John Evans in Alaska

The mountain rescue team which lost one of its most experienced members in an accident in Snowdonia this week issued a tribute to him

John Evans died while descending from Clogwyn y Grochan in the Llanberis Pass. He had been climbing with friends, including colleagues from the Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Organisation.

Chris Lloyd of the OVMRO said: “John was originally from Wrexham. Here he joined the Scouts and through this organisation he was introduced to the mountains. Whilst staying at Hafod, the Scout hut in the Ogwen Valley he became introduced to and interested in mountain rescue.

“He became a full member of Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Organisation in May 1973. Through this organisation he was introduced to the United States Air Force’s PJs – airborne rescue troops trained to be dropped behind enemy lines to extract downed aircrew. These PJs, who were based in Woodbridge, Suffolk, used Snowdonia for training and became good friends of the team.

“John became attracted to the PJs’ life and in the early 1980s he left Wales for the USA to join the USAF and the PJs. He travelled the world with them over the next 12 years or so.

“Through the PJs he was introduced to the big mountains of Alaska.

“Leaving the USAF in the mid 1990s, he started as a mountain guide in the Alaskan mountains. Through this John was introduced to the Alaskan Mountain Ranger Service and high altitude mountain rescue on Denali (Mount McKinley).

“John would spend six months of the year in Alaska, much of it up at the high altitude ranger rescue camp at 4,265m (14,000ft). During the other half of the year he would return to his home in Capel Curig.

“John was never at home for long. He instructed in mountain-rescue technical ropework, wilderness first aid and search management, which not only took him around Wales, England, Ireland, Scotland, but as far afield as South Africa and Hong Kong.

“John has two children, his son David, 22 years, and daughter Rhiannon, 18 years. He loved taking them on mountain adventures from when they were very young. John’s partner Lynne is a keen rock climber and had been climbing with John at the time of the accident.

“John was a true professional in all his fields, a real stalwart and the man to have with you when the going got tough on the mountains. Tributes to John are being sent from around the world. He will be really missed by all those who knew him. It is a great tragedy that the man who did so much to assist those in trouble in the mountains for 36 years should lose his life at such an early age and on the mountains he loved.”