of her was lost at 4pm on Sunday, November 22. No more phone messages were received after then.

Spanish authorities were alerted on November 25 of her disappearance and alerted their French counterparts the following morning. They found her vehicle on the Spanish side of the border.

Police race to find missing 'van life' travel blogger before snow storm that will bury the Pyrenees | Daily Mail Online

 

[RickshawFan]

This is awful, what a shame Esther was wearing dark/grey clothes. Was she not carrying a flare or GPS? No safety system in place for a solo walker seems unlikely, especially as she's so experienced.

Looking at the Pic de Sauvegarde on google earth, it is relatively sparse up there, no thick forest or anything. I assume she didn't have chance to use the yellow tent to attract attention.

Do we know if she was using the walking route mapped out by google (approx 9 miles), or going straight from A to B along the ridge which forms the country border, which would place her at Sauvegarde? (approx 2 miles)

Google Maps

I have some of the same questions...

I'm not familiar with the Pyrenees at all. Does anyone have an idea how this hike was to be executed? Clockwise? Anti-clockwise? Is it an entire loop, or was ED going to hitch back to the car?

 

[RickshawFan]

Does anyone have any idea why ED picked this hike? If you were an experienced hiker, and you wanted to be alone for a bit, I don't think you'd pick Pyrenees peaks in mid November. It's not like there aren't thousands of kilometers of hike possibilities at lower altitude.

 

[PommyMommy]

Why was ED out there if the country was on lockdown? The gendarmerie sounds really ticked.

I would guess that there were no restrictions on outdoor exercise. MOO

This article is dated Oct 28:

France announces second coronavirus lockdown – POLITICO
People have been told to stay home except to make essential journeys, to take exercise or to go to work if remote working is not possible.

The nationwide policy will be enforced from Friday and run through December, with a review in 15 days.

 

[RickshawFan]

I would guess that there were no restrictions on outdoor exercise. MOO

This article is dated Oct 28:

France announces second coronavirus lockdown – POLITICO
People have been told to stay home except to make essential journeys, to take exercise or to go to work if remote working is not possible.

The nationwide policy will be enforced from Friday and run through December, with a review in 15 days.

AFAIK "taking exercise" does not mean "go for an extended overnight hike". It means "you are free to walk a few blocks from your home, where you must otherwise remain except for a couple of exempt reasons (like going to work)". It's a "shelter in place" order, not a "do what you like and be responsible" order. Going backpacking IMO would on no planet qualify as "essential."
The gendarmerie statement makes clear that there were few people on this pathway, because of the lockdown. I took this to mean COVID restrictions would prevent you from doing so.

 

[Seni]

Missing travel blogger was on banned hike when she vanished | Daily Mail Online


"The trip was banned under French lockdown laws which forbid people from travelling more than half a mile from home or walking for more than an hour".

(…)


"French authorities say the search is made more difficult because the country was in lockdown at the time, meaning the trails were deserted with few witnesses".

 

[PommyMommy]

AFAIK "taking exercise" does not mean "go for an extended overnight hike". It means "you are free to walk a few blocks from your home, where you must otherwise remain except for a couple of exempt reasons (like going to work)". It's a "shelter in place" order, not a "do what you like and be responsible" order. Going backpacking IMO would on no planet qualify as "essential."
The gendarmerie statement makes clear that there were few people on this pathway, because of the lockdown. I took this to mean COVID restrictions would prevent you from doing so.

Yes, after digging a bit deeper, it appears my guess was wrong. Under the restrictions at that time, she should not have been on an overnight hike. MOO

 

[Seni]

Gendarmes to scale down search for British hiker Esther Dingley in Pyrenees



“On its Facebook Page the Peleton de Gendarmerie de Haute Montagne has put out a research alert and appeal for witnesses which reportedly prompted some negative responses, over lockdown rules in France banning hiking.


The appeal insists: “This message is aimed at saving a human life. Even if we understand the emotions raised by this behaviour during a period of lockdown, please do not comment on this subject. We are faced with an emergency here.”


“I haven’t been following the social media, but I understand there were people who complained about this, but the lockdown rules are different in Spain where she set off so perhaps she didn’t know,” Gaillard said”.

