Found Deceased Spain - Esther Dingley, from UK, missing in the Pyrenees, November 2020 #6

[yddraigfach]

Although it looks OK from Otto's screen grabs, the Spanish side of Pic de la Glere is actually a cliff!

I've attached two screenshots from Google Maps, one taken from near Ibon de la Solana de Gorgutes (looking NW), the other taken from near Ibon de Gorgutes (looking N).

In addition, if you watch this video above between 3.03 and 3.07, you can also see that it is actually a knife edge-ridge. (In case you were wondering, Pic de la Montagnette is the peak between Pic de la Sauvegarde and Pic de la Glere)

(Edited slightly to improve formatting)

 

[otto]

This is not the correct area as it is described as below the pic de la glere and above the porte.

Agreed, it's further left.

 

[yddraigfach]

Somewhere in this area, I suppose. The Port de la Glere trail on the left.

Absolutely!

 

[searancke]

Red Arrow = estimated location of body
Yellow Arrow = estimated location of partial skull

We have been looking at this area since the skull was found, wondering whether she was ascending or descending this area. It's possible that she arrived at the port and started to descend the trail. We have read that the area is slippery in November (keeper at Refuge de Venasque). Perhaps the shale was moving under her feet. The area near the Port looks particularly steep to me. Perhaps she was quickly in a situation where she could not climb back up, and going down was too dangerous. She might look for larger rocks to get better traction. With her heavy pack, the wind, shale and Winter moisture, it seems quite possible that she start the trail and was instantly in trouble with no way to move up or down.

View attachment 308398

The diagram is I think accurate, although the red arrow should perhaps be slightly higher.

MOO, she could have walked from Pic Sauvegarde back to the Spanish side, maybe bivouacked then up to the Porte de la glere the next day OR she could have crossed into France from sauvegarde and up to the porte that way, but ultimately when at the Porte de la Glere, she has decided to ascend to the Pic de la Glere and had an accident. There are one or two reports of this climb and one states it needs an ice axe.

It will (again MOO) have been caused by a combination of tiredness, possible recklessness. RIP Esther.

 

[yddraigfach]

Another two Google Maps screen shots to show quite how inhospitable Pic de la Glere is! The first taken from the top of Pic de la Montagnette (looking W), the second from Pic de Sacroux (looking E).

 

[Ruthbullock]

Esther Dingley: Missing hiker's body retrieved by police
Her body was discovered on Sunday, but only recovered this afternoon - suggests it was in a very awkward position to retrieve her from. I’m guessing they will have taken some time for forensics- but not several days.

 

[Owlpellet]

Well, her tent appears to be missing, and if the wind caught it while she was in the Porte and pulled it onto the slope of Pic de la Glère, it’s possible she tried to retrieve it on her way back down to Spain. Especially if it still had one of her walking poles stuck in it and it wedged into the rocks somewhere. Just a thought.

 

[Ruthbullock]

Although it looks OK from Otto's screen grabs, the Spanish side of Pic de la Glere is actually a cliff!

I've attached two screenshots from Google Maps, one taken from near Ibon de la Solana de Gorgutes (looking NW), the other taken from near Ibon de Gorgutes (looking N).

In addition, if you watch this video above between 3.03 and 3.07, you can also see that it is actually a knife edge-ridge. (In case you were wondering, Pic de la Montagnette is the peak between Pic de la Sauvegarde and Pic de la Glere)

(Edited slightly to improve formatting)

How far away in walking terms was that? I’m not convinced she wasn’t seeking the ultimate sunset panoramas on her final days, hence the late start and diversions. I hope her death was painless, but I think she has passed doing the thing she loved the most and her final days of life will have been exhilarating. I hope that brings her family some comfort.

 

[Ruthbullock]

Well, her tent appears to be missing, and if the wind caught it while she was in the Porte and pulled it onto the slope of Pic de la Glère, it’s possible she tried to retrieve it on her way back down to Spain. Especially if it still had one of her walking poles stuck in it and it wedged into the rocks somewhere. Just a thought.

Or she took it out to try and attract attention and it’s blown away when she could no longer hold on.

 

[Hope4More]

She took a selfie on top of the mountain around 4PM, right? On November 22, the approximate time of sunset would have been shortly after 6pm. Temps would have begun falling pretty quickly within the hour after she took the photo, especially on any parts of her path in the shadows.

A fall caused by her haste to get down from what she intended as a side excursion? Or haste to get to a place where she could set up camp for the night?

ETA: is there new info that her tent is definitely missing? Else, it doesn't make much sense. At least some of her other gear was found near her body, and it seems *very* unlikely she set the tent up.

 

[Owlpellet]

Or she took it out to try and attract attention and it’s blown away when she could no longer hold on.

Totally...but looking for explanations why she may have ventured onto a route people feel is too dangerous/not worth the effort

 

[otto]

The diagram is I think accurate, although the red arrow should perhaps be slightly higher.

