A Chance Encounter

We meet Dave high on a mountain.

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A Chance Encounter

It was the summer of 78. My Irish pal Neill and I were in the Swiss Alps for our third alpine 'season'. We had already made a couple of ascents and now we were climbing Monte Rosa, the second highest mountain in the Alps. The day before we had trudged up the interminable footpath from Zermatt burdened with heavy packs. The views were sublime but our backs ached, our feet were sore and the sun beat down.

Eventually we reached the great Monte Rosa glacier blocking our way to the mountain. Luckily for us the glacier was bare of fresh snow and with all the crevasses exposed we crossed without incident. Surmounting safely the gap between the glacier and the bare rock we soon passed the hut and found a large overhanging boulder at 10,000 feet where we could sleep in the open. It was a memorable but sleepless night with the sky ablaze with stars and the lightning in neighboring valleys flashing across the peaks. The iconic Matterhorn, a black monolith, filled the sky before us - and our imaginations.  Two years before, we had run out of steam a few hundred feet below the summit and descended, our dreams trampled. (We came back and climbed it the next year.)

We rose gladly from our beds at the unearthly hour of 1.30 am, ate breakfast, brewed some tea and packed our bags. At around 3 am teams of climbers from the hut passed us roped together, their head torches flickering on the snow.  Neill and I roped together and joined the caravan with our crampons crunching in the crisp snow and ice axes at the ready. Steadily we trudged upwards like automata over the steep snow fields. With our body clocks confused and the temperature well below zero we felt at a low ebb. By the time we approached the upper glacier glimmers of light were showing in the east and a fine sunrise painted the snows pink. Soon the summits were glowing in the first sun and our spirits lifted.

With the snows still frozen hard we crossed the upper glacier safely and reached the steep snow gully leading up to the Silbersattel and the final rock ridge. The weather was looking threatening by now and several teams were turning back. We felt nervous.  Coming down towards us we spotted a guy on his own obviously unsure what to do. This was our first glimpse of Dave. We greeted each other and after a brief chat agreed to join forces and carry on.  Our first impressions, ‘this guy’s nuts!’

We climbed the snow gully easily and then tackled the narrow rock ridge roped together. The rule is that if someone falls off one side the other jumps down the other to balance the fall. We passed a few groups coming back from the top as the weather was closing in. On one knife edge snow ridge the gale blew the  rope between them off alarmingly in a dizzying arc. A short steep rocky gully and a knife edge scramble led to the summit. Within minutes the cloud engulfed us and Dave took a quick summit photo of Neill and I. The temperature suddenly plummeted and within seconds my water bottle had frozen solid and my glasses froze to my head.  We felt a clutching anxiety about getting down safely as the rocks were covering with a treacherous layer of icy verglas. There was no time to waste now.

We safely traversed the first section along the ridge, belayed down the icy gully and then teetered along the knife edge snow ridge where we met a German climber roped to his wife. We conveyed to him that carrying on to the top would be suicidal but he was so consumed with summit fever that he finally tied his wife to a rock so that he could carry on alone.

In spite of the worsening weather our only choice was to stay with her in case he fell off and she was left alone tied to the rock. Shouting unprintable advice to him - ‘come back you b*******’, we watched him come to a halt in the verglassed gully and then admit defeat. On his return to his wife we were able to renew our descent and make it safely back down to the glacier.

The next hazard was crossing the upper glacier safely. The snow bridges that had been frozen hard in the early morning were now soft enough to plunge an unwary climber into the icy depths. This moment was our first intimation that Dave was the possessor of supernatural powers. He told us that his special sunglasses allowed him to see hidden crevasses. In spite of this we prodded our way tentatively over the glacier with our axes and still managed to put a leg through the snow to reveal the bottomless icy chasms.

Safely at the far side we were able at last to relax and enjoy the walk down. Above the Monte Rosa hut we stopped to remove our rope and crampons and the German couple appeared. Without being able to communicate directly there was a touching moment when he came across and gave each of us some chocolate - it was his way of saying sorry and we parted with a hand shake! Neill and I decided to have some lunch so we said farewell to Dave who was going to return directly to Zermatt. We agree to see him in the campsite later.

