Comments on: Remembering the tragic events of Jock’s Road

By: Catherine Gerlach nee Duffin

Catherine Gerlach nee Duffin — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 09:11:10 +0000

Members of my family including my father Matthew Duffin met in Braemar early in April 2009 to remember my uncle Harry and the four other victims by walking along some of Jock’s Road - Harry was my father’s older brother and so it was in the spirit of remembering his life that we met. Like them we attended Mass in Braemar and then had a wonderful walk through this most beautiful part of the world. Nice to see a comment from Joe Millar amd to be so reassured of the incredible efforts made to rescue and then retrieve the victims of such a tragedy. Thank you for this lovely account to remember the Glen Clova Five

By: Joe Millar

Joe Millar — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 19:22:13 +0000

I was a member of the weekly parties, organised by Davie Glen, to search for the bodies, and was there when Frank Daly ’s body was found. The first thing we saw was the top of his rucksack poking through the snow and he was lightly covered still. Davie, and a policeman called Tom Deas, organised us into carrying parties and I was one of the numerous people, who worked in relays, to carry his body back down off the hill.

The police who helped in the search were very poorly equipped for the job, at that time, not having the proper boots or anoraks, and it was after this tragedy that the above mentioned Tom Deas, of the Angus Constabulary from Forfar, set about having the proper equipment made available to the police for such emergencies.

I am now in my 80th year but remember this well and most of us had our theories as to how the men were seperated and the bodiies found so far apart.

By: cameron

cameron — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 12:08:25 +0000

Thanks guys. There has been a shocking fatality rate this winter which is very sad. Isn’t it curious how the often malevolent forces of extreme cold and high winds can combine to produce such intense and remarkable beauty, the beauty that attracts so many of us to the winter hills. It’s good to remember that such beauty is often laced with potential danger.

By: Martin Rye

Martin Rye — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 09:12:53 +0000

Sobering reminder indeed. With the sad loss of so many on the hills in the last few weeks your posting reminds us of the added danger the hills have with winter conditions. Jocks Road is not a low level route as often pointed out by the TGO Challenge organisers. Nearly 3000ft up on the top. It is a great walk to do despite the fact the weather can make it difficult.

By: Gibson McGeachie

Gibson McGeachie — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 13:39:56 +0000

Hi Cameron,

For anyone interested, accounts of this and of other accidents in the Scottish hills from 1928 - 1966 can be found in I D S Thomson’s ‘The Black Cloud - Scottish Mountain Misadventures 1928 - 1966′. A stark reminder, if it were needed, of just how ferocious the Scottish winter can be.