Page 13 - Army Mountaineer Winter 2022

AN ARCTIC ACCIDENT
John Muston MBE, Honorary Vice President
John Muston recounts the tragedy that befell his expedition to Axel Heiberg Island in summer 1972
In 1972 I led an AMA expedition to Axel Heiberg Island in the Canadian Arctic, an island lying to the west of Ellesmere Island which, in turn, lies to the west of NW Greenland. It is roughly the size of Switzerland and totally uninhabited apart from a building used in the summer by McGill University for glaciology field work. Pre-expedition research found no record of previous ascents of any of the mountains or indeed, of any real exploration of the interior. Since Otto Sverdrup discovered the island in 1900, a number of parties had sledged on the sea ice round all or part of the island but that was all. In short it was an ideal location for an AMA party.
The RAF did us proud by flying us to Resolute Bay from whence a Twin Otter took us 300 miles to the head of Middle Fjord which I had selected from the map as a Base Camp location. The following day the C 130 dropped our rations and fuel several miles up the glacier so all we had to do was get there, load our pulks with 20 or so days rations and head into the mountains in three parties each of four men. What followed was 43 days of idyllic exploration and climbing on peaks up to 6700 feet and all in the most glorious weather.
Sadly, all good things come to an end and by 9th August two of the three parties were back in Base Camp ready for the fly out but where was the third? Eventually, at
about 2030hrs Noel Dilly and Bronco Lane staggered into camp – utterly exhausted: so exhausted in fact, that they could only explain what had happened by me posing questions and them responding with a simple answer. Doug Lewis and Ken Scaife had fallen into a crevasse. With the aid of improvised pulley systems Noel and Bronco had got Doug out – badly bruised and suffering from concussion but, after a check by Noel who was the expedition doctor (borrowed from the RNR), there did not seem to be much else wrong with him. The problem was Ken, who had fallen much further down into the crevasse. Noel abseiled down – and reached the end of the 125-foot climbing rope. But Ken was a further 40 feet down so Noel untied from the rope and free climbed down to him,
A twin otter
an act of bravery which later earned him a well-deserved George Medal.
Ken was dead as a result of his fall but I am forever grateful that it was a qualified doctor who was able to determine this. Noel climbed back to the surface of the glacier and had a discussion with Bronco. What to do? For one of them to go for help on his own was hazardous in the extreme but if both went this would mean leaving Doug on his own for what proved to be about 17 hours. Doug was briefed as well as a concussed man can be briefed, and his boots hidden in case he woke up after sleeping and felt the need to effect his own rescue. Due to their own fatigue it took Bronco and Noel about five and a half hours to make Base Camp.
Like skis, pulks have to be waxed
The locals come to visit
The rescue party
ARMY MOUNTAINEER / 13