MOO, she could have walked from Pic Sauvegarde back to the Spanish side, maybe bivouacked then up to the Porte de la glere the next day OR she could have crossed into France from sauvegarde and up to the porte that way, but ultimately when at the Porte de la Glere, she has decided to ascend to the Pic de la Glere and had an accident. There are one or two reports of this climb and one states it needs an ice axe.

It will (again MOO) have been caused by a combination of tiredness, possible recklessness. RIP Esther.

It seems like an error in judgement. The piece of skull suggests that perhaps she hit her head hard.

 

[RickshawFan]

Still talking about the tent being missing in the Daily Mail , and also this - "There was no immediate information as to how police managed to miss the human remains for so long, but the source said it was in a ‘natural hideway’, such as a gully or cave."

I'm not clear why the there's so much fuss being made about the tent at all. Either it was with ED or not with ED. What difference does it make?

 

[ZaZara]

French police admit ‘failure’ in not finding Esther Dingley’s body

After months of searching, Dan Colegate, her boyfriend, discovered her remains and walking equipment on Tuesday (* Monday!) in a "natural hideaway" not far from her route, French investigators said.

The "skeletal remains" were found near the Pic de la Glere, a remote peak that is difficult to access and close to where a portion of Ms Dingley's skull was discovered two weeks ago.

On Wednesday, French investigators said items recovered by Mr Colgate included Ms Dingley's brightly coloured clothes, a yellow sleeping mat and her backpack, which was found several meters from her body.

.....

On Wednesday, French investigators told The Telegraph that one of the items recovered by Mr Colgate was Ms Dingley's backpack.

Eyewitnesses had previously said they saw a woman, strongly suspected to have been Ms Dingley, walking through the mountains "very heavily loaded with a very big backpack". The whereabouts of her tent remain unclear.

Military personnel have been drafted in to assist criminal investigation technicians from Toulouse and high mountain police from nearby Luchon due to the "extremely difficult" terrain where Ms Dingley was found. The area is hard to navigate, and accidents have been known to happen there.


BBM

 

[Hope4More]

It seems like an error in judgement. The piece of skull suggests that perhaps she hit her head hard.

I agree. And perhaps most preferable if true, given alternative scenarios that would have likely involved prolonged suffering.

 

[ZaZara]

French police admit ‘failure’ in not finding Esther Dingley’s body

After months of searching, Dan Colegate, her boyfriend, discovered her remains and walking equipment on Tuesday (* Monday!) in a "natural hideaway" not far from her route, French investigators said.

The "skeletal remains" were found near the Pic de la Glere, a remote peak that is difficult to access and close to where a portion of Ms Dingley's skull was discovered two weeks ago.

On Wednesday, French investigators said items recovered by Mr Colgate included Ms Dingley's brightly coloured clothes, a yellow sleeping mat and her backpack, which was found several meters from her body.

.....

On Wednesday, French investigators told The Telegraph that one of the items recovered by Mr Colgate was Ms Dingley's backpack.

Eyewitnesses had previously said they saw a woman, strongly suspected to have been Ms Dingley, walking through the mountains "very heavily loaded with a very big backpack". The whereabouts of her tent remain unclear.

Military personnel have been drafted in to assist criminal investigation technicians from Toulouse and high mountain police from nearby Luchon due to the "extremely difficult" terrain where Ms Dingley was found. The area is hard to navigate, and accidents have been known to happen there.


BBM

What kind of accident is this???

 

[Owlpellet]

What kind of accident is this???

A fall possibly, backpack separates from body and rolls further. Or she crawls away. Difficult to say without further information.

 

[otto]

I'm not clear why the there's so much fuss being made about the tent at all. Either it was with ED or not with ED. What difference does it make?

It makes a difference because if it is missing, it suggests that she fell, was alive and used the tent for protection. The piece of skull makes me think she did not survive the fall.

 

[Grouse]

Hmm, I

I'm increasingly convinced that she approached the Port de la Glere from Spain, and that the Refuge de Venasque was the destination. The ridge route is consistent with perhaps a lofty goal of hiking the ridge - marking a new path.

Perhaps the two hikes to the Pic de Sauvegarde summit were to scope out a possible route to Port de la Glere that did not involve the trails to the parking lot at Hospital de Benasque. Perhaps she did bivouac somewhere on the Spanish side of the mountains on Nov 22.

The alternative is that she approached the Port de la Glere from France, saw the scree, realized the dangerous hike, and still attempted it. That doesn't seem like a decision of an experienced hiker. She should have known when to turn back.

OK, so west along the ridge with the intent of going clockwise on the loop to Refuge de Venasque? There would be no chance of getting to the refuge on the night of 22nd then IMO.

Maybe a last minute plan could have been to do the ridge and then descend from P de la G and just head back to the van? Maybe she'd had enough and just wanted to get back to the van that night, then go home to Dan the next day and surprise him?

 

[pineapple23]

French police admit ‘failure’ in not finding Esther Dingley’s body

On Wednesday, French investigators said items recovered by Mr Colgate included ......

Is this just a misleading turn of phrase? I had the impression that the body was in a difficult location and he simply notified authorities after spotting it..