 

[CoverMeCagney]

The more I think about it, the weirder it is. How long was she going for? It's freezing up there, where was she planning to sleep? Did she have a big rucksack with warm clothing, sleeping bag, tent, food, water etc?

Evidently there were some people up there who saw her on the first day, and she sent a Whatsapp photo on the second day. But... she must have known she was alone in the world (possibly that was the appeal) and therefore at risk from the terrain and elements, as well as a total lack of a clear rescue plan.

While it seems a fall is the most likely scenario, there's a little devil on my shoulder which is beginning to wonder if there's another reason for her disappearance.

 

[CoverMeCagney]

Gendarmes to scale down search for British hiker Esther Dingley in Pyrenees



“On its Facebook Page the Peleton de Gendarmerie de Haute Montagne has put out a research alert and appeal for witnesses which reportedly prompted some negative responses, over lockdown rules in France banning hiking.


The appeal insists: “This message is aimed at saving a human life. Even if we understand the emotions raised by this behaviour during a period of lockdown, please do not comment on this subject. We are faced with an emergency here.”


“I haven’t been following the social media, but I understand there were people who complained about this, but the lockdown rules are different in Spain where she set off so perhaps she didn’t know,” Gaillard said”.

Well, her partner is currently staying in France and I assume that was her base too, so I imagine the rules were known.

Nov 13th post is interesting
Esther Dingley

 

[10ofRods]

Interesting post @10ofRods , thank you. I guess there is a degree of complacency in any routine activity (and I don't mean that in a negative way). Out of interest, have you looked at the terrain in the map I linked? The 3D Google Earth version shows all the mountain angles and is surprisingly clear - eg individual trees can be seen. It would seem a fall is the most likely explanation, but it's still strange she's not been found. I must admit, I am definitely not a cold weather person (I need my flip flops!) and while the views are beautiful I am satisfied with seeing someone elses photos of the area; Esther's pics are stunning.

Reading Esther's FB page, it does appear there she needed to spend some time alone:
Esther Dingley

And here is their joint adventure page:
Esther & Dan

I did look. It's very steep in areas close to the footpath. A very good friend of mine died years ago in similar terrain (momentary inattention while hiking with others).

I'm curious if she hiked with the dogs off leash (they are pictured off leash on her FB). Because it would be really weird for her to fall and the dogs to also fall (both of them). Perhaps she kept them attached to herself in some way.

Some of the places where they could have fallen have lots of talus (rubble) and that makes it very hard to find someone. I don't want to be too graphic, but falls can be quite long in the mountains and the searchers can't go off trail and search every inch - they need some clues.

 

[CoverMeCagney]

I did look. It's very steep in areas close to the footpath. A very good friend of mine died years ago in similar terrain (momentary inattention while hiking with others).

I'm curious if she hiked with the dogs off leash (they are pictured off leash on her FB). Because it would be really weird for her to fall and the dogs to also fall (both of them). Perhaps she kept them attached to herself in some way.

Some of the places where they could have fallen have lots of talus (rubble) and that makes it very hard to find someone. I don't want to be too graphic, but falls can be quite long in the mountains and the searchers can't go off trail and search every inch - they need some clues.

I'm not sure she had the dogs with her. There was a photo issued of her with them, but it turned out to be an older pic.

 

[PommyMommy]

DEC 1, 2020
Partner of missing UK hiker to keep searching 'until sun goes down' | UK news | The Guardian
The partner of the missing British hiker Esther Dingley has said he will keep searching for her until “the sun goes down” as gendarmes said they would scale down the operation.

[...]

Dingley had been travelling in the couple’s camper van during her solo trek, while Colegate stayed at a farm in the Gascony area of France.

Colegate said she had begun walking from Benasque in Spain on Saturday and had planned to spend Sunday night at Refuge de Venasque in France.

He has since travelled to the Luchon area of France to join the efforts to look for Dingley. He told the BBC that she had been away for a month and their last conversation had been about “how excited we were to see each other as this was her last trip before driving back”.

 

[Mimi in London]

The more I think about it, the weirder it is. How long was she going for? It's freezing up there, where was she planning to sleep? Did she have a big rucksack with warm clothing, sleeping bag, tent, food, water etc?

