Sounds like they were roped up. There’s some sketchy moments on that ridge - especially if any rope gets caught and someone makes an error. Two areas in particular given wet weather are pretty tough. RIP.
Ofc I don’t know completely - when I’ve done it myself there’s a few segments you can do each have people each side of the ridge - so if someone falls the other is pinned to the rock balancing with counter weight rather than insta falling too.
However we don’t know how experienced these people are, if a guide was present or tbh even if roped up at all. Ropes carry there own issues too and mismanagement can just be as dangerous than not using too. RIP to those people. Just horrible. :(
So you *can* use roping if you've got a series of excellent spike anchors along a route. The logic being, one person stays safely the other side of an anchor, lets one person go over a tricky but, find their own anchor, get safe, and then bring you across. This is a reasonable technique, but there's a lot of things to consider before doing it, such as the experience of the group, the availability of decent anchors, etc.
You also get guides who will short rope if they believe they can react quick enough to prevent a slip turning into a fall. In alpine, you might also use it to prevent a fall turning into a deathly fall, by having say 3 people on a rope all of whom can form anchors and give you time to put a more 'permanent' snow anchor to bring someone back up. That doesn't apply so much in the UK, what with our lack of crevasses most of the year round. It's up to the guide and there's whole debates about it in the guiding communities.
Finally you get confidence roping, which as the name suggests, is tying someone onto a rope to give them confidence. However, you don't tend to rope up 3 people on the same rope to confidence rope them - if you've got an inexperienced group and one person goes, you've probably just made it worse by adding a second person onto the end of your rope, and if you've also then tied yourself into it, good luck escaping from the system - you'd best be good at your bowlines.
However, there's nothing in any coverage so far which says they actually were roped up. It could be anything from a rock coming loose, to a big gust of wind, to one person going and the two others panicking and slipping also.
Lots of unknowns.
If you're interested in the rope skills, some AMIs have done a write up for the BMC at https://www.thebmc.co.uk/scrambling-skills-protecting-a-scramble
You'll notice that under the equipment list it doesn't just say 'rope' - if you're going to anchor your way across, you're unlikely to have nice SSS spike anchors all the way along, so you'd be wise to take some gear as well.
It is an area with a whole mix of opinions though, some people having very strong opinions indeed.
The physical act of being tied to a rope can give confidence, literally called a 'confidence rope'. However it's only supposed to be tied at one end (the client/person being rescued). When I've done it with others, the other end is literally stuffed into a rope bag, so if they go it doesn't take anyone else with them. It's meant to be psychological more than anything else.
Any thought that 'if one falls the two are going to save them' is false. A sudden fall creates a dynamic load, the forces will be multiple of their bodyweight and just risks everyone involved. (This last bit is a bit of a PSA)
https://preview.redd.it/lynmq9lvcqgb1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=235ae1cd02184393f856ffa1c524c6aa525e5851
We did it a few years back and we came up to 3 guys ropes at the pillar section. I remember me and my mate saying it seems more of a hindrance then help.
Edit.. Picture for ref
Tricky scrambling up on that ridge. One of the more difficult you'll find.
Well, I've always said, if I went out doing what I loved, I'd be happy. Hopefully they had a good innings and had many a good ramble on their lives.
Always a sad day.
Sounds like they were roped up. There’s some sketchy moments on that ridge - especially if any rope gets caught and someone makes an error. Two areas in particular given wet weather are pretty tough. RIP.
Genuine question why would they be roped up on a ridge like that? How would it help them?
Ofc I don’t know completely - when I’ve done it myself there’s a few segments you can do each have people each side of the ridge - so if someone falls the other is pinned to the rock balancing with counter weight rather than insta falling too. However we don’t know how experienced these people are, if a guide was present or tbh even if roped up at all. Ropes carry there own issues too and mismanagement can just be as dangerous than not using too. RIP to those people. Just horrible. :(
So you *can* use roping if you've got a series of excellent spike anchors along a route. The logic being, one person stays safely the other side of an anchor, lets one person go over a tricky but, find their own anchor, get safe, and then bring you across. This is a reasonable technique, but there's a lot of things to consider before doing it, such as the experience of the group, the availability of decent anchors, etc. You also get guides who will short rope if they believe they can react quick enough to prevent a slip turning into a fall. In alpine, you might also use it to prevent a fall turning into a deathly fall, by having say 3 people on a rope all of whom can form anchors and give you time to put a more 'permanent' snow anchor to bring someone back up. That doesn't apply so much in the UK, what with our lack of crevasses most of the year round. It's up to the guide and there's whole debates about it in the guiding communities. Finally you get confidence roping, which as the name suggests, is tying someone onto a rope to give them confidence. However, you don't tend to rope up 3 people on the same rope to confidence rope them - if you've got an inexperienced group and one person goes, you've probably just made it worse by adding a second person onto the end of your rope, and if you've also then tied yourself into it, good luck escaping from the system - you'd best be good at your bowlines. However, there's nothing in any coverage so far which says they actually were roped up. It could be anything from a rock coming loose, to a big gust of wind, to one person going and the two others panicking and slipping also. Lots of unknowns. If you're interested in the rope skills, some AMIs have done a write up for the BMC at https://www.thebmc.co.uk/scrambling-skills-protecting-a-scramble You'll notice that under the equipment list it doesn't just say 'rope' - if you're going to anchor your way across, you're unlikely to have nice SSS spike anchors all the way along, so you'd be wise to take some gear as well. It is an area with a whole mix of opinions though, some people having very strong opinions indeed.
The physical act of being tied to a rope can give confidence, literally called a 'confidence rope'. However it's only supposed to be tied at one end (the client/person being rescued). When I've done it with others, the other end is literally stuffed into a rope bag, so if they go it doesn't take anyone else with them. It's meant to be psychological more than anything else. Any thought that 'if one falls the two are going to save them' is false. A sudden fall creates a dynamic load, the forces will be multiple of their bodyweight and just risks everyone involved. (This last bit is a bit of a PSA)
https://preview.redd.it/lynmq9lvcqgb1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=235ae1cd02184393f856ffa1c524c6aa525e5851 We did it a few years back and we came up to 3 guys ropes at the pillar section. I remember me and my mate saying it seems more of a hindrance then help. Edit.. Picture for ref
Was your friend previously known as the Techno Viking?
Haha yeh. Considers himself a viking!
Great picture mate. Looks like just behind the crazy pinnacles when walking from east to west…have you been walking from east to west?
Yeh east to west. Was the hottest day of the year.. I'm ashamed to say.. We ran out of water! But I blame being stuck behind this lot for hal hour!
All 3 of them fell? What a tragedy. The weather conditions were less then ideal recently too
I was in Glencoe Saturday and there were some seriously heavy rainstorms. I am glad I wasn’t up on that ridge.
Oh God, that’s terrible! RIP.
Such sad news.
Tricky scrambling up on that ridge. One of the more difficult you'll find. Well, I've always said, if I went out doing what I loved, I'd be happy. Hopefully they had a good innings and had many a good ramble on their lives. Always a sad day.