Our own descent seemed interminable and we later read that few (if any!) make the climb without using the railway to the Gornergrat. Well - I am Scottish! Back in the campsite we were tired, sore and thirsty - but where was Dave?  In the morning he was back in his tent and his ‘story’ was that jumping over the gap between the glacier and the rocks a stone had overturned and he had ended up wedged upside down at the bottom of the deep cleft. His back was injured but he had managed to get extricate himself and stumble down. Later he was diagnosed with a fractured coccyx - ouch!

After a day or two of recovery Neill and I climbed up to the Rothorn hut and made a very enjoyable ascent of the steep rocky ridge of the Trifthorn.   The weather broke and we decided to move round to the Bernese Oberland where we would check out the west ridge of the Eiger. We agreed a little reluctantly to give Dave a lift.

Of course the Eiger is one of the world’s iconic and feared ascents but that’s by the North Face. Even Clint Eastwood had some fun up there and survived the Eiger Sanction. Dave informed us that he had assisted in making the film as a climbing advisor (raised eyebrows here!) and offered us the chance to go up to remove some of the ironware left behind. We declined the offer and that’s why I’m sitting here typing this, years later!

The weather was looking rough and the mountains were snow plastered but we wanted to get up to the foot of the West Ridge so we could get off early if the weather picked up. Dave suggested we spend the night in a small rock shelter where there was an access tunnel into the Eiger railway that burrows up inside the mountain to the Jungfraujoch. It was ideal - about 10 feet across and six feet deep with some wooden boards where we could spread our sleeping bags.

Our matchless view took in the neighbouring peaks of the Monch and the Jungfrau but endless avalanches thundering down made our ascent unlikely. There wasn’t too much to do but brew endless tea and chat.

That’s when Dave stories started and they went on for two days and two nights, all told so convincingly you had to believe then. Here are a few of his tall tales!

Climbing the north face of the Eiger with two Poles they had heard some rockfall coming their way. Dave put his sac over his head to protect it - when he looked at his wrist his watch had been smashed but when he glanced at his companion he had lost his head! Literally!

Crossing a glacier with others Dave had to tie his rope on to something to cross a crevasse. He assumed he had belayed on a rock but glancing down realised it was a human foot protruding from the ice.

Making his way across another glacier he had looked down to see a perfectly preserved lady in Victorian dress embedded in the ice below his feet.

In his army days in Malaya Dave’s patrol had heard screams coming from a hut. Investigating they found that a giant Boa Constrictor had started swallowing a woman but had started on one leg and got stuck at her waist. They had managed to pull her out.

Out on jungle patrol Dave’s officer had been continually putting the men in mortal danger from the insurgents. According to Dave their captain had met with an 'untimely accident.’ The problem was solved.

Dave had been returning by a cross channel ferry from a climbing trip. He had witnessed one of the stewards giving a woman a hard time. Dave gave the fellow a hefty whack with a bag of climbing gear and then shouted, ‘Man overboard!’

After two days it was obvious that our climb that year was doomed (we did make it the next year!) so we packed up and descended. Dave had told us that because he spent so much time climbing he had secret dumps of gear he could use. By this stage we were well beyond our limits of belief in Dave but on the path down he led us off the path into a little wooded glade with a mound of stones and sure enough Dave started pulling out bits of camping and climbing gear.

We never saw Dave again but I received a few letters over the next few years.  The last one was true to form,

‘I came up to Scotland on my motor bike to do some ice climbing but got stuck in a blizzard. I stopped beside the loch and had just started cooking some sausages when a snowplough came round the corner and ploughed me, my bike and my sausages into the loch.’

I rest my case!

PS  Many years later I thought of Dave and wondered what had become of him. I asked my friend google.

I was gobsmacked with his reply.

A best selling author and former Royal Marine David Fletcher, 64 has been jailed for 9 years for ……

He was an experienced mountaineer who gave advice for Clint Eastwood's Hollywood blockbuster 'The Eiger Sanction' after successfully climbing the notorious Swiss peak.

 

His book  ‘Hunted: A True Story of Survival’  told of his daring escape from a bear on an Alaskan mountain.