Evidently there were some people up there who saw her on the first day, and she sent a Whatsapp photo on the second day. But... she must have known she was alone in the world (possibly that was the appeal) and therefore at risk from the terrain and elements, as well as a total lack of a clear rescue plan.

While it seems a fall is the most likely scenario, there's a little devil on my shoulder which is beginning to wonder if there's another reason for her disappearance.

Yep. Reading between the lines, I think the local police think the same thing.

 

[Alyce]

Footage released on Tuesday shows the helicopter crossing rocky outcrops and icy peaks on the border between Spain and France as they raced to find her before a snowstorm sweeps over the mountains.

The storm is expected to arrive on Tuesday evening, which will likely be the start of the winter dump on the mountain range.



Police race to find missing 'van life' travel blogger before snow storm that will bury the Pyrenees | Daily Mail Online

 

[RickshawFan]

The more I think about it, the weirder it is. How long was she going for? It's freezing up there, where was she planning to sleep? Did she have a big rucksack with warm clothing, sleeping bag, tent, food, water etc?

Evidently there were some people up there who saw her on the first day, and she sent a Whatsapp photo on the second day. But... she must have known she was alone in the world (possibly that was the appeal) and therefore at risk from the terrain and elements, as well as a total lack of a clear rescue plan.

While it seems a fall is the most likely scenario, there's a little devil on my shoulder which is beginning to wonder if there's another reason for her disappearance.

I believe there are mountain hut(s) en route, but I may be wrong. Even with a hut for refuge, you'd have had to take a fair amount of stuff just to be safe. And if the huts were locked (because of COVID)....

 

[RickshawFan]

He said that Colegate, also from Durham, was also searching the mountain and had retraced Dingley’s route but was not with the rescue teams.

“He prefers to walk on his own,” the gendarme said.

[...]

“We are not just mountain rescuers, we also investigate so we are keeping all lines of inquiry open.” He said the chances of finding her were now “extremely slim”.

He added: “We will be sending a smaller team out to search tomorrow but after that, bad weather is forecast including heavy snowfall.”

Snipped for focus.

I thought these 2 paragraphs were telling.

To me, (I emphasize this is me and maybe not general), Frenchmen can sound annoyed as a general rule because the language is guttural. However, this gendarme sounds, well, annoyed, and it's not just me.

I also found it interesting—and unthinkable— that the boyfriend is out searching in the relevant area by himself. When the country is under lockdown, when a huge snow-bearing storm is in the offing, when a solo hiker has just gone missing in an area that is evidently treacherous especially for solo hikers, when I'm sure he has been advised against it by LE and SAR.

I can't fathom a choice to go searching alone in this situation. Couple with the French version of "nothing is being ruled out", it's actually making my hinky meter inch towards a ping.

 

[dotr]

Sorry, unintended bolding.
Esther Dingley: Partner says police 'looking at non-accident options'
''Police searching for a British hiker missing in the Pyrenees are "looking at other options" beyond an accident, her partner has said.''

Mr Colegate said after extensive searches the "prevailing opinion" is she is not in the mountains.

In a post on Facebook, he praised the French and Spanish search and rescue teams' efforts, but said: "Taking into account Esther's high level of experience, the nature of the terrain, the good weather she would have had, the fact she had a clearly defined route for Sunday evening and Monday, and various other factors, both search coordinators have essentially told me that the prevailing opinion in the search teams is that she isn't there.

"If she had fallen from one of the paths, they really would have expected to find her given the intensity, the closeness of the search and the fact most of the trails are really quite straightforward across open ground."

''Mr Colegate said Ms Dingley is now listed as a national missing person in Spain and her case has been passed to a "specialised judicial unit in France".

"This means they will be looking at other options beyond a mountain accident," he said.''

 

[Vaccine]

I believe there are mountain hut(s) en route, but I may be wrong. Even with a hut for refuge, you'd have had to take a fair amount of stuff just to be safe. And if the huts were locked (because of COVID)....

The early reports said that she intended to stay in a refuge. They are usually quite basic so you would need to carry stuff to keep yourself warm and food and drink. The last article said that they checked the refuge and it did not appear to have been stayed in.