Memory, a slippery eel, isn’t it?
We’re nearing 60 years since JFK was shot in Dallas—tomorrow’s the day actually, 22nd November. I can still see my dad’s face, shocked by the news as we sat around our black and white telly, flames dancing in the open coal fire. Meanwhile, young me just pondered why the uproar. No photos jog my memory, yet the entire scene’s etched in my mind like a carving.
However, the terrible tragedy up in the Cairngorms eight years later, in 1971? I have absolutely no recollection. I had just started my second year at university, but that event draws a blank on my memory map. A group of 6 15/16-year-olds led by 2 adults from an Edinburgh school set out for the Corrour bothy in the Larig Ghru via the Cairngorm plateau. Thanks to a heap of issues, they had to bivouac near a stream named Feith Bhuidhe. Regrettably, things went horribly wrong, and five of the teenagers along with one of their leaders died.
Another party from the same school embarked on a more ambitious route and somehow reached the Curran bothy. There they hunkered down for the night. The next day, they battled the elements to make it back to their base at Laggangalia, where they expected to find the others, but nothing. Cue a massive search operation in rough weather with teams from Glenmore Lodge, Braemar, Cairngorm SARDA, and RAF Kinloss.
It’s a grim tale with lessons for everyone. Outdoor Ed got a major overhaul after the Inquiry, completely for the better. The Mountain Leadership Board stepped up, and standards for those guiding with young adults in the mountains improved. No one wanted a repeat of that tragedy.
Post-disaster, the plateau bothies were dismantled in 1973. This sparked big debates among the mountaineering crowd. Politics played a part in which bothies stayed or went. The mountain rescue organisations learned many lessons. The skilled helicopter flying undoubtedly saved the survivors, but let’s not forget the efforts of all those teams and the Police, in those wild conditions. A real tragedy this, and the anniversary will undoubtably bring back tragic memories for the families.
Past teaches us: short days in the mountains matter, especially in early winter. November/December means daylight is a scarce 8-9 hours. Plan smart for the season and the weather.
Further reading
There is a Wikipedia page devoted to the tragedy but John Allan’s memoirs “Cairngorm John — A Life in Mountain Rescue” (Sandstone Press, 2008) makes an interesting read.
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