Buachaille Etive Mòr

Mountaineers spoke today of their sadness at the death of three colleagues on Buachaille Etive Mòr on Saturday.

Brothers John and Eamonn Murphy and Brian Murray were all members of the An Teallach Mountaineering Club and perished in the avalanche in the Coire na Tulaich. Tributes were paid to the men by fellow club members.

A spokesperson for the club said: “The members of the ATMC are very saddened by this terrible accident and the loss of our friends Eamonn, John and Brian. Our thoughts are first and foremost with their families and all other friends at this difficult time to whom we offer our sincere condolences.

“All three men had been members of the club for many years and were experienced mountaineers.

“They were all great guys, good company and were wonderful supporters of the club. They had a love of the mountains and their sense of fun and friendship made a significant contribution to the life of the club. They had attended club events all over Scotland.

“John and Eamonn had made regular trips with the club to the Dolomites in Italy. Their loss is a great blow to this small club and they will all be sorely missed and remembered with a great deal of affection by all in the club.

“The members would also like to thank the fantastic efforts of the mountain rescue teams, helicopter crews, police and everyone else involved in Saturday’s events.”

The family of the two brothers from Northern Ireland added: “We are devastated by the tragic loss of John Anthony Murphy, 63 of Portrush and Eamonn Francis Murphy, 61 of Carrickfergus, in Saturday’s avalanche accident near Glencoe, Scotland.

“John is survived by his wife, two children and grandchildren; Eamonn by his wife, three children and grandchildren; they will be sorely missed by family and friends alike who loved them dearly. The two brothers died doing something they loved and both Eamonn and John will be remembered fondly as loving people who lived their lives with passion.

“We would appreciate the time and space to grieve in peace and come to terms with our loss.

We would also like to extend our heartfelt thanks to their fellow climbers and the Mountain Rescue and Emergency Services for their efforts to save John and Eamonn.”

Dave Gibson, chief officer of the Mountaineering Council of Scotland, the representative body for mountaineers north of the border, said: “MCofS offers its condolences to the families and friends of those involved in the incident, who were all members of the An Teallach Mountaineering Club.

“Our thoughts and best wishes are also with the officers and members of the ATMC at this difficult time.

“ATMC is an active club with a 20-year history of climbing and mountaineering across Europe, and although small in numbers, is a very sociable club, and one that has contributed much to Scottish mountaineering and the MCofS.”

He went on to point out the risks involved in mountaineering – something that all who venture on to the hills and mountains have to bear in mind.

Mr Gibson said: “This was the most serious Scottish avalanche incident in recent years and is a blunt reminder of the fickle nature of Scotland’s snow and avalanche conditions.

“Mountaineering and climbing are activities with a risk of injury or death and avalanches are one of the hazards that may be encountered on the hills. However, it is important to recognise that thousands of people were out on the Scottish hills on Saturday and that the vast majority had a safe and enjoyable day.

“Mountaineers and climbers develop self reliance through experience. It is essential that individual experience is further informed about avalanche and weather conditions through the specialist information and advice which is updated daily and freely available to all.”

He urged anyone venturing on to the Scottish hills and mountains to make use of forecasting services such as the sportscotland Avalanche Information Service and the Mountain Weather Information Service, both of which can be accessed by the links tab at the top of grough’s pages.

Information on mountain safety can also be seen at the MCofS website.

The council also holds regular training events on safety and publishes the Winter Essentials DVD.

The An Teallach club is named after the munro in the Dundonnell and Fisherfield Forest, its name translating into English as The Anvil.