One review read - if you want to laugh with incredulity then you can have my copy of this!

 

 

Reviews

[Lorry]

Real life is always more unbelievable than fiction, especially up here, where we can see 9 different seasons in one day... (I woke to snow this mornin....IN BLOODY OCTOBER.! I am so hibernating this winter.
Loved reading this. It reminded me of the not so long ago, when i could climb and hike. Nowadays, i just fumble along, wonderong what the hell im doing out of bed. 😀
Cheers for the book info too. Sounds like something i would enjoy.

[alanwgraham]

Ta Lorry. Now I have to show it to my pal to see if I have early onset altitude sickness!
Cheers.
Alan

[Tegon Maus]

A scary story Alan ! I could never understand what drives people to do such things… clearly not for me. Dave on the other hand is exactly the type of character I put in all my books despite his ending up in jail. I commend you for your stamina and courage… like I said – I’ll wait for you at the lodge!! Hot toddy on me !

[alanwgraham]

Thanks Tegon. Life would be full if we didn't have adventures to look back on. I'm looking forward to reading more of yours.
All the best.
Alan

[emmajoy]

' .. . The temperature suddenly plummeted and within seconds my water bottle had frozen solid and my glasses froze to my head. We felt a clutching anxiety about getting down safely as the rocks were covering with a treacherous layer of icy verglas.'

Apart from the easily read font and concise but comfortable language... what an incredibly interesting and fascinating piece of writing!. Enjoyed it from start to finish which actually surprises me because almost stopped three paras in! However, you'd dangled the carrot with so many facts and characters I wondered if there'd be a tragedy or courageous act. Having dry climbed during uni days, thought about stepping up to open weather! Having read of the incidents or the' could have been worse' happenings, pretty glad i stick to reading such weather-bound experiences. They're unusual too, can't recall reading similar in ten or so years in here.

The end was truly unexpected and will look out for the book, must be a great read when sitting next to a log fire!

[alanwgraham]

Thanks for sticking with this Emma. I was also gobsmacked when I googled Dave and found this. If this was fiction his prison sentence would be for pushing a Scottish climber off a ridge but I'm afraid it was for abusing 3 young girls. Very sad! I have a few more adventures that I must recount.
All the best to you.
Alan

[emmajoy]

Exciting stuff start to finish. However, what an ending, evil man. Will certainly look out for more of your tales.

[Sami Khalil]

Highly adventurous for an adventurous soul. I love how you go into details and the significance of the place. What a chance encounter with this decorated and well known person. Your style is wonderful and assenting high like the peaks.

[Sami Khalil]

"Even Clint Eastwood had some fun up there and survived the Eiger Sanction. Dave informed us that he had assisted in making the film as a climbing advisor (raised eyebrows here!) and offered us the chance to go up to remove some of the ironware left behind."

[Sami Khalil]

"but where was Dave? In the morning he was back in his tent and his ‘story’ was that jumping over the gap between the glacier and the rocks a stone had overturned and he had ended up wedged upside down at the bottom of the deep cleft. His back was injured but he had managed to get extricate himself and stumble down. Later he was diagnosed with a fractured coccyx - ouch!"

[Sami Khalil]

"Steadily we trudged upwards like automata over the steep snow fields. With our body clocks confused and the temperature well below zero we felt at a low ebb."

[Sami Khalil]

"It was a memorable but sleepless night with the sky ablaze with stars and the lightning in neighboring valleys flashing across the peaks. The iconic Matterhorn, a black monolith, filled the sky before us - and our imaginations."

[Sami Khalil]

" The views were sublime but our backs ached, our feet were sore and the sun beat down.



Eventually we reached the great Monte Rosa glacier blocking our way to the mountain. Luckily for us the glacier was bare of fresh snow"

[Coyote Poetry]

This was a wonderful story. I use to free-climb the West U.S mountains. Never with the snow. This trip would be fun for the brave. Thank you my friend for sharing the amazing story.
Coyote

[alanwgraham]

Thanks friend and fellow mountain man. There is something wonderful about being high on a mountain.
All the best.
Alan

[Coyote Poetry]

You are welcome Alan. I need a long walk into the mountains.